Getting paid to play video games is the dream, but it’s time to transform that dream into reality.
Though it’s harder than ever to break into the gaming industry, there are still plenty of ways to make an income from your favorite hobby.
Discover all the different ways to make money playing video games – from earning extra pocket money to careers in the industry!
Can You Make a Living Playing Video Games?
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Naysayers will tell you it’s impossible to make a living gaming.
Don’t let their negativity deter you. Though making enough money to live through gaming is challenging, it’s not outside the realm of possibility.
In addition, no one said it has to be your full-time job. Plenty of people earn side hustle income or pocket cash gaming.
Whether you want to earn a living playing videos or simply want to transform your passion for gaming into extra cash, we’ve got you covered. There are options for everyone.
How Much Can You Get Paid to Play Video Games?
The biggest names in gaming earn millions of dollars, but those results aren’t typically.
Most people will only earn a few extra bucks, and that’s okay too.
However, your results will vary greatly depending on which path you choose and how much energy you put into it.
For example, if you choose to play an app that pays you money to play, you’re going to make less than you would by starting your own business and becoming huge on Twitch.
How to Make Money Playing Video Games
It’s time to dive into the legitimate ways to turn your love of gaming into cash. The options range from the extremely challenging (yet profitable) to those with low but easy earning potential.
Discover 17 ways to make money playing video games and decide which works best for you.
Hey folks! Transparency Disclosure- Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. That means I’ll receive a small commission if you decide to click on it and buy something. Don’t worry, it doesn’t cost you anything extra!
Livestream Your Gameplay on Twitch
Twitch will always be my favorite way to monetize your gameplay. It’s fun, social, lets you play what you want, and can be extremely lucrative.
Of course “can be” are the keywords. Although some Twitch streamers make millions of dollars, most don’t even make enough to make the monthly payout threshold of $100.
If you want to earn a living on Twitch, you must dedicate a lot of time and energy to networking, social media, building your brand, and growing your channel. I see streaming on Twitch as the modern version of starting a rock band. Some folks will make it huge, but the vast majority won’t.
I’m not saying all of this to crush your dreams. While you probably won’t make millions of dollars on Twitch, you can still use the platform to turn your love of gaming into a profitable side hustle. It’s easy to become a Twitch affiliate and start earning.
The vast majority of streamers don’t make any money on the platform because they don’t work to grow their brand and business. They think they can throw their steam online, and people will come. Nothing in life works that way. If you don’t treat it like a business, putting in the work both on and off-stream, you won’t earn any money.
However, if you’re willing to put in the work, you can build your Twitch audience to create a viable side hustle playing games.
Live Stream with Other Gaming Platforms
Although I prefer streaming on Twitch, you can use alternative platforms for stream. I think Twitch is the easiest to monetize- so if your top goal is to make money playing video games as soon as possible, Twitch is probably the best option.
Upload Your Gameplay to YouTube
Although you can live stream directly to YouTube, you can also make money gaming by creating edited videos of your gameplay for the platform. The advantage here is you can curate your content to show only the highlights.
A lot of gamers turn to YouTube to figure out how to solve specific puzzles or beat important bosses, and you can upload short videos showing these specific in-game actions.
Content that does well on YouTube includes gameplay tutorials, dungeon or level walk-throughs, and interesting character builds.
With a YouTube gaming channel, you don’t have to stick to gameplay. You can make loads of other content, like reviews, interviews, and commentary. Some folks, like Angry Video Game Nerd, make an entire career of commenting on bad game mechanics.
If you are creative and have a video camera, making gaming-related content for YouTube is a great way to get paid to play.
To monetize your YouTube channel, you need 1000 subscribers and over 4000 watch hours. It’s difficult to achieve these levels, but if you are great at a certain game and know all the secrets, it could be worthwhile to upload your gameplay – especially if it’s difficult.
TikTok
If you prefer shortform content, consider uploading your best moments to TikTok. TikTok hosts a creator’s program, sharing ad revenue with their top content creators.
You must have over 10,000 real followers and at least 100,000 authentic video views in the last 30 days to be eligible, but if you can build your following on the popular social media app, you can earn money by posting your clips.
Make Money with a Mobile App
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If you only want to earn a few extra bucks gaming while bored, consider downloading one of the many mobile apps that pay you to play games.
I’m not talking about fake games like Swagbucks surveys, which try to gamify the survey process to pique your interest, but legitimate mobile games you’re already playing to kill time.
These mobile apps really pay you money to play games. Of course, you won’t earn a lot, and they pay you in gift cards rather than cold hard cash, but they’re ideal for anyone who wants to earn a little pocket money while playing their favorite mobile games.
Mistplay
Mistplay is my favorite money-making app. It offers a plethora of free games, and it pays you real money (ahem – gift cards) to play them.
Mistplay doesn’t create the games themselves. Instead, It partners with gaming apps and offers you money for trying their games. You can find puzzle games, adventure games, card games, and more through Mistplay.
You can earn cash in a couple of different ways through Mistplay. The easiest way is by leveling up in games, but you can also earn bonuses for trying different games and other offerings.
The app promises that you can “earn money” by spending money with in-app purchases, but I never recommend paying for stuff in mobile games. Those micro-transactions add up, and you won’t make more on Mistplay than you spend. However, if there is a game that you love that you spend money on anyway, it doesn’t hurt to see if Mistplay offers it. You can recoup some of the cash you spend on it.
Mistplay offers a variety of awards, including Amazon gift cards and gift cards to numerous other online stores.
Unfortunately for Apple users, this app is only available on Android. But if you’re an Android user who loves mobile gaming – you need this app!
Buff Games
Buff serves as a rewards program for gamers. It’s great because it’s available both as a mobile app and also on your PC – so you can earn money wherever you like to play!
