How to make money playing games on your phone (the 5 ways that actually pay)

You're already playing games on your phone on the bus, in bed, while the pasta boils. The question is whether some of that time could pay for itself. It can, but only if you know which kind of "paid" game you're looking at, because the difference between the good ones and the bad ones is huge.

Some pay $30 for a week of playing a game you'd have enjoyed anyway. Others pay two cents after an hour of ads. Here are the five real ways to make money playing games on your phone, what each is honestly worth, and how to pick the right one for the way you play.

The 5 ways to make money playing games on your phone

1. Game offers: the best pay for your time

This is where the real money is. Game studios pay a lot for new players who stick around, because those players tend to spend money later. So they pay rewards sites to find them, and the sites pass part of that on to you.

A typical game offer reads something like: "Install this city-building game and reach castle level 12 within 14 days: $18." You play the game normally. When you hit the goal, the studio's tracking confirms it and you're paid.

What they pay

Quick offers (install and reach level 5) pay $0.50 to $3. Bigger milestones in strategy, city-building or casino-style games pay $20 to $100, but they take days or weeks. The sweet spot for most people is the $5 to $25 range: a few evenings of play for something you'd notice in your bank account.

How to pick good ones

• Read the goal and the time limit first. "Reach level 30 in 7 days" can mean hours a day. "Level 10 in 30 days" is relaxed.

• Check the game's store reviews. If players complain that progress stalls at level 25 without paying, the level 30 offer isn't free money.

• Avoid offers that need a purchase unless you'd buy it anyway and the reward clearly covers it.

• Only start games you've never installed. Offers are for new players, and studios check.

On Vazpop, game offers sit alongside surveys and app trials, and each one shows the exact goal, the reward and the deadline before you tap. The offers you see depend on your country and device, because that's how studios buy players.

Milestone offers pay best when the game is one you'd enjoy playing anyway. Photo by I'M ZION on Unsplash.

2. Apps that pay you for playtime

Some apps reward you simply for time spent in games they recommend. Mistplay is the best known: it runs on both iPhone and Android, and pays in gift cards like Amazon, Visa and Google Play, according to its own site. You earn points per minute played, plus bonuses for reaching levels.

The pay is lower than milestone offers, usually a few dollars to $30 a month for daily players. What you get in return is simplicity: no tracking worries, no deadlines, just play. If you already play for an hour a day, it's a small bonus on something you do anyway.

3. Skill tournaments: read this before you deposit

Apps like Solitaire Cube or bingo and 8-ball tournament apps let you play head to head against strangers for cash prizes. They're real, and good players do win. But you pay an entry fee to play, and the app takes a cut of every pot, so the average player loses money over time.

Treat these as a paid hobby, not a way to make money. They're also not available in every US state, since the rules for cash competitions vary. NerdWallet's roundup of games that pay real money covers the pros and cons of the main ones.

4. "Win cash" ad games: the ones to skip

You've seen the ads: someone taps a few tiles, dollar signs fly out, and they cash out $500 to PayPal. These games show a balance that grows fast at first and then slows to a crawl near the cashout minimum. Your "earnings" come from watching ads, and the minimum is often set so high that most players give up before reaching it.

If a game shows cash in big numbers but the cashout threshold is $100 or more, and reviews say payouts slow down near the end, move on. Your time is worth more.

5. Get paid to test games before they launch

Studios pay people to play unreleased games and say what they think out loud while recording the screen. User testing platforms post these jobs next to website tests, and a session usually pays $10 to $60. They're not constant, but they're the best rate per minute in gaming if you can explain clearly what's confusing or fun. We'll cover how user testing works in its own guide.

How to make offers credit every time

The number one complaint with game offers is "I hit the level and nothing happened." Almost always, the tracking lost you. Before you start:

1. Turn off your ad blocker, VPN and any "private" browsing mode.

2. Install straight from the offer button, not by searching the app store later.

3. On iPhone, allow tracking when the game asks. Apple explains what that setting controls on its app tracking page, and you can turn it off after you're paid.

4. Screenshot the offer's goal and deadline before you start.

5. Do one game offer at a time.

Your first week: a simple plan

Pick one rewards site and one playtime app. On the rewards site, choose two game offers: one quick ($1 to $3, done in an evening) so you see how crediting works, and one medium ($8 to $20) in a genre you actually like. Play the playtime app when you'd be gaming anyway. After a week you'll know which one suits you, and you'll have your first few dollars pending.

Keep your expectations honest: this is fun money, not rent money. But if you're going to play anyway, there's no reason your phone shouldn't pay you back a little. You can make a free Vazpop account to see which game offers are live in your country, or read how Vazpop works first.