CryptoKitties is a game where you collect, breed, and sell digital cats for real money. Each of them is unique — one can’t find two same kitties. Digital pets belong to one single person and can’t be destroyed. Players can trade kitties and cats within the platform for cryptocurrency and fiat money. How to play CryptoKitties? Here is everything you need to know!
Briefly About the Project
The game is a dApp, which is short for Decentralized Application (part of the DeFi sector). This means that the app does not belong to any natural or legal person. It is the first decentralized project developed for gaming apps. CryptoKitties was created by a team from Vancouver, Axiom Zen, and is powered by the Ethereum blockchain.
In the first three months of 2021, the number of players has tripled. Many published information shows that people make big money by selling digital cats — more than $12 million were spent on the purchase. Let’s move further and learn how to start playing CryptoKitties!
How to Start Playing CryptoKitties?
At the beginning of the game, you will not have cats, and the first thing you need to do is buy one from the store. You will need at least two. Still, you can start with one, but you will have to cooperate with someone else to start breeding. Next, select the desired individuals and press the ‘Breeding’ button. As soon as the digital pets finish breeding, an egg will appear in the inventory. An egg with a new kitty will hatch when you click on it.
Pets can belong to different generations, indicated on the right under their number. The new offspring will already belong to the next generation. Each pet has a gender — Lady or Sir. When you breed two cats, the parents will have a cooldown period before they can crossbreed again.
CryptoKitties Guide: How Does CryptoKitties Work?
Blockchain technologies are at the heart of the game, and the base is a specially developed Genetic Algorithm (GA). This algorithm mimics real genetics — the information stored in a kitten is similar to the DNA of living beings and contains the code of how all the kittens look. Thus, genes that affect appearance are stripes, color, fur patterns, and facial expressions. They can also affect the background color displayed with a kitty.
In the human body, or any other animal, plant, DNA is built with the help of protein. In the case of crypto kitties, genes are built using prime numbers.
In life, two animals breed in the process of mating. Thus, the DNA of one of the parents is mixed with the DNA of the other, after which a unique child is born. The principles of the genetic algorithm are exactly the same. The code of one crypto kitty is mixed with the code of another, and thus a new one is created.
The Connection Between Genetic Algorithms & Ethereum
The next step in our CryptoKitties guide is to understand the connection between GA and Ethereum. The process of recreation in the genetic algorithm is called crossing over. It runs every time two cats breed and is implemented using smart contracts. The Ethereum network uses them to store information and use data to perform calculations.
Smart Contracts
There are two types of Ethereum accounts — externally owned accounts and smart contracts. Contract accounts differ in that they do not belong to one person. Moreover, they have an address that is required to complete transactions. A public code is recorded in smart contracts, which is launched every time a request is made for this account.
Connecting Smart Contracts to CryptoKitties
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- KittyBase. The blockchain is public, which means that all the code associated with the dApp is in the public domain. That is, everyone can see the kitties’ codes that are stored in these smart contracts. This storage location is called KittyBase.
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- KittyOwnership. All kitties are unique and non-fungible. That is, you cannot swap one digital pet for another unless you change the entire blockchain. This mechanism is called KittyOwnership and is responsible for uniqueness, cost, and ownership. Still, this does not exclude the possibility that two cats may have the same value.
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- KittyBreeding. It is a smart contract that allows crossbreeding and combines the genes of two different cats into new ones.
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- KittyAuction. It is a smart contract that enables the sale of kitties to other players and also allows other players to rent out breeding pets.
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- KittyMinting. This feature was created during the ICO (initial public offering) and allowed the community to be launched. This is how the first generation of cats was created, which was called gen 0. They were given away for free so that the game could start somewhere.
All contracts are linked by a main smart contract called KittyCore.
How to Make Money on CryptoKitties?
How to play CryptoKitties and make money while playing? The concept of the cats’ value is based on the fact that some are rarer than others and more difficult to obtain. But since all species are unique, aren’t they all rare?
According to the developers, users decide for themselves which indicator is valuable and which is not. For example, if all players decide to breed green-eyed cats, then their number will increase, and they will become more common, which reduces their cost.
One of the most important characteristics is the generations to which kitties belong. In the first year, generation 0 cats were created. Smart contracts indicate that you can get only 50,000 kittens from generation 0. Since they have a limit, they are rarer than others and therefore have more value than a cat, for example, from generation 3.
Mutations (Mewtation)
Another factor that adds value is mutation. Some genes do not exist in generations 0 and therefore can only appear when a mutation occurs.
Kitties with mewtation can be of different levels. The first kitty to receive a specific mutation is marked with a diamond. Currently, there are only 243 such copies. Pets from gen 2 to gen 10 that receive the same mutation are marked with a gilded gem. These cats are also rare, but not as rare as the first ones. The gem system continues: gen 11-100 are marked with amethyst and gen 100-500 with lapis.
Kitties Founders
Cats founders are the first 100 cats ever to exist on the platform. The ID number determines their value, and the lower the number, the higher the cost.
Exclusive Cats
These cats were issued by the team behind the CryptoKitties and were awarded for an in-game activity or wins in competitions.
Some of these exclusive cats have been sold for huge sums of money. One sold for $140,000, and all of the money went to a charity that supports artists. Another received $25,000. The money went to protect the ocean.
Mutated, Founders and Exclusive Cats are just a few examples of the species that exist in the game. Looking at the examples and their prices on the marketplace, it becomes clear that you can successfully make money from breeding.
Thus, breeding is one way to make money; the other is resale. Sometimes you can buy a kitty at a low price and then sell it for a profit.
It is also possible to rent out your pets. This means that other players will be able to select your cat for breeding for money. Still, the system will charge a commission — 3.75% of the total transaction amount.
How to Get Started: Key Steps to Know
How to start playing CryptoKitties? Now, having complete information about the game, let’s learn how to start breeding cats! Here is what you need to do:
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- Install the MetaMask extension in Google Chrome. The app allows you to hold Ethereum to make in-game transactions.
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- Buy some Ethereum. If you’re interested in buying ETH, you should definitely think about doing this at Switchere. On our platform, you have an opportunity to buy ETH in the fastest and most convenient ways using any available payment method. Moreover, we offer some surprising bonuses! Users of our platform enjoy a 0% service fee for the first order. Here you can find a step-by-step guide on how to buy ETH coin at Switchere — it’s easy as A, B, C!
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- Check out the in-game marketplace and kitties’ prices. Please note that sales work in a so-called decreasing price format. Over time, if no one wants to buy a kitty, the price will go down. Thus, a lot for 2 ETH could cost 1 ETH in 24 hours.
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- Buy some kitties. And you’re done!
Conclusion
Whether you’re a cat lover or not, CryptoKitties allows you to immerse yourself in a unique kitty world and make money while playing. The game is an illustration of what the blockchain is capable of! Hope our ultimate CryptoKitties guide has helped you to understand the game better!
Have you ever played CryptoKitties? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below!
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