How to Make Money from playing games
How to Make Money from playing games
How to Make Money from playing games - 11 ways to make money from playing games
Looking for fun and easy ways to make money? It doesn't get much better than paying to play games.
One of the best ways to earn extra cash in your spare time is to make money playing video games.
Our ideas range from quick ways to earn from home to full-time career options. And you don't have to be a professional gamer to make money (although if you are, some of these tips will apply to you!).
No matter what you're looking for, you're sure to find the perfect money making idea for you.
In this guide, we are not referring to games that depend on luck, but require you to spend money for a chance to win cash prizes. Such games are a form of gambling and can cause you to lose money, so we do not recommend them
How to get paid to play video games
Here are the best ways to earn money playing games:
Play games to earn money at Swagbucks
Individuals using the swagbucks website
Swagbucks is a website and app that lets you earn money by playing games, answering paid surveys, watching videos, and more.
The more tasks you complete, the more SB points you earn. These points can then be redeemed as gift cards or PayPal money. We explain more in our Swagbucks review.
There is a wide range of games to choose from.
As we mentioned earlier, we advise against playing games that require you to spend money for a chance to win prizes, such as casino or bingo games. However, Swagbucks has games that you don't have to pay to play.
Check the conditions of how to win SB before playing each game. You'll find that you need to download an app, reach a certain level, and/or progress through the game within a certain amount of time.
There are some free online games that you don't need to download, but it's worth noting that you might not earn SB every time you play them.
The good news is that if you are a new user and join Swagbucks through the link below, you can get a sign-up bonus.
Play games to earn freecash money
You can also sign up for Freecash. It works like Swagbucks with the option to play games and earn money
Complete an 'offer' to earn coins. These coins can be cashed out in a variety of ways, including PayPal or gift cards.
For each game in the app, you'll see an overview of what you need to do to earn coins. As an example, it might involve reaching a certain level within a certain period of time, with higher rewards for reaching higher levels.
Avoid playing casino or bingo games where you may be tempted to gamble away your hard-earned cash.
We recommend sticking to free games that allow you to earn points without spending anything.
Play games to earn money on Mistplay
How to Make Money from playing games, Mistplay is another app that pays you to play games on your phone. All you have to do is download the app and start playing from the huge selection of games.
The longer you play a game, the more units you collect. These units can then be converted into rewards including gift cards or PayPal money.
Mistplay claims they have paid out $60m (around £46m) so far. It's currently only available on Android, but their website says they're working on bringing it to iOS.
So if you have an Android phone and play games often, it might be worth downloading and paying for an app.
Become a Twitch streamer
Twitch is a video-streaming site that focuses heavily on video games.
As a Twitch streamer, there is a possibility to earn money by filming yourself playing games.
It won't be for everyone. However, if it appeals to you, it can be a good way to earn some extra money in your spare time.
To get subscribers, you need to regularly post fresh and engaging content. Posting videos of yourself sitting quietly in front of a video game is less likely to hold viewers' attention - encourage them to pay to watch your stream.
If you are interested in giving it a go, there are many ways to make money on the platform. A few examples are Bits (Twitch's virtual currency), joining the Twitch Affiliate and Partner Program, and doing affiliate marketing.
Streamer earnings vary. While it's possible to get rich if you become one of the top Twitch creators, not everyone will make huge amounts of money from their streams.
We explain all this and more in our guide to making money on Twitch.
Work as a video game tutor
Want to share your video game skills with others (and get paid for it)? You can work as a gaming tutor.
A good way to start is to look at other gaming tutors advertised on sites like Fiverr and Superprof to see how much they charge and what types of games they specialize in.
When deciding on games to focus on learning, think about which ones tend to be played in major competitions. This can help you stand out from aspiring pro gamers.
Or maybe you're hoping to become a pro gamer yourself? In that case see the next tip.
As tutoring is a flexible job, it's a great job to fit around your uni time table. Check out our guide on how to become a tutor.
