Hey mama, we all know how it goes—you finally get a moment to yourself, and what do you do? Dive into a game on your phone for a few precious minutes of escape! Now, what if I told you those few minutes could put a little extra cash in your pocket? Yep, you read that correctly. In 2024, there are real apps that pay you to play games. Take a seat mama and I’ll spill the beans on how you can turn that downtime playing games on your phone into a payday instead.

Whether you’re waiting in the carpool line, hiding in the bathroom for some “me time,” lingering in your car in the driveway because you can’t find the energy to go inside, or just need a break from the never-ending laundry, these apps are like a mom’s secret weapon for earning a little side cash.

So grab your phone (we both know it’s already in your hand) and let’s dive into the world of legit apps that pay you to play games.

Note: These Are NOT Pay To Play Games

In my quest for apps that pay you to play games, one thing I’ve realized is a lot of the games require you to put some money into them to pay out. Honestly, this type of app is largely a gambling app and you really shouldn’t have to spend money to make money. In some states, you have laws that will actually prevent you from cashing out even if you make money on those types of apps. Plus, I just generally don’t want to spend money to make money.

So, you can have a little peace of mind in knowing that none of the suggestions on this list will require you to deposit any money to make money.

JustPlay

JustPlay is one of my favorites on this list. It is a developer who pointed out the obvious. When you download and play a game, the developer is making money on all those ads you watch while playing the game. This particular company posed the question: Why shouldn’t you be making some of that money too? The idea is simple, you get loyalty coins for playing this developer’s game. The more you play, the more you earn. Every three hours your loyalty coins convert into cash. Once you reach the minimum threshold you can cash out. (For example, you can cash out with PayPal if you’ve earned $2).

I highly recommend checking out our JustPlay Coin Conversion Value Guide if you are going to give this app a try. The guide will give you an idea of how much money the coins are valued at.

PlayTest Pro (formerly BestPlay)

PlayTest Pro (formerly BestPlay) is basically a knockoff version of JustPlay. For the most part, they have a lot of similar games. In general, it is always a good idea not to have all your eggs in the same basket. So, it doesn’t hurt to have this app and the games you can play to earn loyalty coins with it on your phone too. Plus, I find that I get a little less bored of these games if I have a nice variety to choose from.

Eureka Surveys

Stop. I know what you are thinking, doing surveys for cash is not why you are here. However, it is a legit way to make some easy cash too. Personally, I tend to really struggle with qualifying for surveys. Though, I have had a lot of luck with the Eureka app in that department. That, however, isn’t why Eureka is on the list. This app also has a section for getting paid to play. You can download specific games they are sponsoring and get paid when you hit certain milestones in the game. Sometimes the app even has something on the offer wall that just wants you to download a game and you don’t even have to play it.

Benjamin

Benjamin is a lot more than just a paid to play app. I highly recommend checking out our detailed guide on how to make money with Benjamin as well as what the app is all about if you are going to give this one a try. I’ve made about $75-$80 on Benjamin playing games. I got lucky and came across two games I really enjoyed and continued to play them for a few months until I tapped out on the milestones. The key is to find a high-paying game that you enjoy and are good at playing. It really really helps if you don’t hate the game you are trying to level up on.

Mafia Blast

Mafia Blast is your standard strategic puzzle-matching game with a mafia twist. The game is pretty easy to play. It might not be for you if you get frustrated by ads. The ads, however, are how the app pays out. You can earn coins for watching ads, completing a list of tasks, or completing levels of the game. Then, you can cash out the coins for a PayPal payment. The app does have a limit of $19.25 a day. It, however, is a fun and easy way to make a little extra change in your PayPal account.

Treasure Breaker

Treasure Breaker is a ballbreaker game. It is the exact same concept as Mafia Blast. You complete levels, watch ads, and complete various tasks around the game for coins. Then, you cash out the coins for actual PayPal payments. Again the app does have a daily limit. But, $19 a day to play this game for a while isn’t something to stick your nose up at.

Eight Other Ad-Heavy Paid To Play Gaming Apps

I’ve found eight other apps by the same two developers that also have the same setup as Mafia Blast and Treasure Breaker. They are pretty simple games, very ad-heavy, and you can cash out up to $19.25 a day with these games. Here are the other eight apps that pay you to play games if you are interested in giving them a try:

1. Blast Puzzle Quest
2. Amaze Farm Mowing
3. Warrior Match Wars
4. Happy Chips Sort
5. Gem Sort
6. Coin MasterRun
7. Faune Puzzle Match
8. Tile Match 3 Crush

In total, that means you now have a list of 10 games with a $19.25 a day cash-out limit. If you do the math, that’s a little over $190 in a single day from these nine games if you were to max out the cash-out option on all of them.

How To Maximize Your Earnings

Now, I know what you are thinking. How can I make the most of this list of games? For starters, you should make a folder on your phone just for these paid to play games. All of them should go in that folder. Then, any time you find yourself with some free time you just pop into the folder, pick a game, and play it.

Just be mindful of the games you are playing to hit milestones. When you max out those games with nothing left to earn or you hit the end of your earning window, delete the game. Don’t hold onto games you aren’t earning from unless you just really like the game. Even then, move it out of the earning folder so you don’t trick yourself into thinking you are still getting paid to play it.

When playing JustPlay or PlayTest Pro games, the developer recommends switching games every 15 minutes. In general, these games also want you to use the boosts and watch ads for bonuses. The ads are how they are paying you in the first place. So, try not to skip the ads.

Finally, don’t save up your earnings in any of these apps. When you have enough to cash out, you hit that button. These types of apps tend to not last forever. That’s why I am a bit of a hoarder in collecting as many as I can. Eventually, the funds tend to dry up and the app disappears or stops paying out. So, you don’t want to sit on funds because you are saving and miss an opportunity for cash if the app suddenly stops working one day.

Do you know of an app that pays you to play games that we might’ve missed? Be sure to recommend it in the comments and we will check it out.