The latest CoinGecko Crypto Industry Report highlights a significant trend: ‘Gaming’ made Top 15 Narratives for investors in Q1 2024, claiming over 5% of their attention. Needless to say, for those passionate about both gaming and crypto investing, the GameFi sector is definitely worth exploring.
In this post, we’ll review 7 best free-to-play crypto games that offer the best opportunities for effortless passive income.
What are crypto games & GameFi?
GameFi is the fusion of blockchain technology, gaming, and decentralized finance.
Players are rewarded with tradable tokens for investing time and effort into P2E (Play-to-Earn) games.
In GameFi, you get to own digital assets beyond the game itself. Unlike regular gaming where players put in time, effort, and sometimes money but have little control over what they’ve earned, GameFi gives players real ownership and a say in the gaming worlds they’re part of. It’s like having a piece of the gaming universe that’s truly yours.
Types of crypto games
All crypto games work using blockchain tech, guaranteeing transparency, security, and immutability.
Your game goodies like characters, items, and coins are turned into NFTs and kept safe on a blockchain. This means you really own your stuff in-game and can trade or sell it on different marketplaces.
Play-to-Earn (P2E)
GameFi is all about the Play-to-Earn (P2E) model, where players get real rewards for playing. These rewards can be anything from game tokens to super rare items, all thanks to blockchain tech.
What’s cool is that these rewards have actual value outside the game and can be traded on different crypto platforms. This makes playing more than just a game; it’s like a whole new level of fun and engagement.
A classic example is CryptoKitties, which kicked off back in 2017. You could do simple stuff in the game with these digital pets, and the best part? Your CryptoKitty was safe and sound in your wallet, yours and only yours.
In late 2020, Axie Infinity, a game outside of Ethereum’s network, took the lead. This card game was a game-changer, kick-starting the play-to-earn trend. Ordinary players can now turn their gaming time and skills into money, offering a way for folks to earn from gaming.
By 2021, games like Axie Infinity had become a main income source for many players in the Philippines. They used GameFi platforms and the Play-to-Earn model to support their lives, especially in tough economic times with low wages.
In 2024, this GameFi feature might reach new heights. It won’t just be players in poorer nations making a living from gaming; even casual gamers worldwide can boost their earnings by playing the games they love.
Move-to-Earn (M2E)
Move-to-earn games are the latest trend rewarding players with cryptocurrency just for staying active. These games track your movements, so you earn while sticking to your fitness routine.
Take STEPN, for instance. It’s a top M2E app on the Solana blockchain. Slip on your Sneaker NFTs and start moving – whether you’re jogging, running, or just taking a stroll, you’re making money on STEPN.
Another hit is Sweatcoin, ranking second by Market Cap as of April 2024. It pays you in $SWEAT coins for every 1,000 steps, which you can splurge on electronics, fitness gear, or gift cards in their marketplace.
The GameFi world is vast and exciting, offering opportunities to earn while having fun. However, not all of those games are free. But worry not! We’ve got you covered with the best free play-to-earn games that gamers are loving. Let’s jump right in.
7 best free crypto games
Crypto Royale
Crypto Royale is a browser-based game that’s free to play, and also signup-free.
In the game, players can earn $ROY tokens, which are multi-chain tokens usable within the game. These tokens can be stored in the game’s wallet or on supported blockchains like Harmony, Polygon, and Avalanche.
| Genre | Platform | Blockchain | Token | Token Market Cap |
| Casual |
Browser-based | NANO Network | $ROY | $478,422 |
The game lets you stake your $ROY tokens to earn rewards, either at a fixed 8% rate or a variable one.
The gameplay is easy: you control a colored orb in space, grabbing HP boxes to stay alive. But watch out for other players’ orbs – if your HP drops below 25 points, they can eat you up. The last orb standing wins.
Players can customize their experience with different skins, arenas, and game modes.
Overall, Crypto Royale provides a casual gaming experience with the potential to earn rewards along the way.
Gods Unchained
Gods Unchained is an award-winning tactical card game.
| Genre | Platform | Blockchain | Token | Token Market Cap |
| Tactical Card Game |
Windows MacOS |
Ethereum | $GODS | $65,516,620 |
Players dive into mastering six domains and over 1800 cards, all to earn $GODS tokens that can later be traded for ETH and other tokens. Additionally, players can acquire in-game items to sell on platforms like the Immutable X Marketplace.
What’s great is you don’t have to worry about setting up a crypto wallet or understanding $GODS tokens from the get-go. The game allows you to learn as you play, making it accessible for newcomers.
New players kick things off with a free Welcome Set of cards, giving them a solid foundation for six unique decks. By participating in Daily Play & Earn matches, players can rack up $GODS tokens, and there are even extra rewards for joining tournaments.
On the flip side, some players have voiced concerns about the game’s bugs, the imbalance between legendary and free cards, and the challenges free players face when trying to cash out their earnings.
Pixels
Pixels is a popular social farming simulator that has attracted a massive player base of over 900,000 users, thanks to its captivating pixelated world and integration with blockchain technology.
