Tag: Tips and Tricks »

Just bought Earn to Die 2 and could do with some advice on what to focus on and just what to do? Never fear for we’ve got you covered! While Earn to Die 2 doesn’t require a conventional walkthrough, there are plenty of tips and tricks that can make your path to salvation a bit simpler.

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General Tips

Earn to Die 2 offers quite a few buttons, but you don’t actually have to manipulate your vehicle as much as you’d expect.

• Little taps of the left or right rotation button on the side of the screen will help the most here.

• Don’t overdo it as you’ll just flip your vehicle and potentially damage it.

• Do, however, keep your finger on the acceleration button. If you slow to a stop, it’s game over, whether you’ve got fuel left or not.

• Use the boost button sparingly as you’ve only got a limited supply. An ideal moment to activate it is when you’re just about to go up a ramp. You can go flying up it, giving you some much needed air and covering plenty of distance.
  Continue reading Earn to Die 2: Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Outracing Those Zombies »

Easily one of the better tower defense games in recent times, Kingdom Rush Origins HD is a very enjoyable experience. While you might feel like an old hand at it, this might also be your first foray into the series. Either way, we’ve got some helpful tips and tricks to hopefully ensure that your success.

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Duking it Out

A lot of the strategy behind winning at Kingdom Rush Origins HD is knowing how to use choke points.

• Every level has one or more choke point - an area where the enemy is funneled through and is more open to attack, usually because of the environment around them. Figure each of them out and focus on using it to your advantage.

• One good way of using a choke point to your advantage is to create a blockade of an archer tower along with a melee tower.

• Archers are good at dishing out the damage but they’re too easy to get away from on their own. Combine them with a melee tower, however, and the ground troops slow the enemy down, enabling your archers to pick them off.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is the sequel to a unique horror game. One that leaves players virtually helpless as several animatronic characters close in on them, and their only defense being a trusty flashlight, the mask of a decommissioned teddy, and a combination of some serious multi-tasking skills and grainy CCTV footage. We've played the game countless times in order to bring you this selection of hints and tips, to save you from the night terrors and nervous jitters in advance.

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Tools of the Trade

• Stay in the light - You'll soon come to treasure your flashlight as one of the most valuable possessions in your very limited arsenal. While not all of the characters react to it in the same way, the beam is effective at keeping several of them at bay - specifically those that appear down the corridor on the way to your desk.

• There's no shame in hiding - The bear mask is your second "weapon" and is particularly useful against the smaller characters (New Bonnie, "Balloon Boy," The Mangle, etc) who worm their way through the vents. These are the critters that will mistake you for another animatronic, and thus leave you alone, when you're wearing the mask. You should keep on for at least 5-10 seconds to be sure, though.

• Know your territory - The map of the premises and the cameras are useful for keeping track of their movements, with the remodeled main characters situated on the Stage on Camera 9. When one of them goes missing you know they're on their way towards your office.

• Don't stop the music - Never let the music box complete its cycle. A warning signal will flash when it is getting dangerously close to popping out another not-so-cuddly character, and that's the one you definitely won't see coming until it's too late.

Castaway Paradise is out for iOS, finally giving mobile gamers the opportunity to enjoy the idyllic lifestyle of an Animal Crossing-like game. Though it may seem straightforward, these tips will go a long way towards making your life a little easier.

Become self-sufficient

• Plant yourself some trees and get watering - The more trees you have, the more fruit you are producing, which means more money when you take in your harvest and sell it. Economy 101, son!
• Keep planting crops - Before you sell your fruit, make sure you plant it so you can just keep a steady supply going. Don't be hasty, as it will come back to haunt you when you find your money supplies dwindling.
• Shake those trees - Shaking trees can dislodge surprises, such as a dropped fruit from the same type of tree. You can plant said fruit in turn, but you’ll want to pocket most of what you can shake down. Every little bit counts!
• Become a bug catcher - Every so often, you’ll find bugs around the island simply begging you to nab them. Wait until you see the net icon, and then tap it to bag the bug. You'll need to be sneaky about how you approach them, because if you're too slow they'll get away. Focus on coming up behind them slowly and you'll be good to go.

