Playrix may have only been active in the mobile gaming industry since 2011, but has created a lot of popular game for PC starting from 2004. Focusing on casual puzzle games that everyone can play and enjoy, Playrix has proven itself over with one hit title after another. Currently, the company has 5 games in its app portfolio but each of these games have earned quite a reputation.
With Gardenscapes, Homescapes, and Township leading the pack with over 100 million downloads from the Google Play Store alone as well as retaining their respective spots within the list of top-grossing games, all other releases by the company is more likely bound to follow. If you enjoy casual puzzle games or have played any of Playrix’ games before, then you can easily tell that a lot of planning and hard work went into each of these games. From the kid-friendly yet detailed graphics down to the unique twists they mix into the general mechanics of a given genre.
Wildcapes is Playrix’ latest offering for both Android and iOS platforms. Much like the company’s previous hits, Wildscapes is a match-3 puzzle game perfectly mixed with a builder simulation for those who enjoy decorating their very own virtual space. Within just two months after its official release, Wildscapes has already been downloaded over 100 thousand times from the Google Play Store alone and is currently the top 3 trending game as well. The light and easy graphics may initially give you the impression that Wildscapes is a child’s game but if you check the match-3 puzzles out, you will be in for a big surprise as the brain challenge it offers will really put your puzzle-solving skills to the test.
Wildscapes is great at taking you from one level of challenge to the next and as you learn to get good at the basics, you will continue to sharpen your skills from one succeeding puzzle to the next one. If you are up for a casual game that is great to play regardless of how much idle time you have in your hands as well as stimulate your brain in the process, then check Wildscapes out and discover just how good you are at solving the wackiest match-3 puzzles on mobile.
Following much of the established formula that brought success to Playtrix’ most popular hits, Wildscapes will set you up on an adventure where you complete match-3 puzzles to earn coins that you need to restore and renovate a special place. This time, though, Playtrix takes you to a zoo of your own to manage and decorate as you please.
From a wide variety of animals down to fountains and other attractions, all the time and effort you put into solving puzzles one after another can be vividly seen. You can spend as much time as you want solving puzzles, but failed attempts to complete a challenge is limited to a maximum of 5 at a time. It replenishes over time, though so you can always hop back and go to complete challenges again.
Beyond the usual traditional match-3 puzzles in the mobile gaming market, Wildscapes is packed with its own unique brand of wild and wacky mechanics as well as tons of power-ups to further liven up the game. The controls and interface are as basic as they come but some features may seem a little more complex than the usual for less experienced players. There is no cause for worries, though, as the game is packed with a quick yet extensive tutorial that preps you for oncoming challenges every step of the way. There is somewhat a bit of luck involved as colors that appear from the top of the screen are random. Truthfully enough, though, every puzzle can be finished with some thought and some patience in hand.
If you find yourself stuck in a rut on some levels or simply looking for better ways to solve all puzzles, then read our Wildscapes beginner’s guide. We are going to share with you a bunch of Wildscapes tips, cheats and strategies so you can beat each and every challenge and build your dream zoo faster.
1. Take As Much Time As You Need
Contrary to what you might be expecting, there are no time limits in Wildscapes within which you must complete the objectives and beat each puzzle. In some occasions, you may happen to get a little over-excited by the layout of colors on the screen and randomly swipe here and the just to follow the basic mechanics from which the genre derived its name from. As you make your way through the tutorial stages and learn various combinations that unlock power-ups and open more possibilities for combos, you should become more conscious of such possibilities in every puzzle moving forward. Surely enough, you will mostly be left with several options to make a move and analyzing each one to determine the best choice should become a habit for you early on.
Although this is a beginner’s guide, you should set yourself apart from how newbies would typically go into solving puzzles. Advanced and expert players of match-3 puzzle games always employ projection of each move’s after effects to determine which from the available choices of moves is the most viable. In all honesty, it will take some time, especially for beginners, to project how the rest of tiles will fall in after you successfully trigger a match. If you begin doing this at the early part of the game, then the road towards being an expert on Wildscapes, as well as other match-3 puzzle games, will become a lot shorter.
2. Match 4 Or 5 Tiles As Much As Possible
Wildscapes transcends beyond the match-3 puzzle mechanics and makes matching 4 or 5 tiles as you play almost a necessity. Although you can still make progress by matching 3 of the same tiles, it will hardly be enough to ensure that you will be able to complete a level. More so, setting up higher level combinations are essential on more challenging levels and if you settle for any 3-tile combos you come across with for the most part, you will end up running out of available moves to complete the puzzle.
Given that special power-ups become available following a match of 4 to 5 tiles of the same color, going for those ought to be your constant objective in every puzzle you play. In relation to our first tip, carefully browsing through each and every tile until you discover the best combo is important especially if you are keen on completing a level without having to retry.
Try your best to remember patterns that tile combinations lead up to. Four same tiles in a line will get you a soda can which, when activated, clears tile across the puzzle from one end to the other either horizontally or vertically. Tile alignments that lead to 3 tiles long and 3 tiles wide at the same time, like the letter “T” or “L”, will result in a bag of chips that will detonate when activate and eliminate surrounding tiles. Matching 4 tiles in a square leads to obtaining a top that goes to seek and eliminate objectives once you match them with similarly colored tiles. Last, and perhaps the most powerful item in your arsenal, lining up 5 tiles in a straight line unlocks a bucket of candies. The bucket can be activated by seemingly swapping it with any other tile.
Instead, the tile you touch it with will be cleared as well as all other tiles of the same color on the screen.
