Games To Play And Make Money

• Make Cash Playing Games App
• Get Paid To Play Games Online

Do you love playing video games? Do you enjoy making money?

With all the ways you can get paid, have you considered monetizing your gaming habit? It’s one of the newest ways to make money online, and unlike other side hustles and side jobs, it can be tons of fun.

Play video games, get paid. Play video games; post it on social media, get paid. Pretty awesome, right?

1. Play free games now on your browser without download, including racing, strategy, puzzle and more games at freeplaynow.com.
2. Play cribbage for free or win money in online tournaments. Cribbage is a popular classic card game for two players. The object of the Game is to be the first to score 121 (or 61) points gathered over several deals.

60 PayPal Real Money Apps and Games to Try in 2021. 1) Wealth Words. Play games for PayPal cash at Wealth Words. 2) Feature Points.

Despite what your 8th grade English teacher might have told you, you can earn extra cash playing video games. Many people turn their love of Grand Theft Auto, Pokémon, and mobile games into part-time or even full-time income, again, all by just being able to play video games.

If you're already gaming, why not take it to the next level and monetize your fun and help pad your bank account?

Here are several ways you can earn and game at the same time.

Table of Contents

Make Cash Playing Games App

• 1 How to Make Money Playing Video Games?
  • 1.8 7. Stream on Twitch

How to Make Money Playing Video Games?

In recent years, they are far more opportunities for monetizing your video game hobby than you might imagine.

We have pulled together the top 15 ways to work toward making money playing your favorite video games!

1. Get Paid Directly to Play – Try Mistplay!

Mistplay is an excellent app available on Android that is a great way to monetize playing video games on your phone.

The app's main focus on providing users an environment in which they can participate in games in exchange for prizes. Through the earning of points, users can join in in-app games to receive gift cards to various retailers such as Amazon, Google Play, and even virtual Visa gift cards.

With Mistplay, you are eligible to receive compensation from the minute you start playing. You can even play with friends and level up your avatar to unlock achievements and earn units faster. They also support user communications and offer a chat feature, encouraging connections amongst participants. Another important note is that users will not pay any fees to download, join, or play games in Mistplay.

There are several other options for apps to monetize gameplay, but Mistplay is definitely at the top of our list!

2. Gamehag

Play free online games to collect Soul Gems and exchange them for rewards! Earn free Robux, Steam Wallet, Prepaid Mastercard, and more!

Play games, Complete tasks, Get rewarded!

3. Video Game Coaching

One of the coolest ways to make money playing video games is by offering to coach your favorite competitive game (such as League of Legends).

Video game coaches make anywhere from $20 to $200 per hour, depending on how good they are and how in-demand their services are. For example, Metaphor (a League of Legends coach mentioned in the YouTube section) offers coaching services for $50 to $80 per hour.

Get Paid To Play Games Online

Getting started as a coach typically means gaining an audience through a platform like YouTube and offering your services to your audience.

4. Game Tester

The most basic difference between a Quality Assurance tester and a ‘Game Tester' or ‘Beta Tester' is that QA deals with a product that is already met a certain level of quality as desired by the developers.

Being a ‘Tester' involves trying to ‘break' a game or find out ways to mess it up or analyze why it may or may not be fun for users.

5. Become a Professional Gamer

Pro Gamers are now competing worldwide and winning millions at events sponsored by the Major League Gaming circuit, the International Dota 2 championship, and Intel Extreme Masters. MLG has built arenas across the country from which to host and stream live professional gaming events. It even has scouts and communities on the internet to find the best, untapped players.

The best advice for getting involved is to pick a game, namely one you consider yourself already good at playing, and become an expert at it. From there, work on building your reputation as both a skilled player and a team player. Then it is time to participate in eSports games!

6. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube

We've mentioned YouTubers a lot over the past few months, and it's because the financial gain in the YouTuber-verse is full of possibilities. If you're looking for a way to earn money while gaming, YouTube is a great place to start.

Through YouTube, you can build your channel to a level in which you are monetizing your content. If you haven't already, check out our piece here that gives you the insight you need to become a successful YouTube content creator.

Once you've mastered the steps required to monetize your channel, you can take your content in any direction you choose. Whether you want to live to stream your gaming, critique others' gaming, or offer tutorials on gaming tips and tricks, YouTube is an excellent platform to use to address all of these subjects.

