Cost to play

So how much does it cost to play CryptoKitties? The short answer is a little or a lot, depending on what you want.

Cat prices vary from under a dollar to six figures. A cat’s initial selling price is set as an auction by the owner. From there it will either descend to a predetermined minimum price or rise to a predetermined maximum price, where it will remain until the cat sells or the auction is cancelled. The same method applies to putting a cat up for siring. It’s the invisible paw of economics.

Players can also make an offer on any cat in the game, whether or not it's up for sale. Once made, an offer can be accepted or declined by the owner, be canceled by the buyer, or expire automatically after three days.

Breeding two of your own cats together costs a flat rate of 0.04 ETH plus the transaction fee. Breeding with another player's Kitty costs the siring price set by that player, plus the 0.04 ETH breeding charge and the transaction fee.

So, since players set the prices for siring and selling, players themselves largely determine the value of a Kitty. The market simply adjusts accordingly. Naturally, the rarest, most difficult to breed traits become more valuable, while more common ones grow more affordable. If you'd like some tips on how Kitties are valued, check out our section on the Value of Kitties.

All this to say, you don’t have to be a high roller to enjoy this game. There are Kitties available at every price point, and they all need love.