In 2017, CryptoKitties was a popular blockchain game and the first NFT to use the ERC-721 standard. Now, Dapper Labs, the company behind CryptoKitties, has brought back the game on the Telegram platform, sparking renewed interest in virtual feline collectibles. This move reflects a growing trend of blockchain gaming on messaging platforms.
What is CryptoKitties?
One of the first games to truly make non-fungible tokens (NFTs) popular in the crypto world was CryptoKitties. Its a game that allows players to purchase, breed, and trade one-of-a-kind digital cats on the Ethereum blockchain. The game turned into a massive phenomenon and brought mainstream attention to blockchain gaming. Meanwhile, the success of CryptoKitties also drove the development of the ERC-721 standard, an NFT standard that’s now used widely in the ecosystem.
Dapper Labs, the creators of CryptoKitties, have developed other successful apps such as NBA Top Shot and Disney Pinnacle. However, CryptoKitties remains a cornerstone of the NFT world, and its return indicates a renewed interest in blockchain gaming. This time, they are introducing their innovative approach to gaming communities on Telegram.
CryptoKitties on Telegram
Telegram’s latest mini-game, CryptoKitties: All the Zen, invites users to play on the Telegram platform and promises to reward those who engage with strategy and hidden prizes. The game draws inspiration from the growing trend of gaming on Telegram and joins titles like Hamster Kombat, MemeFi, and Frog Farm, which have found a thriving community on Telegram.
Starting from October 1, 2024, you will be able to play the All The Zen game by connecting with the CryptoKitties Telegram community. The game provides players with a preview of the upcoming CryptoKitties developments, enabling them to grow their “Zen” and hatch eggs to acquire new Kitties for their collection.
How to Play: Growing Your Zen
When players start the game, they meet Felis, a cosmic trickster who acts as their guide. He teaches them the basics and ensures they understand how to play. The initial mission is to hatch a Fancy Kitty from a Page Egg. This egg brings forth Page, a brave Kitty always ready to help players in their quests to gather ZEN. As the game progresses, the player can collect more Fancy Kitties, each with unique abilities that enhance ZEN production.
The core of the gameplay revolves around the ReGenesis Egg, also known as the “Big Egg.” When players interact with this egg, they generate ZEN, a crucial resource that enables them to expand their Fancy Kitty collection. The game introduces a strategic element: Using ZEN to hatch a new Kitty cat replenishes your TAO bar, providing you with extra charges to interact with the egg and increase ZEN production. This cycle of earning, spending, and boosting ZEN creates a dynamic and captivating gameplay experience that promotes continuous growth.
Why Telegram?
Choosing to launch on Telegram is not a random decision. Telegram has become a magnet for crypto communities, and gamers. The platform’s easy-to-navigate interface, combined with features like bots and channels, creates an ideal playground for games that thrive on direct interaction and community engagement.
CryptoKitties leverages Telegram’s popularity within the blockchain community. The platform allows easy access for both new and returning players, enabling real-time interaction with fellow enthusiasts. This aligns with the growing trend of integrating games into messaging platforms, recognizing that players often congregate and communicate where their games are hosted. The more seamless the integration between gaming and messaging experiences, the more lively the communities become.
Impact and Future Prospects
All The Zen’s release on Telegram is bigger than just a return of CryptoKitties; it’s a signal that blockchain gaming is coming back. The new game claims to be a mix of strategy, fun, and community interaction, appealing to not only the old-school fans of CryptoKitties but also to new players that are exploring the NFT space.
The current mini-game is a preview of the upcoming reintroduction of CryptoKitties on the Flow blockchain. The project team is currently working to generate excitement within the community on Telegram and is promising new features and mechanics that will elevate the CryptoKitties universe to the next level.
The CryptoKitties community is likely to grow even more from this latest round of interest in the game, as Telegram offers an engaging space for its users to both interact and strategize. And like any good game, renewed interest brings an uptick in secondary market sales and overall ecosystem health.
While the community looks forward to the full relaunch of Flow, All The Zen harkens back to an earlier time while also serving as a clean restart. It’s a way of reintroducing CryptoKitties to the next generation of blockchain gamers. On its own, the game/messaging project might be seen as an unambitious attempt to recapture earlier glory. But its ambitious blend of gaming and messaging has potential, and not just for CryptoKitties. Projects like this are part of an attempt to find profitable forms for web3 gaming.
As the community eagerly awaits the relaunch of Flow, “All the Zen” serves as both a tribute to the past and a new beginning, reintroducing CryptoKitties to a fresh generation of blockchain gamers. The combination of gaming and messaging on Telegram has potentially paved the way for new projects within the web3 world. However, the impact of CryptoKitties within this emerging space should not be underestimated.
Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Owen Skelton.