Just downloaded Call of Duty: Heroes and need some handy tips and tricks on how to get ahead of the rest? As we often do, we’re here to help you out with getting started.

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The Basics

• Straight away, Oil should be your focus as it all goes towards building new structures.

• Build mines and oil pumps as much as you’re allowed to, but don’t forget you can gain such resources by taking out enemies.

• You’re given a protective shield at first, so use that safe time to upgrade and build turrets so you can withstand invasions later on.

• Buy a second builder as soon as possible so that you can construct two things at once. A third would be handy but will take some focused mission-chasing to achieve for free.

• Join an alliance as soon as possible. Safety in numbers works here and it’s good to have backup and assistance.

• Upgrading your Command Center is a wise move. It’ll unlock new structures and units, as well as boost your resource limits.

• You also unlock new heroes as you increase the Command Center’s level, and they’re the only troops you can directly control.

Mark of the Dragon from Gamevil is a strategy/battle game that plays similarly to Clash of Clans. There's one twist, however: you can breed dragons and raise them to be rideable war machines. Not surprisingly, this small gameplay tweak is pretty cool.

But fighting isn't easy - even when you're commanding things from the back of a giant lizard. Here are some tips and tricks to help you succeed in the dragon war.

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Keep the Home Base Safe and Stocked

• Guard your eggs - Dragon eggs are arguably your most valuable resource in Mark of the Dragon. They take time and effort to breed and hatch, and the resulting offspring forms the backbone of your assault force. Other players can steal eggs during a raid, so defend them accordingly. Build walls around your nest, and put weapons nearby.


• Upgrade your resource depots ASAP - Upgrading the most important structures in your base, like your headquarters, requires a lot of resources - more than you can hold when you first begin playing the game. It's extremely important to upgrade your resource depots whenever possible so you can amass the iron and wood necessary for major building projects.


• Raids provide tons of resources - Low on wood or iron? Mark of the Dragon's single-player campaign provides opportunities to score tons of resources. Get out there!

Golfinity offers unlimited ways to test your skills at golf. Here are a few ways to make sure your score doesn't get too high and your spirits don't get too low.

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Considering Perspective is Crucial

• Yes, Golfinity is most easily compared to Desert Golfing, but did you know the devs from NimbleBit have described the game as Desert Golfing meets Monument Valley? That being said, occasionally the game will present some differences in depth that seem deliberately confusing. When in doubt about these changes, play it safe, be prepared to get a bad score, or get ready to retry.

• On the flipside, there will be times when a level presents no depth changes or holes. This is typically toward the beginning of the game. When presented with courses like these, don't fear the power of your stroke. Hitting the ball super-hard generally won't knock it out of bounds, and it might be just what you need to ricochet right past some annoying obstacles.

• Always look carefully at the course your dealing with. Golfinity makes it really easy to just jump into the next level swinging, but don't be overly tempted to do so. Courses can be tricky, and making sure you tap the lower left corner of the screen to get a good look at the whole course can save you from some poor initial strokes.

Reckless Racing 3 is down and dirty racing that prides itself on crazy drifts, breakneck straights, and fantastic in-game physics. Here are few tips to help you to take those corners like a pro.

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Start Your Engines

• Use the straight sections to steal a glance at the mini map towards the top of the screen and check for any fast-approaching sharp turns.

• It's only on those severe turns that braking becomes necessary. Usually releasing the acceleration while turning into the bend, then hitting the gas and turning out of it will suffice. When using the default button layout, tapping to turn out of a drift is a much better technique than holding down on the directional arrow, ensuring maximum control rather than veering into another drift accidentally. Just be aware that terrain can sometimes dictate otherwise.