We recommend using YouTube to further your gaming research, too. If you're looking for in-depth information on monetizing your gaming habits, YouTube is a wealth of knowledge for that topic, as well. Whatever your approach is, starting with YouTube is the way to go.

7. Stream on Twitch

Many gamers stream their online play to turn a profit. The most common platform for doing so is Twitch, an online streaming mecca for players worldwide.

Twitch has a monetization structure similar to YouTube. It requires you to build a following and apply for monetization status once you've established yourself as a gamer who can drive traffic to the site. Money-making your streaming comes from adventures like Google Adsense, and you get paid for the number of views you’ll get towards your videos.

Ads

When you've reached your status as a monetized streamer, Twitch will compensate you in various ways. For every subscriber who visits your channel, you will receive $5.00.

You will also have the option to add a Google Adsense-like set-up with your channel. This will enable you to receive monetary compensation for ads placed on your page. For every 1,000 ad views you receive, you'll earn $3.00.

Amazon Affiliate Links

Twitch allows its users to capitalize on Amazon affiliate links. This means that gamers can recommend products and items available for purchase on Amazon. They can offer direct access to the products to their viewers via an affiliate link.

Every time a product purchase occurs utilizing the link, the gamer receives payment for creating this connection. It's a passive income generation method for players to advertise items and products they like to anyone who views their channel.

PayPal Donations

Many successful gamers have found that they can market and receive PayPal donations from loyal fans or sponsors.

Yep, you read that right. You can ask for money, and people will give it to you to keep playing your video games. The thought process behind this is that gamers will invite fans to help them continue to game at the intensity they are doing so.

Part of enabling this commitment is assuring that financially, the gamer can satisfy their basic living needs. Okay, maybe some of their needs aren't so “basic,” but we're going to trust that you get the picture.

The reason many gamers will receive PayPal donations is that viewers want to learn and replicate the tips and tricks the player uses. If you think of gaming as performance art, then the idea of donating to a gamer's PayPal account becomes much more reasonable.

It beats the thought of giving some cash to your younger brother for playing video games.

Practical Tips to Increase Revenue When Live Streaming

Much like we mentioned above, thinking of gaming as performance art is the best way to understand how to achieve the highest level of success. Live stream gamers need to be engaging.

They should have larger than life personalities that attract a high volume of views. This goes hand-in-hand with having a voice that is enjoyable to listen to. If a gamer isn't pleasing to listen to or is dull, both of these will turn viewers off.

Another facet of the live streaming puzzle is creating regular content. You'll want viewers to know when they should tune in to your streaming. Keeping a regular schedule will help them start watching you on a particular day and time.

Networking is the final piece to the trifecta of tips and tricks of live stream gaming. Interacting with your viewers, fellow live streamers, and sponsors are some of the most effective methods to advance your reputation as well as your bankroll.

Much like business networking, live stream gaming requires an equal, if not more, amount of investment in your relationships.

8. Contact Potential Sponsors

After you get a following for your stream, whether it's on YouTube, Twitch, or elsewhere, to generate more revenue, you will likely want to contact sponsors. This is very similar to how television producers used to seek sponsors for programs.

To acquire sponsors, the first thing you need to do is prepare to impress them. Make sure your channel displays precisely what you envisioned. You will then want to search for brands that you like that might be interested in sponsoring you. It is also essential to consider whether or not you would use their products. This is important as you will be marketing for that brand!

The most crucial part is that you are presenting yourself as someone that would be a great fit to sponsor their brand.

9. Provide Game Play Tutorials

Providing gameplay tutorials is a great way to grab new viewers and monetize gameplay. Your YouTube channel or streaming site will earn money with every person that clicks on it. Advertisers pay Google, for instance, to display ads on videos. Google, a division of Alphabet, owns YouTube.

To start, open an account at AdSense, and link it to your YouTube account. Choose whether you want video or banner ads to display.

It does take more time to make money off the concept of video game tutorials. You will want to grow your audience into the thousands to make decent money off this concept.

10. Compete in Tournaments

While not a consistent source of money (unless you're incredibly talented), winning game tournaments for competitive games like Call of Duty, League of Legends, Fortnite, etc., can net you some serious cash.

