Editing Neopets (section)

==Gameplay==
[[File:View_of_Community_Central_page_on_Neopets.com,_January_2024.png|thumb|Screenshot of the Neopets Community Central, in 2024.]]
''Neopets'' allows users to create and care for [[digital pet]]s called "Neopets" and explore the [[virtual world]] of Neopia. There is no set objective for the users, but they are expected to feed and care for their Neopets when they grow hungry or ill. Neopets will not die if neglected, but their health can limit their gameplay.<ref name="Wingfield" />

Neopets come in a variety of species and colors and users can create or adopt their own. Users can obtain items to interact with their Neopet, such as books to read and toys to play with them. Neopets can be customised with certain clothing items, paintbrushes, morphing potions, and accessories. Neopets themselves can have pets of their own called Petpets.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

Users can build a customisable Neohome for their Neopets and furnish it with furniture, wallpaper, and flooring. Neopets can battle against other Neopets or [[non-player character]]s in the Battledome but they cannot die there.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

[[File:neohome.jpg|right|210px|thumb|A customisable Neohome]]

Neopia is a virtual planet with fantasy lands inhabited by Neopets and other virtual creatures. Each land has a different theme, such as [[Pirates in popular culture|pirates]] or [[prehistory]], and their own shops, games, and attractions.<ref name="Baybak" /> Neopia follows its own [[Gregorian calendar|calendar]] and [[time zone]], which runs concurrent with real-world [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific Time]],<ref name="NT185" /> and has tie-ins with certain real-world holidays such as [[Halloween]] and [[Christmas]].

It has its own [[economy]] and [[trade]] markets based on Neopoints. Users can earn Neopoints through various means including playing games and selling items, which can be invested or used to buy various virtual goods and services.<ref name="Myers" />

The site is regularly updated with features like new games, items, and content. Occasionally, the Neopets team release interactive [[story arc|storylines]] to expand the in-universe lore.<ref name="Coy" /> In addition to the site content updated by the Neopets team, users also contribute [[user-generated content|content]] to the site.<ref name="NeopetsFAQ" /> User contributions come in the form of prescreened submissions and readily editable content that is automatically [[wordfilter|filtered]], such as the site's weekly electronic newspaper ''The Neopian Times''. There are different types of submissions that will be accepted.<ref name="compback" />

===Games===
Users can earn Neopoints from playing games. Games come in many different genres, which include action, puzzles, and chance. Most games have set maximum earnings or playtime. Players may also earn trophies and other awards from games if they [[highscore|score high enough]] or perform better than other users. Both [[single-player]] and [[multiplayer]] [[browser games]] are available.

The site houses over 100 games; the earliest games released were simple browser-based [[PHP]] games.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Editorial |url=https://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=editorial&issue=465 |work=Neopian Times |publisher=Neopets |issue=456}}</ref> Most of the site's games run on [[Adobe Flash Player]], while a handful of others use [[Adobe Shockwave Player]]. In April 2020, in anticipation of the [[Adobe Flash Player#End of life|discontinuation of Adobe Flash]], ''Neopets'' released [[HTML5]] versions of seven of these games, followed by the release of an additional three in October 2021.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Neopets - Release Notes (for Beta site) |url=https://www.neopets.com/releasenotes/ |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=www.neopets.com}}</ref> In January 2021, Adobe Flash was discontinued, making most of the original Adobe Flash games impossible to play without workarounds. In July 2023, most of the original Flash games were restored via the site's integration with the [[Ruffle (software)|Ruffle]] Adobe Flash emulator, with some games experiencing compatibility issues.<ref name=":2" />

Users can also participate in contests and spotlights judged by staff to showcase the users' talents. Quests to retrieve items may also be performed for specific [[non-player characters|NPCs]]. Challenges may be made against other players or random players in a "World Challenge" for a prize piece and Neopoints from the jackpot for certain [[web game]]s. Monthly competitions also exist for multiplayer games with four week-long elimination rounds.<ref name="Contests" />