Beyond the powers you can be endowed with as you match tiles following the above patterns, combining these power-ups open up more venues for even more abilities that help you clear levels more efficiently. Combining two tops will result in activating three of them. The bag of chips and soda can combines for more clearing power as it eliminates three full lanes of tiles both horizontally and vertically. Mixing either one with a top also leads to a combined effect of clearing a tile relative to your objective plus the explosive power of the soda can or bag of chips. For the ultimate tile extinction, mix two tiles of candy bags and watch as all tiles on the screen disappear.
3. Be Wary Of Following The In-Game Hints
It can’t be helped that even with a lot of practice and time spend on Wildscapes as well as other match-3 puzzle games there will instances where you will be temporarily stumped. With the exception of moments where you are analyzing the best possible moves in a given situation, there will be times when looking for even just one possible move can take some time to be found. If you look closely enough at the whole picture, Some tiles will continue to shake to indicate that a possible move can be done within these set of tiles. While that is a more than welcomed help in the game, you have to be wary of always considering it as it may not always represent the best possible move in the given scenario.
When tiles shake, it hints of a possible move. As a beginner, you might be inclined to think that what hints show you are the best possible moves. Coincidentally, though, there will be instances when the hints do show you the best moves but as random as the color of the tiles dropping down from the top of the screen, it is a risk you should not take especially if you are going for 3-star rating completions or at least beat the level.
As early as possible, learn to consider the shaking tiles as much as you would any other possible moves you see and keep in mind that they are not necessarily the best. We recommend naturally going for a match of 4 or 5 times as much as possible. Then again, there will always be exceptions to this rule. There will naturally be situations where you have to consider another move, perhaps combining power-ups together or simply going for a combo of 3 tile because it brings you closer to your goal. Regardless of the reason, keep in mind that as the puzzles in Wildscapes shift in terms of mechanics and relative difficulty as you move forward, circumstances within each puzzle also change, thereby requiring different prioritization as the need arises.
4. Learn To Set Up Combo Chains
Finding every possible move as you try to solve each puzzle and analyzing which from among them is the best are merely initial steps to becoming a pro at match-3 puzzle games. If you aim to simply complete each level, regardless of the star rating as you complete it, then perhaps following these steps will suffice most especially on the earlier levels. As each new level becomes a little more challenging and with the lure of obtaining a full score of 3 stars on each level you step in, then you should consider learning to set up combo chains as early as you can.
It all sounds really complicated but to loosen it down a bit, see each move you make as just a trigger to start a roll of dominoes to reach a higher goal. With this concept in perspective, learn to see beyond happens as you trigger each tile match. Knowing that matched tiles will vanish and other tiles will drop down, you can predict what would happen next with every move you make. It certainly takes a lot of time to project and calculate, but it is well worth it especially when you succeed to run a long combo chain. While these may not necessarily help you solve the puzzle quicker, combo chains help earn you points to reach the required combos for that highly-coveted 3-star rating.
5. Don’t Forget To Mind The Objectives At Hand
Each new level you will dive into as you venture on your quest to earn coins to beautify your zoo holds unique goals. Whether it’s clearing a certain number of a specific tile, bringing water to some animals, or other wacky mechanics to offer you a unique challenge, each one must be prioritized over setting up combos or even choosing the more prestigious tile match. It may happen that as you are inclined to pull off more colorful combos or in an attempt the launch a combo chain, you might steer a bit off of your objective.
Keep in mind that there will be instances where a simple match-3 move will prove to be the best choice of action as compare with more complex combinations. As tile locations close to or within the specific areas where your objectives lie have a tremendous value as much as prioritization is concerned. You can launch perfect combinations or even unleash a series of power-ups in a level to score enough for a 3-star finish but even if you just fall short of a block to clear the objectives, it’s game over.
6. Take Note Of Which Tiles Generate Tops
As you play through one puzzle after another, you will notice one of your animal friends on the top left corner of your screen. Clearing tiles of the same color as that animal will result in having free tops to help you clear your objectives. As you grow focused on the puzzle before you, it may happen that you lose sight of your animal pal switching which makes a different tile become your extra source of the spinning tops. Just to ensure that you will always have a good deal of the extra help waiting to be activated, make it a habit to always take note of which tile color leads to earning those free spinning tops.
7. Spend Your Boosters Wisely
As you play the game and complete levels, you will be rewarded with boosters to help you on your adventure. Hammers that break barriers or even bags of candies at the start of the puzzle can be a very huge help. If you have yet to try solving the puzzle out without any enhancements, though, you might want to dive into it barehanded first. These boosters indeed make the puzzle a lot easier but be sure to consider using them as a last resort, like when you have already tried and fell short of completing a puzzle twice or thrice. To keep you as patient as you have to be, keep in mind that later levels will even be more challenging. As such, it would be best to save up some help for those puzzles. Additionally, you should know that each puzzle can be solved without using any boosters and doing so will better prepare you for the challenges ahead.
That would be all for now, as far as our Wildscapes tips, cheats and strategies are concerned. We hope that with each tip we presented in the article, you will be able to extensively boost your match-3 puzzle skills especially in Wildscapes. If there are relevant tips or tricks you know that you feel should form part of our guide, please do let us know via the comment section!
Sharon, Charli, Uihlein
Saturday 4th of January 2020
I am curious how these darn lady bugs work. It seems they hide and i can't get them.
Ssue
Tuesday 19th of November 2019
On level 32 there is only water in their square. I can not figure out how to release them.
Tracy
Wednesday 11th of September 2019
Help! I can’t work out how to get rid of the turtles in puddles of water. Can any give me some help please.
Angela
Thursday 7th of November 2019
You have to spread the water over them, like the carpet/lawn or jelly in other games.