One of the world's top e-sports competitive, Timothy Miller (aka “Bizzle”), earns around $322k per year participating in Fortnite tournaments.

This is probably the easiest way to make money playing video games and not a big earner unless you're really good at the game and consistently win.

11. Quality Assurance Tester

Video games are ultimately the result of computer programming. Getting a computer to react to the developer and gamers want it to, look right, and perhaps feel as realistic as possible. To achieve this, game design companies need some independent people to tell them what is good, what is bad, what works, and what doesn't.

That's where being a QA tester comes in. The designers and developers need to know how users feel about a new game or upgraded design, not just technical problems. They're not testing the wiring or circuitry or power supply. Like kids with a new toy, they're testing how much more fun a new or upgraded game is for players than those already in the market.

QA testers don't just play a game through to its highest possible level. They play different designs; different builds multiple times until they can find nothing to object to and report if they had fun!

Think of working in QA as being paid to solve multiple puzzles. Any glitch or mistake or thing wrong in a program must be reproducible, so developers can figure out how to eliminate it.

Much of QA work is contract work, but it still could pay between $10 and $15 an hour. That's is a pretty good wage for playing video games!

12. Become a Game Developer

Another way to earn as a gamer is to develop the games yourself. Game developers at major companies like Ubisoft or EA earn an average salary of $83,000. However, jobs for major game companies are notoriously stressful and tend to force you to work long hours and holidays.

Alternatively, you can become a solo game developer and make money through game sales and in-game purchases. For example, Minecraft was developed solely by Markus Persson under his company Mojang. Mojang sold to Microsoft for a whopping $2.5 billion.

13. Work as a Video Game Journalist

Another avenue is through journalism. Most video game journalists earn around $26,000 per year, making it one of the lowest-income opportunities on this list.

But if you love games and love writing and reporting, this is a great opportunity, and you can earn much more as your skill increases!

To get started as a journalist, you'll most likely need at least a bachelor's degree in journalism and some journalistic experience (like the school paper and/or an internship). Speaking of internships, an unpaid internship is a great way to get your foot in the door as a game journalist!

14. Work in Customer Service for a Game Company

Like every other industry, gamers also need customer support. Becoming a customer service rep for a game company is a great way to get paid in the video game industry. The average customer service representative makes $13.64 per hour, with some making up to $20 per hour.

Like Blizzard, some companies even have in-game admins who play the game and deliver support via the in-game chat function.

Landing this job is more about your customer service skills than your gaming skills. You have to be good with people and have excellent communication skills. Getting an internship is one of the best ways to get started on this career path.

15. Create & Sell Video Game Inspired Merchandise

Possibly one of the coolest ways to get paid to play is by creating and selling your own game-inspired merchandise. Just go on Etsy and type “Legend of Zelda” — you get over 16,000 results of t-shirts, figurines, coffee mugs, and more.

If you take this route, it means you're creating a business. The sky limits how much you can make, but getting to $50,000 per year is possible with the right product and excellent marketing skills.

To get started on this, you'll need to figure out precisely what type of products you want to sell. That will then give you the list of what you will need to make those items.

16. Farm In-Game Currency

Many MMO's have a farmable in-game currency that people who don't feel like spending their own time earning can pay you for it.

This is probably the most time-consuming and lowest-paying opportunity on this list next to customer service work — there are gold farmers in countries like China who do this all day for a fairly low amount. This is not the most popular form of getting that extra cash through gaming, but it is worth noting on this list as an option.

Game On!

Now that you have an entire list of options to choose from go ahead and explore which ones are best for you.

Try not to forget that it will take some time and effort to make substantial money while playing those awesome games.

Consider trying several different outlets at once! For example, you could give both streaming and doing game tutorials a try.

Time to grab your controller and start on your journey toward making money playing your favorite video games!

Thanks to the advent of digital online distribution, the world has access to more of everything compared to 20 years ago. Whether you’re talking music, movies, TV shows or books, the selection is overwhelming. But this is especially true for video games, which have benefitted more from this shift in shopping than any other medium.