===Economy===
[[File:Neopets_Stock_Market_webpage.png|right|210px|thumb|The Neopets Stock Market]]

The [[economy]] is based on Neopoints. Users can also exchange real money for Neocash, used exclusively for the NC Mall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=editorial&week=303 |title=Editorial |access-date = 2007-09-10 |date=2007-08-03 |work=[[Neopian Times]] |publisher=[[Neopets, Inc.]]}}</ref> Users can earn Neopoints through playing games, selling items, and other transactions.<ref name="Ito"/> Once earned, they can be saved in the bank, used to buy items from other users or [[non-player character]] (NPC) shops, used to buy and sell stocks in the Neopian [[stock market]] called the NEODAQ (a parody of the [[NASDAQ]]), or used to buy various other things.<ref name="Myers"/> Items can be bought from shops found throughout the world of Neopia that are run by NPCs who may allow [[bargaining]]. Users can open their own shops to sell items, sometimes after obtaining those items at a lower price from sources such as other shops or charities. Items may also be exchanged through trading or auctions.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

==== Black market ====
In 2021, it was reported that a black market had arisen on the site, mainly driven around unconverted Neopets that had become unavailable for new users after the art style for default Neopets changed in 2007. As not all Neopets were converted during the art style change, unconverted Neopets had become valuable. A number of these unconverted Neopets were stolen from users by others who used them in both on and offsite transactions and sold for real money.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=2021-03-16 |title=Inside the Neopets ‘black market’ |url=https://www.polygon.com/22334511/neopets-still-exists-black-market-cheating |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=2021-03-08 |title=Neopets is reckoning with black market pet trading |url=https://www.polygon.com/22319750/neopets-uc-pets-trading-black-market |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> This black market had reportedly existed for years without intervention until 2024. In January 2024, ''Neopets'' announced the launch of the Styling Studio and Style Tokens. By using NeoCash, users can purchase Styling Studio Supplies which can then be used to obtain Style Tokens. These tokens allow for the toggling and use of old and alternative pet art.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=2024-01-18 |title=Neopets community in delight and discord over the return of original pet art |url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/24043212/neopets-uncoverted-pets-uc-nc-pet-styles |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Community===
''Neopets'' has a community for users to chat with and contact other users. Each user has their own profile they can edit with [[HTML]] and [[CSS]] and are represented by [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]] provided by the website, as users cannot upload their own. Most avatars must be "unlocked" by completing certain in-game tasks, such as winning a contest or getting a high score on a game.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Neopets Avatar Solutions &#124; Jellyneo.net|url=https://www.jellyneo.net/?go=avatars|access-date=2023-03-16|website=www.jellyneo.net|archive-date=19 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619185014/https://www.jellyneo.net/?go=avatars|url-status=live}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=July 2023}}

Users may request other users to be "Neofriends" or block other users from contacting them. To comply with [[Children's Online Privacy Protection Act|COPPA]], users under 13 years of age cannot access any of the site's communication features without sending in parental consent via fax.<ref name="Rosen" /> The main features include:

* NeoMail, a personal in-game communication system like regular [[email]]. Users can write messages to other users and restrict who can contact them through NeoMail.
* Neoboards, public [[Internet forum|discussion boards]] for on-topic discussions. Users can enter their own "neoHTML", a restricted form of [[BBCode]], to customise their posts and signatures.
* Guilds, groups of users with similar interests and their own message board.

Discussions through these features are restricted and may not involve topics such as dating and romance or controversial topics like politics and religion. Continuous [[Forum moderator|moderation]] is performed by paid ''Neopets'' staff members, and users can help moderate the site by reporting messages they believe are inappropriate or offensive. Messages are also automatically [[wordfilter|filtered]] to prevent users from posting messages with profanity or lewd content.<ref name="Rosen"/>