We don’t know for sure who started the whole trend of Match 3/RPG hybrids, but this was most probably done to add a new dimension to Match 3 gaming, which is one of the most popular forms of casual mobile gaming, but one that could get stale when every title boasts of the same mechanics. That said, KingsIsle’s AlphaCat is a new mobile game for iOS and Android where you play the role of the titular AlphaCat, and take your sci-fi crew of heroes to fight hordes of enemies in ever-changing dungeons. And what you need to do to beat those enemies is simple – create matches of three pieces, and try to string together those combos to get rid of more enemies faster.
Do you have what it takes to save the planet Whiskar and defeat more enemies? We hope we could get you to that point at some time in the near future, as our list of AlphaCat tips, tricks and hints mainly covers the finer points of the game and its fighting/RPG mechanics. Almost anyone can pick up Match 3 gaming mechanics after a few easy rounds, but when the RPG element gets introduced, things can get a bit more complicated, and we’re here to help you overcome these challenges as you play the game.
1. Focus On Taking Out Enemies That Deal Out Physical Damage
Although you may have shields to protect you from damage, there are many enemies that could go through your shields and penetrate your health bar nonetheless. Keep your guard up against those enemies, but start by checking their basic information. Tap-and-hold on an enemy to view their stats and other pertinent details, and tap-and-hold on their attack type so you can see the type of damage they inflict against your team of heroes. If you notice enemies that are particularly good at dealing out physical damage, focus on them when making your matches.
2. Keep On Questing
AlphaCat comes with its share of Daily Missions, which are essentially quests, or basic tasks that you can accomplish in the course of playing the game. You get three distinct objectives as part of a Daily Mission, and for each objective you accomplish, you’ll get gems as a reward. You will then get three treats for your crew of heroes once you complete all three objectives, and after that, you’ll be assigned a new set of Daily Missions. Keep on taking on as many Daily Missions as possible so you can load up on your gems, a.k.a. the premium currency of the game.
3. Reboot Your Loot Wheel If You Have To
It’s one of the catches of the game – the Loot Lab wheels may make it hard for you to get what you want. For instance, you may notice that the Snack Wheel only has fruits and vegetables, while your crew likes meat and sweets. That may sound like a lose-lose situation for you, but you have the option to re-spin the wheel, exit the loot wheel, then spin it again. As this is arguably a form of rage quitting, you may want to take it easy when re-spinning.
4. Level Up Your Crew
While AlphaCat is a Match 3 game in terms of its fundamentals, the game has a wide range of RPG features that go beyond simply making matches to kill enemies. For instance, you also have to level up your crew members. This can be done by having them take part in battles to gain experience, and by feeding them treats.
We cannot understate how important it is to keep your crew members leveled up whenever possible. But you should also make it a point to upgrade all kinds of attacks – you’ve got your basic attacks, your active attacks, and your fury attacks, in order of impact.
5. How Do Fury Attacks Work?
Speaking of those fury attacks, you may be wondering how they work, and what’s in it for you if you use one of them. For starters, all crew members regardless of color have their own specific fury attack, and that also applies regardless of the crew member/hero’s rarity. Red crew members have Event Horizon, which works best when used against a whole board of enemy minions. Green crew members have Second Wind, which removes debuffs and revives any crew member who may have died, or AlphaCat himself. Blue crew members have Barricade, which re-commissions shields and helps you avoid enemy attacks. Purple crew members, lastly, have Rattle, and that stuns enemies for two turns and provides a buff that increases your power. That’s a whole lot of RPG-centric terms, and that’s another example of why AlphaCat should not be misconstrued as a basic Match 3 game with merely a few RPG elements.
Now that you know what the fury abilities are, here’s how to activate them. Drag a full fury bot onto the crew member of your choice, and you’re good to go. Then again, you might not be that good to go, as there’s always a best time and a not-so-good time to use those abilities. One good example would be to use Rattle (purple crew members) to interrupt aliens that go at you with the Hammerfall ability.
6. String It Together For A Bigger Fight
You may encounter situations where you’re close to completing a smaller fight, but are getting ready for a more intense encounter against the enemies. If this happens, you can clear out smaller matches of three, then prepare to string together a much longer match as you get ready for the next fight. In other words, the tile setup you had in your last fight will string together a longer one in the next.
7. Sometimes, A Short String May Be More Powerful
While we’re still in the topic of chaining/stringing, we should also let you know that there are some exceptions to the “bigger is better” rule. In some occasions, a shorter chain may be more powerful than a longer one, and that would happen if the string in question is the same color as one of your crew members. That would mobilize that crew member in question, as they help you on the offensive.
8. Play The Game Every Day And Get Bonuses
AlphaCat encourages you to log in and play the game every day, or even play for just a couple minutes if time is really of the essence. That’s because the game gives you daily bonuses, with the rewards improving with each consecutive day you play. On the seventh day, the game will reward you with a free Golden Crew Pod, which will then give you a chance to win a crew member of Legendary rarity. Your dailies also include gems, treats, and a lot more goodies that could help you in your quest to save your planet.
9. Protect Your Top Crew Member
If you aren’t careful, you might end up transforming a crew member into space dust. That’s going to hurt you in most cases, especially if you end up getting rid of a crew member with rare status or higher. Prevent such clumsy accidents from happening by clicking the Lock icon in the top right of the character screen. Once a character is locked, you cannot, in any way, shape, or form, get rid of them by accident. This may even help you isolate those characters that you can live without and are willing to sacrifice.
10. How To Survive Without Fuel
At some point in the game, you will run out of fuel, and that could be a real bummer. As this is a game that’s big on the Match 3 features as it is on RPG features, there is an energy mechanic, and once you’re out of fuel, you’ll have to wait some time before it regenerates. You can also watch ad videos to get some fuel back for free. But what can you do during this long and seemingly unproductive period of downtime?
You can go to the Cloaked Station levels, which make use of Deactivated Beacons instead of fuel; you can find these beacons while playing the game, so it shouldn’t be a problem having enough of them to play a Cloaked Station level. Once you’re done with these “consolation” levels, you can return to the main action with some of your fuel restored during the time you were at the Cloaked Stations.