Download new games through the app then play to earn. Keep playing, level up, and earn even more!

There are quite a few apps built completely around spending time on other apps. Whether that be games or shows, or something else, the main idea behind that is almost like paid advertising taken to another level. Those entities are usually paying into apps like Mistplay to guarantee players. The hope is that once you’re there, their app will tempt you into spending money, or at least will watch enough ads to net them a profit. To keep you using their platform instead of others that do similar, the middleman also has to issue kickbacks to the user in some form or fashion. This usually comprises points or units, or in some rare cases, an actual currency.

If the games being offered are actually ones you enjoy, then there really are no losers in this kind of system. Yes, the amount you make isn’t probably the amount that the host app is getting for you being there, but it is still a way of turning a pastime into something that generates money. What Mistplay specifically has going for it is both size and longevity. It’s one of the longest running of these types of apps. Hand in hand with that is reputation. I still have yet to find another offering the same number of things to play. Their catalogue has shrunk in some areas and gained in others, but it’s still a pretty hefty one.

I will say that as someone who has used the app for quite a while, there are a few things I miss about it. It still is good enough though that I find myself using it pretty often, even now. Most of these will be touched on later, but here is a quick rundown of both the pros and the cons for Mistplay:

The Good:
  • The units earned by playing can be redeemed for many different things and in many different quantities.
  • As your level grows (both player and per game), there are increased earnings.
  • There doesn’t seem to be any cap on how much can be earned.
  • At least one game gets boosted every time I look.
  • The potential earned by playing is very transparent.
The Bad:
  • There doesn’t seem to be quite as many games available on the platform as there used to be.
  • If it’s a game already downloaded on your phone, you don’t earn the same number of units.
  • There is a max amount of experience one can earn with the same game in 24 hours (seems to be based on the popularity of the game).
  • Games have to be launched through the app (but you can make shortcuts).

If the cons haven’t scared you away yet, please take a look at some more in-depth information about the app’s systems. Get the most potential out of the app and have fun doing it.

Games and Exp

Where would a play to earn app be without the games? Broken up into several genres, you can search based on slots, cards, single, multiplayer, and favorites flagged by the app. If it’s a game you’ve already started playing, it can easily be reached in the “Keep Playing” section. For every section, there seems to be at least 10 games at any time. However, there can be some overlaps between them.

Whoever designed the card system for the main screen showing these sections should be commended. You can easily see how much return for playtime you are likely to get as well as how much experience you’ve accumulated for games you have already started playing. This addition is incredibly useful because experience works in tandem with the in app currency you turn real money into. There are other ways to make that currency as expanded on elsewhere, but actually playing the games and earning experience are the main source.

Not only is there a specific “level” (now called checkpoints) attached to each game you play that is independent of one another, but you have an actual player level as well. As you reach a checkpoint in a game, you need more and more experience to reach the next one. Something most gamers will be familiar with. Your player level gives an increasing boost to how fast you earn experience in games.

The gems listed under each game on the information cards show the reward speed. This doesn’t mean you’re getting more units each time you are rewarded but that you will reach checkpoints faster for games that have more of those slots filled. Games you’ve already downloaded to your phone and play might be on the app, and even with a good reward rate! Do not start playing the game yet, not if you don’t want to drastically lower your payout for a game you already enjoy. If it is not a newly downloaded game through Mistplay, the reward speed defaults to half a gem (the lowest).

Even if it’s not a game that you think you will actually enjoy, it would be smart to just download something and let it sit to reach the first few levels. You can reach checkpoint 3 in most games within a few minutes. That doesn’t get you all that many units, but it does give a decent amount of experience to your player level. The reason why this is so important is because you only gain player experience when you reach a checkpoint. That means time spent actually in a game does not directly give you player experience. Both reaching a checkpoint and leveling up as a player grants the in game currency known as units.

Units

If the games are the foundation of Mistplay, then the house itself would be units. These are what you’ll actually trade in to get your rewards. When you first start out, you’ll be getting them pretty quickly but in small sums. The higher the level and checkpoints, the bigger the payout. But also, the longer the wait in between.