• While the green guideline might be a great tool for rough navigation, deviating slightly wide and then taking corners as close as possible without crashing is a surefire way to overtake and undercut other racers.

• The reset button isn't as damning as you'd think. In fact, in any situation that requires a reversal maneuver the reset button is actually preferential as it only incurs a minimal time penalty, can serve as an obstruction to opponents, and sometimes players won't even lose their position.

• Larger, heavier vehicles can use their weight to their advantage by smashing other cars off-course. This is best achieved by hitting the back of an opponent's car during a turn, forcing them into a tailspin. Be sure to judge how this will effect the speed and trajectory of your own car, though.

• In the settings menu, turn on the Chase Camera to have a clearer view of the road ahead, putting you behind your racer rather than at a fixed bird's eye view. While this new angle may bring on a bit of motion sickness for the weak-stomached (if you had a problem with iOS' home screen animations then you might want to play Zen Garden instead) it grants a better perspective for upcoming turns. For Gymkhana Mode however, the sheer amount of donuts and spins makes the Chase Camera a dizzying nightmare, so it's better to have it saved for Races and Drift events.

Haunt the House: Terrortown is a supremely cute action/puzzle game that's all about a ghost on a quest to shut some humans up. Permanently. Players take control of a little ghost that makes itself as scary as possible in order to drive away the loud and obnoxious folks that are partying near its clock tower. Humans are sometimes a bit too stupid to realize when they're being haunted, so this guide will help players clear the area of all objectionable presences as quickly as possible.

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Getting Started

• Use small taps to dart from place to place - Learning to control your ghost is vital for a haunting job well done. If you're restricting yourself to a single area, use small taps to move from place to place. That way you can explore your surroundings calmly and efficiently.
  
• Hold down to zip from scene to scene - On the other hand, if you're wanting to travel from one scenario to another lickety-split, hold down on the screen to barrel through an area at top speed.
  
• Possess a bell in the clock tower to change your ghost's appearance - Once a person is dead, they take up residence in one of the tower's bells. Your ghost can possess these bells to take on the inhabitant's visage.

Have you downloaded Agents of Storm, been bowled over by the graphics, and aren't quite sure what to do next? Never fear, for we’re here with some handy tips and tricks to help any beginner get started!

Diamonds Are Your Best Friend

• Diamonds don’t come easily in this game, which is a shame because they’re very useful. For that reason, don’t use them early on. Encouraging you to do exactly that is a common thing with games like this, but resist. There’s just no point using them up to save you a minute of time, when later on they’ll be far more useful.
• To boost your diamond supply, work towards the achievements that Agents of Storm likes you to complete. You’ll earn a few diamonds here and there for completing some fairly straightforward tasks.
• You can watch videos for free diamonds, too. It’s a bit tedious, but it's handy when trying to earn more. You could always leave the video playing while doing something else away from your phone for those few seconds!

• Put those diamonds towards the many enhancements in the shop. These can make all the difference. The Build Module reduces the cool down time between buildings, while Pagoda gives you experience just for being there. Waterfall gives you more gold from every attack you complete.
• Focus on upgrading your resource gathering buildings for that very reason. Gold is particularly useful as it’s needed for attacking islands. As island attacks are your main source of progressing anywhere in the game, you want to focus on this.

Terra Battle is a strategy-based puzzle RPG that is accessible and addictive, yet multi-faceted and challenging, so take heed of these hints and tips before you and your squad head into dangerous, uncharted territory.

On the Battlefield

Terra Battle's fighting system is based on a form of Rock Paper Scissors, in which certain weapon types can outperform others: swords have the advantage over bows, bows can dominate spears, and spears can best swords. Remembering this cycle is key in deciding which squad member to use in the next attack. The staff simply highlights a mage character with healing attributes but no attacking ability.

There is a time limit in which each movement must be completed, so try to plan a movement in advance - particularly if it involves displacing another tile into a better position for chain support or a direct attack. If you're smart about it, pre-planning a route and approaching multiple characters from certain angles can set up multiple chain attacks were before there was none.

