What is play-to-earn, and what do I need to know about it?

The blockchain industry has had a profound influence on many aspects of our lives over the past few years. In the gaming sector, blockchain technology introduced a brand-new form of entertainment.

Gamers will be familiar with a modern concept of gaming, called pay-to-play, which means you have to buy the game to play. However, blockchain made possible a new gaming model called play-to-earn (P2E), where gamers can earn crypto or NFTs by playing the game.

Although the idea sounds promising on paper, the reality is that it isn’t simple or easy to earn significant sums from P2E games. Many projects require large up-front costs, others are aggressive and unfair with their tokenomics, and some are outright scammers.

Want to see what a P2E game looks like, without coughing up money? We’ve put together a list of free P2E games that don’t require money down to start playing, giving you a chance to start earning right from the get-go.