Earned mostly through spending time playing what’s available through the app, there are a few other ways to get them too:

  • Badges- Most but not all games have milestones built in that reward a small amount of points when reached. Things like time spent playing, reaching a certain level, or playing at night.
  • Boosts- Shown in the picture, these are limited times where a game has even more earning potential than it would previously. That means you are getting more experience per minute than you would otherwise. You definitely want to capitalize on these.
  • Gems- I know I’ve been describing the symbols for reward speed as gems, but there is an actual currency called gems as well. If you start playing a game and like it enough to throw money at it, many (but not all) games will reward you with gems. These gems can then be traded in for units.
  • Contests- The last way to earn units was detailed enough I decided to turn it into its own section!
Contests

Of all the changes that have happened within the app since I started using it, the addition of contests was probably one of my favorites. Every time they tweak it, things also just get even better. Even if the odds of winning are very slim, it adds another layer to the app that makes it feel more like a game in and of itself. You don’t have to purchase the tickets with units either like in most places with raffle systems. Gain entry to the contests by completing short quests much like you would with the badges.

Winning entries into the contest used to be much harder from what I remember. Part of that is because of a completely gutted system that the app did away with in the past. Remnants still linger in the way you can follow players through their profile and others can follow you. There used to be a chat system that played into this capability and was tied to individual games instead of being like a full social connection. For a while, part of getting into the contest hinged on getting enough people to follow you during the entry period. A feat much easier said than done. Now, the only things I have to do to meet the requirements are play a game I already play often for a certain amount of time and download a new game. I do also have to get that game to a certain level, but it equates to around 30 minutes of time spent. Plus, it would give me the experience and units tied to reaching that level.

The rewards for winning the contests vary from time to time. The most typical though is a 10000 unit payday. In terms of actual value of money, that is worth over $50. For something you enter completely free without sacrificing any actual units, that’s a pretty good turnover in my opinion.

Payouts and Rewards

The fact that you spend your units in the “shop” as opposed to a rewards tab tickles me every time. I think it’s because this reminds me of all the days I spent as a kid at places like Chuck E. Cheese or Dave & Busters where you took physical tokens to trade in for so many things. (Yes, I’m old enough that they were physical tokens and not just a digital card or readout.) Like both places, you have quite a selection of things to choose from.

Unless otherwise specified, all of these rewards are delivered to you via the email you signed up with. This is very important because I have never been able to find a method of changing your email within the app. You might still be able to, but it would require messaging support at the very least. There is a new addition where they require a photo to verify you aren’t a robot. It’s not supposed to be used for anything else, but this change made me consider leaving the app for good at one point.

Keep in mind that there are varying levels of return with these rewards. I highly recommend waiting until you have 3000 points before trading in. After the 3000 mark, the rate of unit to dollar worth seems to be even across the board. As of the publication of this article, you can trade in units for:

  • Amazon gift cards- Lowest payout threshhold at 400 units = $.50 card. I do not recommend this though because the next highest is $5 for 1800 units.
  • PayPal transfers- For this to work, you have to either already have the email you’re using for the app linked to PayPal or be willing to link the two.
  • Visa cards- $5 for 1800 units or $10 for 3000 are your lowest options. Past 3000, it’s a rate of 300 units per $1.
  • Google Play credits- $5 for 1800 units or $10 for 3000 are your lowest options. Past 3000, it’s a rate of 300 units per $1.
  • Uber Eats gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Walmart gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Grubhub gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Target gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Xbox gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • DoorDash gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Game Stop gift cards- $5 for 1800 units or $10 for 3000 are your lowest options. Past 3000, it’s a rate of 300 units per $1.
  • Burger King gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Playstation Store gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Taco Bell gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Starbucks gift cards- $5 for 1800 units or $10 for 3000 are your lowest options. Past 3000, it’s a rate of 300 units per $1.
  • eBay gift cards- $25 for 7500 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • H&M gift cards- $15 for 4500 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Nintendo eShop cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.
  • Sephora gift cards- $5 for 1800 units or $10 for 3000 are your lowest options. Past 3000, it’s a rate of 300 units per $1.
  • Spotify gift cards- $10 for 3000 is your lowest option. Maintains the rate of 300 units per $1 throughout.