Compete in gaming tournaments to win cash prizes
Video game controller
Credit: Elena Khairullina - Shutterstock
To win money as a pro esports gamer, you have to be at the top of your game (pun intended). And in some contests, the cash prizes can be quite large.
For example, Dota 2's cumulative prize pool in 2023 was $30.82 million (about $24 million), according to Statista.
However, keep in mind that the biggest tournaments will be incredibly competitive. Even if you put a lot of time into preparing for the event, there's no guarantee you'll take home any prize money.
You can find entry fees for video game tournaments. So, if you are looking for a reliable source of income as a student, a part-time job would be a safe bet.
That said though, if you're lucky enough to get an esports scholarship, it can cover the costs of the competition.
Apply for an esports scholarship
Esports scholarships are quite uncommon, but it is possible to get them.
For example, the University of Roehampton offers £2,000 per year to some talented student gamers through their esports scholarship.
They also launched the Women in eSports Scholarship, which aims to help more women break into the gaming industry. You can find out more on the University of Roehampton website.
Not all universities offer esports scholarships, so if you're already at uni, you may have trouble finding one. However, if you are applying to uni and are interested in pursuing a career in esports, this is something to look at when choosing a university.
Work as a game tester
How to Make Money from playing games, Getting paid to play games for a living sounds like a dream come true. But, for those who work as game testers, this is their reality.
When companies develop games, they hire game testers for quality assurance. This work may involve playing games to evaluate games for things like usability and functionality, and to find bugs that need fixing.
You can test games on different platforms like game console, mobile, tablet or desktop. And, after testing the games, you'll probably need to present your findings in a report.
To find a game testing job, it helps if you have a degree in a relevant subject like game programming.
Game testing is often a full-time job. You can usually find relevant roles on CV-Library, Indeed and similar job websites.
It is also possible to do this on a freelance basis through sites like Fiver.
Make money as a gamer on social media
Woman smiling on the phone
Credit: Wayhome Studio - Shutterstock
If you love video games and social media, you can combine these two interests to make money as a gaming influencer.
This line of work is not for everyone. To get started, you need to be comfortable sharing content on social media regularly and skilled at building an audience of online followers.
However, this is a similar principle to making money on Twitch (which we explained more about earlier). It's worth a look if you like the idea of sharing your gaming experience with others.
Making money on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube is a good option for anyone who is interested in sharing content about video games online. You can share tips about games or post funny videos that gamers will relate to (or a combination of both).
To start, look to other gaming influencers on each social media platform for ideas on what style of content works best.
And, for tips on how to monetize your content, check out our guide to making money from social media
Write video game reviews for money
Working as a video game journalist is a brilliant way to combine gaming and writing skills and make money from your hobby.
It is possible to make money as a gaming journalist both on a freelance basis and full-time.
But, unfortunately it's not always easy to make money from writing reviews – especially when you're first starting out.
Starting a video game blog is a good idea. Here, you can review your favorite games and share your thoughts on the latest industry news and events. Then, once you gain readership, you can monetize the blog.
Whether you're pitching article ideas to magazines and newspapers or applying for journalism jobs, having a blog will help. This will show your skills as a writer as well as your genuine interest in gaming.
For more tips on how to get paid to write reviews, read our guide to making money.
Design video games
How to Make Money from playing games, Ever dreamed of designing your own game? If you have an idea for a game and the technical skills to build a website or app, this can be an amazing way to make money. Not to mention, it will look very impressive on your CV.
Of course, this tip isn't technically about making money playing games. However, to design a successful and well-formatted game, it will help immensely if you are already an experienced gamer.
The game will take some time to develop. Once you do, though, you can start making money from it. Some examples of how to monetize your game include charging people to buy it, offering in-app purchases, and advertising.
Think about what monetization strategy will work best for your game. If you're not sure, compare similar games on the market and consider how much they cost to play (if anything) or whether they contain ads.
