Cryptokitties has been on my mind recently. Not sure why. Maybe because I saw this Uniswap hook project that reminded me of the original Cryptokitties. Or because the Uniswap app is simple and somewhat joyful to use in a way that's reminiscent of it. Or because Cryptokitties launched a Telegram miniapp game that's weirdly addictive? Unsure why now, but there was something unique about what they launched back in 2017. At least for me. So what made it special?

It was novel, yet familiar. First crypto app outside of trading with a usable UI. But it was a fun combination of Tamagotchi and collectible cards like Pokemon or Magic the Gathering.

The UI had enough to get you going, but you could really dig in to the inner workings and discover cool new tricks. A vibrant ecosystem started to form around it, providing avid players with tools and richer experiences. It kept giving.

The "game" was big. You could find some really rare cryptokitties, and potentially make a decent chunk of money from them. It felt like the time you put into it was worth it.

It also felt polished. Not janky like the countless other games that came after it, that made you feel unsure if you were gonna get scammed.

It was also unadulterated. It didn't feel like I was made a fool of by a never ending supply of new stuff I needed to buy or learn to play with. It felt pure. Kind of like the original 151 Pokemon.

And cats. I guess cats are always good.

A simple formula, yet so hard to crack and do the right way. It was true art. Many thought so, so much so that to date it's still the only app I can think of that kind of crashed Ethereum. Despite how bad crypto UX was in general.

I was bummed that the team behind it decided to move on to shinier things. None of which turned out to be as category defining as Cryptokitties. They might have made more money. But I suspect when they look back they're still most proud of the cats.

We need more cat-like experiences in crypto. Probably more cats too.