Cars: Fast as Lightning is a cute and fun app that combines racing and town-building with the charisma and marketability of Disney Pixar's Cars franchise. It's a friendly game, but that doesn't mean you can't use a few tips to help you make Radiator Springs shine again.

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Starting Out

• Complete quests to earn rewards - Quests queue up on the left side of the screen when you're not racing. Quests offer rewards like experience and coins, and they're a good way to get back on track if you've been meandering from task to task.
• Pay attention to the difficulty meter before you race - Each car you engage in a race has a difficulty measuring from one to four. Make sure to race within your rank if you don't want to waste gas on a loss.
• Place attractions on the track to earn more experience with races - Don't neglect putting attractions on race tracks. They earn you a bit of extra experience with every race, plus they make the joint look classy.

The Nightmare Cooperative is a distinctive and challenging puzzler that drops players right in the thick of things and forces them to adapt. We've prepared a few tips and hints to prepare you for the countless trips you'll be taking through the dungeons.

Top of the Class

Utilizing and familiarizing yourself with the perks of the class system is an extremely important part of The Nightmare Cooperative, as it can dictate who is worth saving and who is worth leaving behind. Below is a list by order of personal preference, starting with the most valued member of my team.

• The Ninja uses his stealth to slip past enemies unnoticed, covering a great distance in one bound. Being able to traverse the entire board can mean the Ninja has often been the only one in my team to escape a level unscathed, making him my greatest asset. Pick him up.

• The Priest has the power to fully heal the closest member of his team, so the selfless sap can sacrifice his own well-being in the hope that a teammate will live on, which when having to fight your way out is often a lifesaver (literally).

• The Warrior is the most prolific fighter, as you would hope, and can dish out a double-dose of pain per attack - which is particularly useful when being stalked by an enemy or backed into a corner. However, it does mean having to get close to an enemy and risk taking a hit, so try to draw them closer beforehand.

• The Archer is particularly useful for dispatching enemies at range (though not over over walls), as long as they are directly in-line with her. Particularly useful when wanting to clear a path from a safe position.

• The Astral Walker has the ability to walk through walls (though not through enemies). However, use up his last move before passing all of the way through one and suffer instant death. Not a good way to go.

• The Barbarian knocks enemies flying in the opposite direction with his special attack. Think of him like a human battering ram, but with awesome mutton chops.

• The Mage can also attack at range, though only diagonally, which is a slightly more difficult attacking position to take up.

Survival Tips

• Don't open chests if possible, since it multiplies the amount of enemies on the map. Collect scattered gold or go for the chest with the lowest number on top, representing the amount of enemies it spawns.

• If you are a bit of a hoarder, try sending the last member back before they exit the level, if the path is safe enough. Get the others through first and leave the one remaining lonesome soul to pilfer gold, potions and health vats for the team.

• When an enemy shell appears - whether it's due to the opening of a chest or reaching the step counter limit - use allies with long-range attacks to take them out in one hit.

• Most enemies can only attack on their second move (i.e. if you move alongside them, they cannot attack straight away), so move away from them once they are in striking distance. For enemies that like to follow you around, attacking is the best way out, so hit them from a safe distance with the Archer/Mage and lure them into striking range where you can get the first strike. Either way, always be careful not to put the others in jeopardy in the process, since when one team member moves, all members move. And no one wants a quick dip in the acid pit.

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In the end, The Nightmare Cooperative is a game of sacrifices. Sacrificing a heart, gold, or even a teammate's life for the chance to escape is often a necessity. There's no "I" in team, but there's one in "winner". Think about that.

The Ensign is the prequel to the smash-hit A Dark Room by Amir Rajan. The game starts with the player’s starship crashing onto a hostile planet. The commanding officer gives up hope, and the player takes charge to refuel the ship so that the crew can make their escape. Using only a meagre amount of supplies you will have to journey through an unknown world with only your compass and wits to guide you.

