NeoPets Rising Again?

Did you know that Neopets are back? The last time we saw these, Nirvana was at the top of the charts, and baggy jeans were all the rage. What are they? And why are we talking about them now? NeoPets have had an undeniable effect on pop culture, but that was – gulp – almost 30 years ago. Why are people talking about them now? We explain in this guide. 

What are NeoPets?  

If you’re not still walking with a spring in your step, you might be lost too. NeoPets is a virtual pet website that allows users to own and raise their own virtual pets. Arriving around the same era as Club Penguin and the gaming website Miniclip, it was an instant success and was a formative point in many 90’s kids' childhoods.

Who is still playing NeoPets?  

Anyone from a younger generation might have missed playing this game. From the research we have done, it seems as though people became quickly attached to the game, creating and helping the animals grow in their world. The site was meant for children and possibly teenagers but is now mostly made up of 20 to 40-year-olds as it can be comforting, reminding them of their favourite childhood games. Some people who once played rejoined NeoPets during the hideous lockdowns during the craziness of 2020/21.

The game was nostalgic and especially comforting to the players. In this day and age, it is good that the game lives on, as it can be rare to have a digital artifact last so long. This is especially true given that it was built on Flash originally and has no console equivalent. If you want to know how to play Flash games in 2023, click here.

Many people are still asking the question, ‘Are NeoPets still active in 2023?’ Can it be so difficult for a game to last that long, especially during a time when everything is fast and short? Some older users can't leave the game as they feel as though they are abandoning it. It's a website where users create and care for their own digital pets and take them on adventures. You can become easily attached to watching them grow up, and they can be like your own children. It gives the users a sense of creativity and gives people the chance to create their own worlds.

The game NeoPets is unique and created a loyal group of fans who continued to watch the game grow with them. Small things in the game could make you happy such as playing Tombola every day, only to get the most random and useless prizes or Spinning the Wheel of Excitement. It could be argued that it’s all part of the cozy game trends that see Stardew Valley as one of the most popular games in the industry.

Why do (and why did) gamers love NeoPets?

Once upon a time, NeoPets was just an online Tamagotchi. You pick one, you name one, you raise one, and in the era of Pokemon hype reaching its peak, that was as close as you were going to get to having your own Pikachu. But the internet evolves, and if you were still interested in having a virtual pet, you’d more likely find it in an app on your phone rather than in a built-up online world.

However, nostalgia can bring back the old customers who think fondly of their time playing the game. Today people going back to it might use it to escape from reality and live in a world that they can control and design. Sometimes having the ability to control what is going on around you in the world helps you feel better living in the ‘real’ world.

Conclusion

NeoPets are slowly but surely making their way back. People going back to the game can't just abandon their animals and the world that they created and loved.