"The reward is playing the game" isn't true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwpQwCWdhL8

https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/7mbsyr/5e_ideas_for_nontraditional_rewards_and/ https://halflinghobbies.com/how-much-is-too-much-managing-rewards-for-your-dd-5e-party/ https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/119537/rewards-for-players-commitment-to-the-game https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/27184/awarding-experience-for-out-of-game-activities-bias-towards-players-with-more-t

Game Incentive Rewards Toward Better Rewards