Wildscapes is the third game of Playrix’s “Scapes” series. The other two games, Gardenscapes and Homescapes have impressed casual gamers with their unique combination of match-3 puzzles and simulation elements that involves renovating and decorating old buildings and their surroundings. But Wildscapes’ gameplay is a bit different and pleasantly surprising. Instead of renovating buildings, you will be creating and managing a large zoo.
Traditional match-3 mechanics remain the same as its predecessors, but managing a zoo can be fun, especially when you will be having lots of people visiting your new zoo, requesting new features and having a great time interacting with various wild animals. In this beginner-level guide, you will learn a few tips and tricks on how to create power-ups, combos, obtain stars and earn bonus coins, boosters and rubies. But before that, why don’t you check our gameplay video below to know more about this game:
1. How to Get Three Stars in Every Level
Before reading, please note that as you progress, match-3 puzzle levels will be much difficult to win and it may take more than one retries to finish a tough level. You should try combining power-ups and focus on your objectives to complete a level. Earning three stars in every level, especially at advanced stages, won’t be easy. However, you can keep these pointers in mind while playing:
– When you get three stars in a level, you earn maximum coins. You also fill the “Star Chest” progress bar. When the bar’s full, tap the chest to get pink rubies and power-ups.
– The star progress bar can be seen just below the number of moves on the left side of the side. It fills up a bit every time you match 3 or more pieces of the same color. To fill the progress bar faster, you will have to create power-ups and activate them. Better, try to combine power-ups and see how quickly the progress bar fills up.
– Try to use the fewest moves possible to complete your objectives. Make sure you don’t use a power-up immediately after creating one. Leave as many power-ups on the board as you can and try to bring them together to set off combos. This will surely fill the star progress bar faster. But do pay attention to the number of moves remaining and act accordingly.
– As the progress bar reaches the first transparent star above it, it turns golden and you will earn that star if you win the level. Once it reaches the first star, it will reach the second in no time as both stars are closer to each other.
– When you finish a level, all remaining moves turn into power-ups and activate automatically on the board. Also, any power-up which is not activated on the board, will automatically activate. The more the number of moves remain at the end of a level, the higher the chances of filling the star progress bar faster.
2. Types of Power-Ups and Their Uses
Like other match-3 puzzle games, Wildscapes lets players create power-ups. They can be very useful to complete objectives faster so that you earn more coins to build your own zoo. However, unlike some games, you will have to match most of the power-ups (except the candy power-up) with pieces of the same color to activate them. So, a Blue Soda Can should be matched in a line with two or more blue pieces to activate it. Here’s a list of power-ups and their uses:
Soda can: Match 4 pieces of the same color in a line to get a can of soda. Now match the can with pieces of the same color to clear a row or column. Check the design of the can. If vertical, it will clear a column and if the design is horizontal, the can will clear a row. Pay attention to the can’s design when completing certain objectives, such as dropping toys on the bottom of the board, clear several obstacles at once etc.
Bag of chips: Match 5 pieces in an L or T-shape to obtain a bag of chips. Match the bag with two or more pieces of the same color to remove surrounding pieces. The explosion radius will be smaller if you detonate a single bag of chips. If you combine two bags, the explosion radius will be much bigger. (More on combos later.)
Spinning Top: Match four pieces of the same color in a square to create a spinning top. Match the top with two or more pieces of the same color in a line to remove a random obstacle or to collect a random object. The spinning top also removes a piece below a toy to bring it down faster. Spinning tops can be very useful in a puzzle level and usually focus on the objective, making it easier to complete them faster.
Bucket of candy: Match 5 pieces in a line to create a bucket of candy. Swap the bucket with another piece to remove all pieces of that color on the board. The bucket power-up is very useful to get bonus power-ups from cute animal helpers such as the red panda and the elephant.
3. Combos can be Very Useful in Later Levels
Besides creating power-ups, try combining two different power-ups to set off a powerful effect. A combo of two power-ups can do wonders as it helps you to finish objectives faster within a given set of moves. Here’s a list of power-up combinations you should try in Wildscapes:
Soda can + Soda can: Combining two cans triggers a cross-shaped blast that clears a row and column at the same time.
Soda can + Bag of chips: Three rows and three columns are cleared at once.
Soda can + Spinning top: The top and the soda can move together to a random location within the board, where the spinning top removes that piece and the soda can clears a row or column depending on the design on its body.
Bag of chips + Spinning top: Same as above, but the only difference is that the bag of chips explodes and removes surrounding pieces.
Bag of chips + Bag of chips: Triggers a bigger explosion, removing a lot of pieces
Spinning top + Spinning top: Three spinning tops are created, each move to a different direction, clearing a piece each.
Bucket of Candy + Soda Can/ Bag of Chips/Spinning Top: Depends on the power-up combined with the bucket of candy, the bucket creates several power-ups of the same type and they are scattered across the game board. The power-ups then activate, clearing a lot, I mean a LOT of pieces.
Bucket of Candy + Bucket of Candy: Try this combo for a magical effect.
4. Fill the Sun Progress Bar to Earn Bonus Coins in Each Level
Coins are used to buy decorations and animals. You will need a lot of coins to spruce up your zoo and place more creatures in each enclosure.
Collect suns by adding new animals in enclosures and placing decorations on the zoo. When you collect suns, the progress bar or the sun bar on the top of the screen fills a bit. When the progress bar is full, you reach a new level and earn bonus coins per match-3 level. For example: When the progress bar fills up and reaches level 2, you will get +10 bonus coins for winning a match-3 level.
Reaching new progress levels also unlocks new areas. You will have to reach certain progress levels to unlock new areas. For example: The Savanna area unlocks when you reach progress level 8. Opening new areas unlocks the door to more diverse animals and decorations that are unique to that area.
Tip: You will earn lots of suns when you place animals in enclosures. You will also get several suns when you place certain bigger decorations or buildings in your zoo.
5. Get Help from Animal Helpers
Animal helpers in Wildscapes throw power-ups at random locations when you fill up their progress bars by matching their favorite items. The cute red raccoon will throw spinning tops when his progress bar fills up. Keep matching 3 or more apples to get his power-up.
The Majestic elephant loves those blue juice packs. Match juice packs to fill his bar and when it’s full, he will throw bag of chips power-up. You will unlock more such helpers when you progress. These cute animals can be very useful in your quest to complete objectives because many times, it will be difficult to create new power-ups because of the complexity of a level.
6. Fulfill Visitor Requests to Earn Rubies
Sometimes, visitors in your zoo will request a new building or an animal. Fulfill their requests to earn rubies.
With rubies, you can purchase extra 5 lives when you fail to finish a level or earn 5 lives if you have run out of them.
A callout will appear above a visitor. Tap the callout to see what he/she wants. Could be a decoration, a bench, a new wild animal in an empty enclosure or a cafe/refreshment stall.
7. How to Use Boosters
There are three boosters – Bucket of Candy, A soda can and bag of chips, two spinning tops. you can select a booster before start of a level. Boosters unlock at certain levels, so keep winning levels to unlock them. When you select a booster, it appears on the game board at the start of a level, so you have a ready-to-use power-up. But don’t use the booster power-up immediately when the game begins. You will create another power-up in no time. You can then try to bring it closer to the booster power-up to launch a combo.
You can get boosters from the “Star Chest”. Fill the chest progress bar by earning stars in each level and open the chest to get a free booster. You will also get boosters from daily login chests, so make sure you open the app every day to get your rewards.