Buff Games partners with some of the biggest names in gaming to pay you to game. You can earn rewards by playing popular titles like DOTA 2, Rocket League, Apex Legends, League of Legends, and Fortnite.
To start earning, simply download Buff and let it run in the background while you play your favorites. You will earn Buff Points, which you can redeem for gift cards at many of your favorite stores, including Steam, Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo.
Skillz
Skillz combines gaming tournaments with mobile gaming. You can win real money by defeating others in these competitions. Although some are free to enter, the ones with the highest payouts have entry fees.
I was shocked by the variety of games available to play tournament style. There are card games, bingo games, E-Sports games, and even some puzzle games – all with the added bonus of playing to beat others. It’s a pretty cool concept for an app and definitely worth checking out if you are a competitive mobile gamer.
Check out Skillz!
Gamehag
Gamehag is like a cross between those survey apps we mentioned and Mistplay. It offers a variety of games you can earn money by playing (through collecting and redeeming soul gems) paired with other ways to earn, like surveys and signing up for stuff.
The app features far more games than when I first reviewed it in 2021. You’ll find MMO, RPG, Puzzle, Arcade, and strategy games on Gamehag, and you’ll earn rewards for playing them. You can redeem your soul gems for skins and in-game extras for your favorite games.
However, they changed a lot of rules too. If you don’t earn any gems in 7 days, they start stripping your account of gems. If you’re inactive for 30 days, they take even more. It’s only worthwhile if you play every day.
Individual Games
Many individual game companies pay you real money (gift cards) to play, but most of them partner with one of the apps listed above.
For example, you can win money with Blackout Bingo, but mostly in conjunction with Skillz. They’re usually not free, as you have to pay to enter tournaments, and you only earn if you win.
Some games claim to offer free money and prizes but read the fine print. Many are thinly veiled gambling apps, which we don’t promote.
Unique Ways to Make Money Gaming
You don’t need an app or to stream to make money gaming.
Here are three unique methods of earning money through video games that most people don’t consider.
Playing in Video Game Tournaments
Is there a game you know you excel in? Check to see if they have tournaments.
Many E-Sports games have full leagues, while others, such as League of Legends and Rocket League, have tournaments you can enter. If you win the tournament, you win a big pile of cash. The winners of the 2018 Halo World Championship won five hundred thousand dollars!
Remember, the competition is fierce. Professional gamers who dedicate most of their time and energy to their sport play in these tournaments. If you aren’t at a professional level, you probably won’t win.
Blog About Gaming
If you’re looking to make money gaming with a twist, consider starting a video game blog. You can write about anything, from gaming news to reviews, walk-throughs to tutorials. Focus on your favorite retro games, or dedicate your website to one specific franchise with lots of players.
The options are nearly endless.
Keep in mind that it’s not easy to grow and monetize a blog. It takes a lot of work to grow an audience and get noticed. However, if you want to combine your love of gaming with your passion for the written word, it’s a great way to monetize your gaming habit.
Become a Video Game Coach
People pay big bucks to learn how to play certain video games well. Although there is a demand for coaches across various niches, multiplayer battle royale games such as Apex Legends tend to have the highest demand.
If you’re amazing at this or similar games, sign up to become a coach. Some video game coaches can earn upwards of 3K per month coaching! Although there are online platforms dedicated to connecting coaches with gamers looking to increase their skills, you can also find work as a freelancer on websites such as Fivver.
Before you decide to become a coach, make sure you are good at the game. Coaches earn money by helping their clients get better, so only the best of the best can make good money in this industry.
Careers in Gaming
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So far, we’ve only discussed ways to make money on the side with gaming. But, if you’re asking how to make money playing video games, maybe you should consider a career in gaming.
Video game companies are always scouting for new talent to create, develop, and test new game offerings.
Discover some of the cool careers available in gaming to turn your love of the industry into a full-time job.
Quality Assurance Tester
Playing the game is more fun than making the game for most people, but there are careers, such as quality assurance testers, dedicated to playing the game. QA testers play through games prior to release, looking for glitches, trying to break things, and ensuring that everything is ready for the public
These aren’t generally highly paid positions, but they are great stepping stones into the game development field.
You can find quality assurance tester positions on job search websites like Indeed.
Game Developer
If you’re passionate about video games and want to share that with the world, consider becoming a game developer. Game developers design and code the games, while also assisting with character and world development.
To become a game developer, you need a background in computer science or programming, and experience with various game development software. The average pay for game developers is nearly 100K per year, but it’s a hard field to break into.
Graphic Designer/Game Artist
If you don’t have the programming skills to become a game developer, consider a career designing video games. It’s an ideal path for creatives, artists, and illustrators who love gaming.
The top of this field is the creative director position, which can earn $80k per year. Lower-level artists, graphic designers, animators, and illustrators can make between $45K-75K per year.
Video Game Journalist
If you want to write about gaming but don’t want to start your own blog, consider becoming a video game journalist. Journalists make an average of $50K per year and can cover topics such as gaming conventions, tournaments, and professional gaming events.
As a journalist, you don’t have to be tied to a specific company. Many journalists make a full career from freelancing, pitching their stories to different publications.
Video Game Customer Service
Being a customer service representative isn’t glamorous and it’s traditionally low-paying. However, working at a retail outlet like GameStop has its advantages. Although you don’t get free games, you can test used games for up to three days (if there are enough in stock) and you can play at the “demo station” during your downtime.
Another perk of working at GameStop is the employee discount. You can get up to 15% off on all games if you are an employee.
Make Money Playing Video Games
Though most of us won’t earn a living playing video games, you can get an injection of cash in your pocket.
You might not make millions, but you can make money playing video games, and I think that counts as achieving the dream – don’t you?