Gone are the days of having to hit up small, specialty game shops to track down that obscure game you’ve been obsessing over, and instead you can just load up the online store on your console of choice and have access to any game you desire. But unlike other forms of entertainment, the price of games are high, and subscription services are nowhere to be found.

Well, they weren’t until Microsoft came along and gave us Xbox Game Pass, which is maybe the best value in video games right now.

What Is Xbox Game Pass?

Xbox Game Pass is a monthly, all-you-can-eat video game subscription service that lets you pay a monthly fee and download all of the available games you want (and there are nearly 400 of them). As long as you’re an active subscriber, you will have access to these games for as long as they’re available on the service.

Like Netflix or HBO Max, certain games will leave at the end of each month, but there will also be a new crop of games that are available to play, keeping things fresh for longtime subscribers.

Plans start at $9.99 a month, which will get you access to as many games as you want on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles, or on PC (but not both). However, if you opt for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you’ll not only be able to play on both platforms, but you’ll also get access to Xbox Live Gold, which allows you play against people online, as well as the ability to stream games from the cloud to your phone via xCloud.

While the bulk of the games are a few years old, or are smaller indie titles, there are also some very recent blockbuster releases here. So whether you’re trying to save a few bucks on that new game you can’t quite afford, or you’re looking for an affordable way to stay up on smaller indie games, there is plenty here to keep you entertained.

But there are new games that come to (and unfortunately leave) the service every month which helps to keep Xbox Game Pass fresh.

What’s New on Xbox Game Pass

Since the start of 2021, we’ve seen a number of notable games make their way onto the Xbox Game Pass list, continuing the service’s run of quality monthly refreshes. Here are a few notable games which arrived in January and February.

• Madden 21 (Arrives 3/2): The latest iteration of EA’s legendary Football franchise makes an appearance on Xbox Game Pass. While Madden 20 was also featured on Game Pass, it did not arrive this soon after its initial release.
• Donut Country: One of the most acclaimed indie puzzlers of the last five years, you are tasked with making objects disappear from sight by controlling a movable and increasingly large sinkhole. Think of it as Katamari Damacy in reverse.
• Yakuza Remastered Collection: Remastered versions of the third, fourth and fifth mainline installments of the action-adventure series will let you explore Japan’s underworld in 1080p and 60 frames per second.The Yakuza action-adventure franchise has been consistently solid since debuted in 2005, and has grown to become a premier franchise in recent years. The Yakuza Remastered Collection, which rounds up graphically updated versions of Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5, will let you explore Japan’s underworld for the price of an Xbox Game Pass Subscription.
• Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age:Regarded as one of the very best Final Fantasy installments, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age replaces the departing Final Fantasy XV, offering fans a different flavor of the iconic RPG franchise.
• Dirt 5:Racing games aren’t as plentiful as they once were in the ‘90s and ‘00s, but for those who played Forza Horizon 4 until the wheels fell off, Dirt 5 is here with some fast-paced, arcade-inspired rally racing that will help to fill the void.

What’s Gone on Xbox Game Pass

Nothing lasts forever, and every month a handful of games must say farewell. Here are a handful of notable games that have left Xbox Game Pass in January and February:

• FTL: Faster Than Light (PC)
• My Friend Pedro (Console, PC)
• Final Fantasy XV (Console, PC)
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet(Console)
• Tekken 7 (Console)
• Gris (PC)

But despite these losses, there are still so, so many good games to choose from on Xbox Game Pass. Take a look at 10 of our must-play games from Xbox Game Pass below.

The 10 Best Games On Xbox Game Pass (Updated February 2021)

Madden NFL 21

Admittedly, EA’s Madden franchise has been in cruise control for (at least) the last few years. But even still, there are few games that are as fun to pick up and play with a friend, even if you haven’t played a down in 10 years. While there might not be much new about Madden NFL 21 aside from roster changes, not having to pay $60 for a standalone copy of the game leaves less of a sour taste in the mouth.

Also, nothing can replace the joy of being a massive troll and converting a 4th and 20 when you’re down 2 and there are 3 minutes left to play.

DOOM Eternal

DOOM has always been known for it’s fast-paced, over-the-top, technically brilliant gameplay that borders on absurdity, and 2020’s DOOM Eternal is no exception. Just like the franchise always has, this first-person shooter has you ripping through swaths of enemies with a wide array of weapons as a death metal soundtrack blares in the background. Learning how to best attack a map is the name of the game here, and it will take you run after run to expertly clear the stage, but that’s where the fun of DOOM lies.

