Spray painting a wall is easy. Getting away with it is the hard part. ARTE’s new entry in the mobile gaming space called Vandals is a unique puzzle title for Android and iOS devices. In this game, you will be taking on the role of an artistic rebel whose goal is to leave his mark in every major city in the world, including Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, and New York. Feel free to get creative with leaving your mark. You can splash your alias on the walls, draw cute characters, leave poems, or come up with your own lines.
Once you are done with your street art, it is time to make your escape! You need to sneak past the guards and navigate different paths in order to get away. Each escape is a puzzle that needs to be solved. Where do you need to go in order to avoid the guards? Which path should you take? There are over 60 puzzles in the game, each one more difficult than the last. You will need the help of our Vandals strategy guide if you want to solve them all!
1. Spray And Run
As a graffiti artist, leaving your mark on walls is your calling. Each stage will give you a specific wall that you need to paint on. It is usually easier to get to where you need to paint. You can use whistles and throw bottles to catch the attention of the guards while you make your way to your target. The problem is, they will forget about all distractions as soon as you start spraying. They will immediately come after you. This is where things will get tricky. You need to quickly come up with an escape route depending on where the guards are coming from.
Guards will also get smarter as you progress through the levels. They will start moving along paths, making it more difficult for you to sneak around. You need to pay attention to the different environmental tricks available. Use these wisely because they are crucial to your success.
2. Get Creative With Your Mark
All the famous street artists have their own unique signature. Anyone who is familiar with the graffiti world can tell who the artist is by the mark they leave behind. That is why you should come up with your own unique identity that will set you apart from all the other artists. If you are familiar with MS Paint, you should be able to use the tagging interface without any problems. Of course, your tag’s design does not have any impact on the game itself. If your goal is really just to get through the levels, feel free to just leave a random doodle.
3. Take Your Time
Things can get pretty intense as you play Vandals. It can be easy to forget that this is a puzzle game, not an action one. Keep in mind that you are playing a turn-based game. There is no need to make hasty decisions. The guards won’t catch up with you even if you take some time to consider your options. Don’t be afraid to stop and map out your moves according the position of the guards. You need to anticipate their movements to keep yourself from getting caught.
You need to be at least two spaces ahead of the guards. It is alright if you walk into their line of sight. They will see you, but they won’t catch you if you are two spaces ahead. If you can find a way to stay out of sight, though, then that would be better. Staying hidden until the end of the level will give you an invisibility bonus.
4. Aim For A Perfect Finish
If you just want to get through the puzzles, you can rush things and let yourself be seen. You will be missing out on a few things, though. When you complete a puzzle, you are evaluated based on several things, including the number of turns used, collectibles picked up, and the invisibility bonus. You get one star for completing the puzzle within the prescribed number of moves. You get another star for not being seen. The last star is for picking up the collectible. It is not always easy, so feel free to replay the levels to get that perfect finish.
5. Take Note Of Areas Of Effect
Tricks only have limited areas of effect. You cannot expect to distract a guard on the other side of the stage with just a bottle. The different tricks usually only work on guards that are within two to three spaces. To check the area of effect of a trick, just hold down on it. This is a good idea if you are encountering a trick for the first time. This will help you gauge whether or not it will be useful to you or not.
You can also whistle anywhere on the map, but the area of effect will be about the same. Make sure you have an escape route because the guards will go to where you are if you whistle. With these things in mind, you can actually use multiple tricks to make guards behave the way you want them to. Whistle to make a guard take a step closer towards you, then throw a bottle to make him go in a different direction. Master the use of these tricks and you will be able to make the guards run around like headless chickens.
6. Watch Out For Hidden Objects
Each level has collectibles that you can pick up in order to get a perfect finish. Aside from those, however, you will also find hidden photographs that will reveal more information about the game’s lore and world building. While it does not add anything to your evaluation, it is an added challenge you can take on in order to push yourself further. On top of that, it is a great way to access more content from the game.
7. Know When To Step Back
Since Vandals is a turn-based game, the guards will only move when you do. There will be times when it is necessary for you to back track in order to let the guards pass without getting caught. The key here is knowing when to back track. It will cost you more moves to do this, but you will not always have a choice. Use this as a last resort since you want to save on the number of moves as much as you can.
It is time to tag some walls and confuse some guards in Vandals! Just stick to our strategy guide if you want to make a clean getaway! In case you’ve come across other tips or tricks, that we haven’t mentioned in this guide, then please let us know in the comment area!