The Ensign is actually a spin on an old genre of games that saw its heyday in the late-80s and early-90s called “roguelike adventures.” Roguelikes are known for their high difficulty and being unforgiving to any mistakes. Many of them feature permanent death as well, forcing the player to start over entirely from the beginning if they die. The Ensign can be very unforgiving, and players will need to be aware of the limitations of the in-game character if they hope to make it to the end.

These tips will help you face the harsh world of The Ensign. The best advice however, is to not get discouraged. This game, unlike many mobile games, is a very harsh and unforgiving one. It cannot be said to be unfair, though.

Qube Kingdom is a tower defense game from DeNA. You rally your troops - magicians, archers, knights, barbarians, and others - and fight against an evil menace looking to dominate your kingdom of tiny squares.

Planning a war isn't easy, so here are a few tips to help you take apart your enemies.

Starting Out

• Remember: some fighters have elemental affinities. Certain classes of Questors have an elemental type, which is indicated by a symbol on their profile. There are three affinities: Magic, Metal, and Nature. Magic bests Metal, Metal bests Nature, and Nature bests Magic. Enemies likewise take and deal more damage according to their affinities; if a particular enemy has an affinity, you'll see a small icon pop-up beside them as they take damage. Remember, neutral Questors like knights and archers can't deal element-based damage - but neither are they penalized by elemental attacks.

• Make friends and accept friend requests for powerful allies. The "qlubhouse" (the blue-and-white tent beside your "barraqs") is where you can recruit allies, including Facebook friends that are already playing the game. Allies can be a valuable way to get automatic access to powerful Questors, and they're also the best way to get social qubes. Social qubes can be used to recruit new Questors, and you get a few every time you complete a battle with the aid of another player's Questor. If you register a Questor as a friend, you get more social qubes every time they help out.

To Arms!

• Take advantage of each battle's slow start to learn the lay of the land. Enemy waves intensify the longer a battle goes on. Take advantage of slow early waves by getting a feel for the layout. Where are your Questors most effective? What kind of enemies are being thrown at you? Are there any quobelisk traps you can trigger to your advantage?

• Place long-range attackers first. Long-range attackers are out of harm's way - at least until other archers and/or magic users come onto the field. Enemy waves usually start with melee attackers, so soften things up a bit by putting long-range attackers onto the battlefield.

• Don't activate red quobelisks! Quobelisks - block-shaped switches on the battlefield - are triggered when a certain number of enemies are killed nearby. Red quobelisks will damage your party members if they're activated, so keep your Questors as far from them as possible.

• Do take advantage of other quobelisks, however. Don't steer away from quobelisks of other colors, though; they're very beneficial. For instance, blue quobelisks activate roadblocks that re-route your enemies or block their path. Yellow quobelisks activate a fire trap that can clear a crowd of enemies in a second.

• Upgrade your Questors during battle, but don't go crazy too early. You can spend cubes to upgrade your Questors during a fight. However, during the early stages of a battle you should spend your resources on covering the field with Questors. Once everyone is placed you can focus on upgrades to your fighters' hit points and attack strength.

Surviving the Onslaught

• Upgrade your Questors as soon as you have the resources to do so. The blue qubes you earn after successful battles lets you permanently make your Questors stronger. Access their profiles while they're camping, and select "upgrade."

• Check the award boards for valuable rewards. Woo hoo! Free stuff! Earning achievements unlocks rare qubes and other rewards.  Make sure to visit the bulletin board from time to time. They're just south of your barraqs. Unclaimed rewards vanish after a few days, so don't forget about them.

• Stuck? Do some level grinding. Even if you lack elite qubes to summon rarer, more powerful Questors, your common Questors can still be made more powerful by upgrading them. Doing so requires blue qubes, which can be won in battle. If you're having trouble with a level, re-visit old levels and grind for blue qubes.