Mastering Sutek's Tomb (And Earning That Avatar!)

The first one I am here to present to you will be Sutek's Tomb. On the surface, it seems to be an insanely easy game and I thought to myself, why would Neopets make a game avatar that was so easy to get? Ah, but little did I know how deceptive this game can be! After playing it for a couple weeks and getting a high score of approximately 700, I was baffled -- this game should be super simple and I couldn't even get the avatar score, let alone make the high score tables.

I took a couple weeks to dedicate myself to this game and finally discovered the "keys" to, if not mastering, then earning more than enough to reach "avatar" status. Today, I am sharing these keys with all of you! With the following keys, anyone (yes, anyone!) can earn the avatar and even work themselves towards the high score tables and get a cool trophy!

Hopefully I will get the chance to work out the 'keys' to more games and submit them so more people can master more games! Keep an eye out for that guys!

Key #1- Play in hard mode -- it's the only way to get high enough points to get that avatar! Playing in Zen does not earn you enough, usually because you have to re-shuffle the board more often and you lose whatever points you had accumulated during the game when that happens. Playing in Easy just won’t work either because you run out of time before you have a chance of earning any real points. This game is very frustrating, so stick to it hard and just make sure you put a wiggle in it! (Meaning move fast and choose fast!)

Key #2- Always play from the bottom up -- that way you have a better chance of having multiple lines fall (which can allow you to get a much higher score) and a better chance of seeing MORE combos, which again can give you bigger scores. If you get multiples of four, five or even six (very rare), you can really burst ahead in your score, but don’t waste a ton of time “looking” for those combos. Just play smart and fast.

Key #3- Don't pay any attention to the time and just play as fast as you can. Scan the board constantly for any combos (of three or more), but don't get stuck just watching the bottom, middle or top. You've got to look all over the board and remember -- matches can be horizontal or vertical, but never diagonal. The point here is to let your eyes wander the entire board, but be sharp so you don’t miss any! Remember, if you are concentrating on watching your time, you will run out before you know it. It wastes precious seconds to look at the timer, and even more to re-familiarize yourself with the board when you look back!

Key #4- Practicing in Zen mode for a little while can help you really get the feel of the game (because there is no time limit there). You won't get many Neopoints, but hey, don't be selfish. You don't need to win Neopoints from every game, now do you? Practicing in Zen mode for any game, that offers it, is a great idea! You will need to have patience while learning and getting the feel of the game. For some, it will happen right away, but for others it may take a little time. Don’t worry, though -- practice ALWAYS makes perfect!

Key #5- Each day you play, send a score for two good games, but hold back on the third one, in case you get over 2,000. The reason for doing this is because you can only get the avatar if the score is sent in, and you can't send a score more than three times a day! If you have sent in your score three times any certain day, and then on your fourth game you earn 2,000 or more, you are out of luck (plus you are really ticked off!). You can't get the avatar without sending in your score. If you know it will be the last game you plan on playing for that day, then go ahead and send your score in. No sense in wasting an opportunity to make more Neopoints! If you want to continue playing, I would play in Zen mode for two reasons. First, you can get more practice that way, and second, you don’t have to really worry about earning over 2,000 points (nearly impossible in Zen). This tip goes for all games where you can get an avatar, so you aren’t wasting a great avatar earning game!

Key #6- Whenever I start a new game, I make sure I have some matches I can make right away towards the bottom... that is, if there aren't any until about halfway up, then I go ahead and restart the game until I get some towards the bottom. You have a better chance of getting more and bigger combos and earning yourself a higher score! Honestly, you do not have to do this step, but most of the people I have talked to (who, by the way, have gotten the avatar) say they do the same thing, so really consider it!

As a side note, my highest score was 1,496 for the longest time, but I kept trying solidly for two weeks and finally broke the 2,000 mark, so don't give up! Now I can regularly get 2,000 and over without breaking a sweat!

I am submitting this because I know these few keys have helped several people earn the avatar and I want other people to be able to master at least one game, feel good about themselves and earn an avatar in the meantime!

Good luck, and have fun!