The Witcher III

OK, so Cyberpunk 2077 might have come out of the oven not fully baked and infuriated a whole bunch of people, but CD Projekt Red’s previous title, The Witcher III, is still amazing and worth the 100+ hours you will dump into it as you roam the medieval lands as the monster hunter Geralt, who is searching for his missing daughter. Following its release in 2015, this game ended up on virtually every “end of year” list and took home a number of awards, including Game of the Year from The Game Awards. This version also includes the two subsequent expansions that were released, Hearts of Stone and Blood of Wine, which means you’ll have no shortage of things to do once you complete the main quest.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Along With the MMO-driven gameplay of Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XII represented a fundamental break from the turn-based gameplay of previous entries. Instead, what players got was a real-time battle system, effectively turning Final Fantasy into an action RPG franchise. And with the exception of Final Fantasy XIV (which returned to the MMORPG format), the series has never looked back. If you’ve never had a chance to play Final Fantasy XII, its inclusion alone on Xbox Game Pass makes the subscription fee worth it.

Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds was not only one of the best games of 2019, but it also is one of the most unique games on this list. In this roguelite action-adventure game, you leave your home planet on a quest to go explore the mysteries of the planets around you, except there’s a catch: every 22 minutes, time resets and throws you in a Groundhog Day scenario where you venture out into space, It feels like a game that mixes the time mechanics of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask with the gameplay of Metroid Prime, except there’s no fighting. Just quiet, low-key exploration that somehow manages to keep you on edge as you try to beat the clock and unlock new parts of the game.

Dragon Quest XI S : Echoes of an Elusive Age

One of the most beloved RPG series in Japan, the Dragon Quest franchise reached a new level of recognition in the US with the release of Dragon Quest XI over the past few years. Originally released on the Nintendo 3DS, and later remastered for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch, this is one of the best and biggest installments yet, set in a sprawling world full of intricately-designed environments to explore and an epic story where you and a crew of friends and allies work to eradicate evil from the land. And for the nostalgic gamers among us, there’s a mode that lets you switch to a retro-inspired 2D look to make you feel like you’re back in 1994.

Forza Horizon 4

Racing games might not be as popular as they once were, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great ones being produced. The Microsoft-developed Forza Horizon 4 is still one of the most visually beautiful games ever made for the Xbox One, with environments and lighting effects that make you feel like you’re looking at the real world. But when you combine that with amazing gameplay, endlessly customizable cars and an open-world approach to progressing through the game, it’s easily still one of the best games you can play on Xbox One Game Pass.

Monster Hunter: World

Monster Hunter has always had something of a cult following over the years, but it was the 2017 release of Monster Hunter: World that really put the franchise on the map (as evidenced by the fact that a live-action film is on the way in 2021). Much as the title suggests, this game is all about tracking down large, mythical beasts, and whether you’re running solo or working with others online, your job is to bring them down. But while Monster Hunter games are simple in concept, this game is about more than just spamming the attack button. You must prepare ahead of time with the correct items and load-outs, level up your character through training, and devise a strategy to take out the monster once you actually find it.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

If the last generation of gaming confirmed anything, it’s that there’s still room for invention and innovation when it comes to 2D platformers. Ori and the Will of the Wisps may have a whimsical look, but this Metroidvania combines hard-as-nails platforming with customizable load-outs that will keep you engaged as you explore the hub worlds and engage in epic boss battles as its excellent story unfolds.

Tetris Effect: Connected

Just when you start to think that everything that could possibly be done with Tetris has been done, a new spin on the game pops up that forces you to reconsider that stance. Tetris Effect: Connected is one of those games, and its psychedelic approach to the puzzle franchise not only breathes new life into a game that has been around since 1985 but stands out as one of the best iterations yet. As you clear line after line, the visuals progressively melt in time with the music, producing a euphoric light show that’s meant to evoke an experience similar to synesthesia. Naturally, words can’t do it justice, but with Xbox Live Game Pass, you can try it out for yourself, and play online with (or against) others for the mere cost of a monthly subscription.