Mistplay Review 2024: Is the Gamer Rewards App Worth It?
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If you already love playing mobile games and want to be rewarded for it, then using Mistplay is a good choice. If you're stuck on a car ride with a phone, Mistplay is a fun way to earn money and kill time.
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I’ve never had much luck making money from survey websites and other similar online side hustles. I get bored easily and I hate taking endless surveys, filling out the same information over and over again.
But using Mistplay was different. Mistplay is a fun app where you play popular games and earn points that you can redeem for gift cards to well-known retailers like Amazon, Google Play, and the iTunes store.
Once I started playing games on Mistplay, I forgot that this was a side hustle app. I was having fun, playing trivia, shooting bubbles, and playing a Game of Thrones-themed slots game.
Some people download Mistplay to make money, not just to have fun. But is it a good side hustle or just an interesting diversion?
What Is Mistplay?
Mistplay is an app that pays you for playing games, and it has a 4.1 rating on the Google Play store. Unfortunately for Apple users, it’s only available on the Google Play Store, but iPhone users can join the iOS waiting list to be notified when it’s available.
It only takes about a minute to create your account. You have to share your birthday, gender, and choose an avatar.
Once you input that information, you’ll be asked to pick your favorite games. Mistplay will then use this information to decide which games to show you.
The Mistplay games list includes Super Mario Run, Pokemon Go, Fruit Ninja, chess, Solitaire, Candy Crush Saga, Wordscapes, and dozens of others. There are games in every category from action to arcade to sports, strategy, and word games.
You can select multiple games to play. I chose Super Mario Run, Bubble Shooter, and Words with Friends 2, and I got 200 bonus points just for getting started.
You can use the points to buy new avatars or cash them in for gift cards to retailers like Amazon, eBay, Starbucks, and the Apple Store. They also have gift cards for relevant stores such as GameStop, PlayStation Store, and Xbox. If you love to play other types of video games, then you can use Mistplay to earn money to support your video game hobby.
You can also find Mistplay codes that provide bonus points. Follow the app on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to see when they post these codes.
Another Mistplay hack is to try to play games on consecutive days, because you’ll earn more bonuses. Set a reminder on your phone to play every day to continue the streak.
Here’s a review of Mistplay’s pros, cons, and what to know before you sign up:
Mistplay pays users in gift cards to play mobile games on their smartphones. It's a good way to pass the time and earn a few dollars worth in gift cards. The app is available to Android users but the company plans to extend it to Apple users as well. Join the waiting list to get notified.
Show Hide moreIs Mistplay Worth It?
Mistplay has good reviews from users who verify that the app pays points and that it’s simple to earn gift cards. However, Mistplay doesn’t make it clear how much you have to play to earn enough points for even a $5 gift card.
The hourly rate is very low once you consider how much time it takes to earn a few bucks. If you truly only care about making extra money, there are better side hustles out there.
But if you’re limited to what you can do and don’t have constant access to a laptop or desktop computer, then Mistplay may be a decent avenue for making extra money. For example, if you work a job where you have access to your phone or commute on the bus, then Mistplay may be one of the few ways to make extra money during that time.
If you already love playing games on your phone, then this may be one of the only side hustles that doesn’t feel like “work.” Another upside is that it doesn’t require any money to sign up. You don’t have to drive around in your car and pay for gas and wear and tear.
Related: 13 Companies That Pay You for Your Data
How Does Mistplay Work?
To use Mistplay download the app, create a profile, choose your favorite games, and start playing. Each game has to be downloaded individually on your phone, which can take several minutes.
As you start playing the games, you’ll earn points that you can eventually use to redeem for a retailer gift card. If you play the same games every day, you’ll level up and potentially earn more points the more you play.
A review of Mistplay’s games shows that there are dozens to choose from, so you won’t get bored playing the same one or two games.
While Mistplay is probably one of the most fun side hustles you can have, it may be one of the lowest-paying. I’d play each game for about 10 minutes and would earn between 2 and 20 points each time.
You need 400 points to earn a 50-cent Amazon gift card. Based on my gameplay, it would take about six hours to earn a 50-cent gift card or about 12 hours to earn $1.
There may be ways to earn more points faster once you gain experience and level up, but it’s not clear how much this would boost your total earnings.
May drain battery life
To use the app, I had to change my phone’s battery settings from power-saving to optimized so the games can run faster and more smoothly. This will likely drain my battery life faster, but thankfully I can charge my phone easily at home.
If you’re playing games on-the-go, make sure you have a charger or battery pack with you. You can also set reminders to turn the battery settings down when you’re done playing.
Large variety of games
Mistplay has a lot of different games available, and you’d be hard-pressed not to find a game that you genuinely enjoy playing. Although I don’t consider myself someone who seeks out mobile games, I’ve enjoyed the game variety that Mistplay offers.
However, one downfall to Mistplay is that you have to download games separately onto your phone; you can’t play them directly in the app as I had assumed. For instance, if you want to play Scrabble GO, you have to install it before you can play.
It can also take some time to download all the games. Sometimes even loading the games can take a while. I’m not sure if that’s because of my WiFi or the game, but if you’re going somewhere without WiFi, make sure to download all the games you want beforehand.
Apps like Mistplay
Mistplay isn’t the only app of its kind. Here are some of the top apps like Mistplay that pay you to play games.
Swagbucks
While Swagbucks is known for their surveys, you can also play games on the site. Their games are somewhat similar to Mistplay and include Wheel of Fortune, Trivial Pursuit, and Angry Birds Champion. You can play the games for free or pay a cash entry fee for the chance to win real money. You’ll also earn Swagbucks points if you pay these fees.
Related: DollarSprout’s Swagbucks Review
InboxDollars
When you play games on InboxDollars, you earn scratch cards. These scratch cards may have cash prizes that you can win. Games include Wheel of Fortune, Sudoku, Solitaire, and more.
If you spend money on the cash tournament games, you’ll earn a percentage of that back in your InboxDollars account. New users get $5 for signing up for InboxDollars.
Related: DollarSprout’s InboxDollars Review
Mistplay Review Summary: It’s Fun, but You Won’t Earn Much Money
Although I did enjoy using the app, if your primary goal is to make money playing video games, you might want to try something else. Mistplay has such a low-paying hourly rate that you’re likely better off with a different side hustle like taking surveys, delivering for DoorDash, or grocery shopping for Instacart.
Plus, there’s no option to cash out directly into your bank account or a prepaid debit card; you can only cash out for gift cards.
But if you already love playing mobile games and want to be rewarded for it, then using Mistplay is a good choice. If I was stuck on a five-hour flight or car ride and only had my phone, Mistplay would be a fun way to earn money while killing time.