The game offers a unique combination of farming, exploration, and creativity, allowing players to own virtual land and utilize NFTs as part of their in-game experience.
| Genre | Platform | Blockchain | Token | Token Market Cap |
| Open-world Social Farming Simulator |
Browser-based | Ronin Network | $PIXEL | $334,669,961 |
Within Pixels, players engage in activities such as exploring diverse terrains for resources, completing tasks, crafting and constructing, accumulating currency, and personalizing their virtual plots. Investing in NFTs expands players’ opportunities by providing access to larger land areas for customization.
Quest completion rewards players with both standard in-game currency (coins) and the more valuable PIXEL tokens. Progression in Pixels hinges on acquiring increasingly rare resources, which requires dedication and experience to master over time. It’s a gradual journey toward accumulating the best assets within the game.
If you’re a fan of games like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and Terraria and are looking to earn some extra tokens, Pixels might just be the game for you to explore!
Coin Hunt World
Coin Hunt World is this cool game for Android and iOS that gets you moving, exploring, and testing your trivia skills.
| Genre | Platform | Blockchain | Token |
| Geolocation game: combines puzzle, quiz, trivia, and adventure | iOS Android |
BTC ETH |
No |
Just stroll around the map with your little cubie (that’s your avatar), collect keys to unlock vaults, and answer trivia questions. Your rewards? You can get resources (to create different cubies) or even some BTC & ETH.
They’ve got regular Blue ($0.10), Green ($1), and Yellow ($10) vaults all year, and sometimes they throw in special Red ($100) or Purple ($1,000) vaults for big events or when they launch in new countries.
Sadly, for now, Coin Hunt World is only up and running in the US, Canada, UK, Philippines, and Malaysia.
COIN App
The COIN mobile app lets users earn digital coins by validating their location data through mini-games and interactions with other Geominers.
| Genre | Platform | Blockchain | Token |
| Geolocation game | iOS Android |
XYO Network | No |
Users explore a digital world that merges with the real one to discover items, rewards, and special opportunities, ensuring continuous earnings.
Coins are earned anywhere with GPS, Wi-Fi, or data connection, and the COIN app consumes minimal cell data, allowing uninterrupted use for other activities like streaming or gaming.
Users can exchange earned coins for rewards such as cryptocurrency, digital assets, gaming systems, and tablets.
Although COIN is generally free to use, users can earn more rewards if they purchase a SentinelX card, which uses Near-field Communication technology to verify geolocation while traveling, or by opting for a paid plan with added perks.
This app can be especially beneficial for users who travel frequently or move around a lot, such as delivery service employees or truck drivers, potentially increasing their profits.
Crazy Defense Heroes
Crazy Defense Heroes is all about playing and earning in a tower defense game. You take on waves of enemies using strategy and battle skills in a top-down match.
| Genre | Platform | Blockchain | Token | Token Market Cap |
| Strategy, Tower Defense | iOS Android |
Ethereum | $TOWER | $12,423,025 |
Just like classic tower defense games, Crazy Defense Heroes throws waves of enemies at you, and your job is to fend them off. You do this by placing different types of towers around the map that attack enemies, and by using playable characters that can do the same. Each tower and character has unique traits that determine how much damage they deal to enemies.
When you beat a level, you earn $TOWER tokens. These tokens can be sold on the market.
You can use $TOWER tokens to buy game card NFTs and join tournaments that might have entry fees, and there are plans for even more features in the future. $TOWER tokens also give you a say in the Crazy Defense Heroes community.
Alien Worlds
Alien Worlds is a play-to-earn game running on the WAX blockchain. It boasts a universe with six distinct worlds, each packed with 500 land plots, and every plot is owned by players as an NFT.
| Genre | Platform | Blockchain | Token | Token Market Cap |
| Mining and Staking Player-Run Universe | Web | WAX / Binance Chain | $TLM | $70,372,343 |
In the game, you start off with basic gameplay: mining on land plots using tools like your trusty Shovel or other mining-related NFTs. This action rewards you with Trilium tokens ($TLM), which are the currency powering the Alien Worlds ecosystem.
Getting into Alien Worlds is free, and new players receive a Shovel to kickstart their mining journey. However, initial payouts are modest. To boost your earnings, you can invest in better tools for more efficient mining.
Earning Trilium in Alien Worlds comes through three avenues: active mining using tools, passive income from land ownership, and engaging in a staking system on the Binance Smart Chain.
Bottomline
Wrapping it up, play-to-earn crypto games are riding a wave of popularity that’s only getting bigger. With blockchain and crypto gaining traction, these games are set to become even more enticing, offering players more chances to earn.
The coolest part? Blockchain gives players actual ownership of their in-game stuff, making it all feel more meaningful and giving us more control.
Plus, play-to-earn games are like a dream come true for gamers who want to turn their skills into cash, blurring the lines between gaming and real-life rewards. However, here’s the thing about free crypto games…
… completely free-to-play P2E games usually offer much lower earning potential compared to games where you invest a little bit.
