Is CITY Holder free to play?

Yes, CITY Holder is free to play.

Building Free to Play

CITY Holder

TON

CITY Holder

What is CITY Holder?

CITY Holder is a Telegram mini app game built around city building, positioned by its developers as the first title in the "Build-to-Earn" genre on Telegram. It runs inside the Telegram client rather than as a standalone download, and connects to the TON blockchain for its token layer. Players take the role of a mayor and develop a settlement into a larger metropolis, with progression measured by the city's population and its income rate. The project's official site is holder.city, and the game is accessed through its Telegram bot and channel.

How to play CITY Holder

Gameplay centers on placing and upgrading buildings on a city map. Players buy and improve residential housing, construct skyscrapers, add factories and industrial facilities, and lay out parks and leisure areas. Each structure contributes to two core counters: the income the city generates and the number of residents it supports. Upgrades cost in-game currency earned from that income, so the loop is one of reinvesting earnings to raise output further. CITY Holder layers repeatable activities on top of this, including daily login streaks, timed farming cycles that must be collected before they cap out, quizzes, and a rotating daily combo bonus. Players are also sorted into leagues, which rank cities against one another and act as the game's main competitive element.

CITY Holder tokenomics & earning

The game uses a soft in-game currency for construction and upgrades, and separately references $CITY, a token tied to the TON network. According to the project, $CITY is distributed to players for in-game achievements and progression rather than for simply holding a balance, meaning rewards are linked to activity and city development. Specific allocation details, distribution schedules, and listing information are announced through the project's own Telegram channel and website, and prospective players should confirm current terms there before assuming any particular reward structure. As with most Telegram mini app games, the token component is subject to change during development.

thumb_up Pros

First Telegram game in the Build-to-Earn genre
City-building progression from small town to futuristic metropolis
Tasks and recurring events give ongoing goals
Runs on TON, fitting Telegram's native ecosystem
Simple, accessible premise — play as a city mayor

thumb_down Cons

Single genre focus (building) with limited variety
Tied to Telegram, so no standalone client
Public details are thin — no info on tokenomics or rewards
Build-to-Earn earnings mechanics are unspecified
TON-only, so no cross-chain options

Our verdict on CITY Holder

CITY Holder is a city-builder that lives inside Telegram rather than on your phone's home screen: you open it through the project's bot, play as a mayor, and grow a settlement by placing and upgrading housing, skyscrapers, factories and parks. Everything you build feeds two counters — income rate and population — and that income pays for the next upgrade. The token layer, $CITY, sits on TON, and the project states it is earned through in-game achievement and progression rather than by holding a balance.

The city map is what separates it from the plainer tap-and-wait mini apps: there is something to look at, and a reason to prefer one build order over another. Leagues give the grind a comparative edge, and the timed farming cycles mean you are not expected to sit in the app to make progress.

Against that, the retention scaffolding is heavy. Login streaks, collections that cap out if left too long, quizzes and a rotating daily combo all quietly penalise taking a week off. The economics are the least settled part: allocation, schedules and listing details are announced through the project's own channel and remain open to change during development.

It suits Telegram regulars who enjoy idle-economy management and are comfortable treating the token side as a maybe rather than a plan.

This is our own editorial assessment. We do not score games — ratings come from players.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start playing CITY Holder?

CITY Holder runs entirely inside Telegram, so you open the official bot linked from holder.city and start with a small settlement. From there you place and upgrade buildings, complete tasks and take part in events to grow your city into a metropolis.

How does the gameplay actually work?

You act as the city's mayor, buying and upgrading houses, factories, skyscrapers and parks that generate income over time, including while you are offline. Progress comes from reinvesting that income, finishing daily and event tasks, and inviting friends through your referral link.

What is the in-game token and how do players earn?

The project's token is $CITY, and player rewards are tied to in-game achievements such as city size, level, league standing and referrals. The larger and more developed your city, the bigger the share of the token distribution you qualify for.

Do I need a wallet or a special account?

A Telegram account is all you need to play the game itself, since there is no separate registration. To receive tokens you connect a TON-compatible wallet such as Tonkeeper or TON Space; the team never asks for your seed phrase or private keys.

Is CITY Holder still active and worth playing?

The game launched on Telegram in August 2024 and grew to millions of players, with development, tasks and events continuing through the official Telegram channels and holder.city. It costs nothing but time, so it is mainly worth playing if you enjoy idle city-building and treat any token rewards as a bonus rather than guaranteed income.