Telegram games and mini apps
Telegram games and mini apps open right inside the messenger: no install, no sign-up, and they work on any phone. Some are classic casual games, some are shops and tools, and some are reward games that pay small amounts in crypto. Here is how mini apps work, how to find good ones, how tap-to-earn games played out, and how to stay safe.
What a mini app is
A mini app is a web app that Telegram opens in its own window. It knows your Telegram name, can accept payments in Telegram Stars, can run full-screen and can send you messages through its bot. You never create a password: you are signed in through your Telegram account.
How to find and open games
- Tap the button next to the message field in a bot, or "Open" on the bot's profile.
- Use direct links like t.me/botname/app shared by channels and websites.
- Look in the Apps section of Telegram search.
- Add a mini app to your home screen to open it like a normal app.
Kinds of Telegram games
| Kind | Examples of gameplay |
|---|---|
| Casual and arcade | Runners, puzzles, quick multiplayer games in chats |
| Games with friends | Turn-based games played in a group chat |
| Tap and idle games | Collect points, upgrade, return daily |
| Reward games | Small payouts from ads and tasks, often in crypto |
| Simulators | Farming, trading, mining as gameplay |
The tap-to-earn wave
In 2024 tap games brought tens of millions of people to Telegram mini apps: you tapped a coin, collected points and waited for a token airdrop. When tokens launched, most players received modest amounts, and interest in many games faded. The lesson: points that might become a token someday are a lottery. Details on airdrops: crypto airdrops.
How to pick a reward game
- Rewards can be withdrawn now, with a published minimum and fee.
- No deposit or "boost" purchase is needed to withdraw.
- Payouts are real transactions you can verify by hash.
- The game has a channel with history and players outside the game.
More on paying games: games that pay real money.
TotalHash is a mining simulator mini app: your phone computes SHA-256 hashes and closes blocks of the game network for the in-game token #TH. Tasks and short ads pay small amounts of USD₮ and GRAM withdrawable to your own TON wallet from 0.1 GRAM or 1 USD₮.
Play a mining mini app in Telegram, free.
Play TotalHashSafety
- A mini app sees your name and username; it must ask before getting your phone number or location.
- Star payments are confirmed in Telegram's own window with the amount shown.
- Never enter a wallet seed phrase or a Telegram login code in a game.
- Connecting a TON wallet shares only your address; each transaction is confirmed in the wallet.
Quick answers
How do I play games in Telegram?
Open a game bot and tap its app button, follow a t.me link to the game, or find games in the Apps section of Telegram search.
What are Telegram mini apps?
Web apps that open inside Telegram without installation and sign you in with your Telegram account.
Do Telegram games pay real money?
Some reward games pay small amounts, often in crypto. Points that may become a token later are not guaranteed to be worth anything.
Are Telegram games safe?
Generally yes, if you never share login codes or seed phrases and confirm payments only in Telegram or your wallet.