All images; Neopets, Inc.

What is Neopets?

Neopets is an online virtual pet website, available at www.neopets.com. On this kind of website, players adopt virtual pets, represented by a graphic image, that they can take care of and do activities with. Neopets has been on the Internet since 1999. Originally launched by Adam Powell and Donna Williams, Neopets has been owned by Viacom since 2005.

What are Neopets?

In Neopets, players can take care of up to four virtual pets - called Neopets - in a fantasy world called Neopia. There are over 50 species of Neopets, all of which come in four basic colors (red, blue, green, and yellow), as well as unique colors that can only be obtained by using a rare Paint Brush. Neopets are like many RPG characters, in that they have statistics and can grow and gain power with training. Neopets itself, however, is not an RPG.

Games

One of the biggest activities on Neopets is playing mini-games. There are dozens of games on the site, sorted into Action, Adventure, Brain Busters, Card & Board, Classics, Luck & Chance, Multiplayer, Puzzle, and Sports.

Most games on Neopets have a High Score board that is cleared regularly, and require Flash, Java, or Shockwave to use. Each has a difficulty rating, and many also have earnable trophies or rewards by reaching high scores.

Neohomes, Dressing Up, and Customization

Neopets can also have Neohomes, special virtual places that can be decorated with furniture, from the common to exotic. Neohomes can be set up in several locations, and a Neohome Spotlight is held every week to showcase specially decorated homes by users.

Players can also dress up their Neopets, and customize them with backgrounds, expressions, and accessories. Contests are also held for these customizations. Items can be purchased in regular shops with Neopoints (the regular currency of Neopets) or in the NC Mall (an itemshop that has users purchase virtual goods with real money.)

Neopets: Free and Premium

Neopets is completely free to play. However, certain items may only be purchased in the NC Mall as premium items. Neopets also runs a Premium service, Neopets Premium. Neopets Premium costs $7.99 monthly, which offers several bonuses to premium users that are not available to free users, and a special Neopets Toolbar.

Neopets also offers real world merchandise, including trading cards, video games, toys, and plushies.