Three Ways to Improve your Key Quest Games

Since I started playing Key Quest every day a couple of months ago, I've noticed that even pretty good players miss out on a few key things that can make the difference between winning and losing. And with payouts as lucrative as neggs, map pieces, and codestones, you'll want to be at the top of your game.

In this article, I'm going to point out three key tips to take your Key Quest game from good to great!

1) Know the Little Details

A lot of the games I've won have come down to knowing one or two small details about how the game is scored that my opponents don't. Here are just a few examples of those little details, but each mini-game (and each power-up) has their own.

- Berry Blast

Did you know that each berry is worth a different number of points? Purple berries are 1 point, red berries are 2 points, and grey berries are 3 points. When at all possible, don't even worry about the purple berries. Always go for grey berries, but don't be afraid to jump for a bunch of red berries in a row if there's nothing else available. You'll put in the same amount of effort as your opponent but get two or three times the points!

- Fruit Picker

Despite what some people think when they play this game, you can't just haphazardly throw the fruits around once you pick them off the tree. The only requirement for 100 points is that the fruit lands in your basket, but if you place a fruit in an opponent's basket, they'll get the 100 points! To start off, try simply cutting the fruits loose directly above your basket, then be more deliberate as they start getting farther away - just be sure not to help the other players out!

- Ghastly Guzzler

This is a really simple key to Ghastly Guzzler - when the Esophagor turns a yellowish color and looks sick, hit the down button below your character at the bottom of the screen! If you don't, you'll get all messy and lose 10 points. That may not sound like much, but in a tight game with a well-matched opponent, it can make all the difference.

2) Have a Strategy for Each Board

I won't go over the nuances of each board in this article, but it's worth taking a look at one or two of the most common boards.

- Navigating the Sweets board

The Sweets board is the one that looks like two overlapping figure eights (which are home to the red, green, and white keys) next to two islands with teleporters (which are home to the yellow and blue keys).

The more you play, the more you'll realize that there's one best way to go about this. First grab either the yellow or blue key (whichever is closest), then go for, in order: green & red (again, whichever comes first), blue/yellow (whichever you didn't get at the start), then white. This will make the most use of the teleporters on the map as well as give you the chance to collect power-ups by the bucket along the way.

This is just one example. Each map has its own ideal playing style, and the best way to learn is to keep playing. It can also help to have one specific starting house (I usually pick the Neopian Central home) across all boards, so that way you get a consistent experience.

- Navigating the Neopia Central board

This board has the beginning houses at four corners, and the Key portal in the middle, and is one of the more common boards along with the Sweets board.

For this game, it's imperative to take advantage of your starting location. It's likely that, wherever you start, either the white or yellow key will be out of your way, so ignore those. Instead, focus on the green, red, and blue keys.

By utilizing the teleporters strewn around the map, you can easily jump to these keys while also going over plenty of game spots. Do your best to land on those (or the lucrative treasure chest) and pick up the yellow or white key without having to go too far out of your way, and this board can be an easy win!

3) Be Proactive, Not Reactive

Let's face it, it can be easy to tune out while you're waiting for other players to start the game. But if you use those few seconds to prepare yourself for the coming game, you can really help yourself out. Here are a few examples:

- Petpet Pamper

On the waiting notice, position your mouse right in the middle of the screen. There's no countdown on this game, so you want to be able to start using the hose as soon as the game starts. In a game that is often very, very close those few extra points right at the beginning can make a huge difference!

- Spyder Scare

Again, there's no countdown on this game so you have to move fast. Start clicking right away, but simultaneously look for the purple spheres that will freeze your opponents. The freeze is long enough to give you a decided advantage if you time it right, and enough people don't go straight for those that you can lock this game up easily from the start!

- Orbliteration

This game can be tricky, but once you've got the pattern down it's a cinch to get easy neopoints (and maybe a key or helpful item to boot). The best way to win this game is to constantly be on the move, setting yourself up to be as close to the shifting winds as possible. That was, as soon as a new orb appears, you can move over and grab it before the other player has a chance. Sitting still in this game is just accepting defeat, so constantly be on the move - even those small points for the normal orbs can be incredibly helpful when it comes down to it!

There you have it. There are a lot of little details that can make you a great Key Quest player, but it will take time to develop your skills. Keep playing, learn the ins and outs of the power-ups, and soon enough you'll be getting more gold keys than anyone you know!