When first starting to play keyquest, you are given a default token. You will find this in your collector case. You can also buy neopet plush plushies that have key quest virtual codes that you can redeem for additional tokens for use in the game. To make tokens available for game use, you can visit your case. This is accomplished by either going from the main key quest game page or by clicking on your Key quest key on your look-up. Once there, you can access tokens you have received while partcipating in neopet activities or unlocked by redeeming codes. Here are the various steps and locations on the graphic:

2. Various collection series available. Starter is where you will find the default token you are given automatically.

3. Your available tokens will be visible.

4. Pop-up box from clicking on a token. This has valuable information. Take time to jot down the tokens faerie alignment if you are going to activate it for game use. More info on this later. You can add this token to your favorites or make it available as a game token choice by clicking the appropriate boxes at the bottom.

5. Shows that that token will be in your game drop down list of available tokens to use during keyquest games.

6. All tokens activated for use to choose from when playing. To remove a token from your game list, just click on it and uncheck the Key Quest Quick List

7. Clicking this wrench lets you choose different case themes if you have any and also lets you make your case private if you do not want anyone viewing it.

8. Is a help page.

Now that you have tokens available, we can get ready to play a game.

You start a game by accessing the key quest game from the games page. This is the main hub for key quest. Here you can access the game, visit your collector case, Redeem codes and turn in keys at the vault.

After you click the play game button, a page with the key quest shack opens up.

Before you decide, your next step is to choose which token you would like to use.

If you decide to join a game already created, all you will need to do is to click one that has an opening(#3). This will highlight it. Then click the Join button (#4)at the bottom. How do you know one has an opening? The smilie face will not be yellow. Sometimes when you try to join, you will not be connected to that game for various reasons. Maybe it is a private game, maybe your computer is just picky. But keep trying different games with openings and you will soon find yourself in a game ready to roll the die.

But say you want to create your own game. Then click the create game button(#5). This will take you to another screen. Now you have more decisions to make. Do you want an open game, open to all neopians, or do you want a private game with invitation only?

In both scenarios you will need to choose how many keys you want to collect (1-5)(#1), how many players you want to play.(#2) Options are 2-4 ... they won't let you play yourself. Which board location you want to play at(#3). Right now there are 3, Haunted Woods( which is default), Neopia Central and Terror Mountain. You can also choose a game topic if you want. Right now there is no additional choices for Chat level. If you decide to have an open game, then you are finished here and just need to click the DONE button (#4) and it will take you to the game's opening start screen

If you decide on a private game with invitees, you will now have to decide if you want to invite neofriends or online players in the game room you are in. Click the Invite button(#6) to go to your option choices.

To pick an online neopian, just click on a players name in the "Who's Here" window(#1). Their name will be placed in the 'Invited Players' slot(#2). Once you have the slots filled with players, click the OKAY button(#3). This will return you to your previous page. Now there will be players names in the "Invited Players" box. Now you will click Done and be taken to the start page of the game.

But say you want to play with your neofriends.

Instead of choosing neopians from the 'Who's Here' box, check below and see if any of your neofriends are in the game. If the count says 1/20, that means 1 of your neofriends in your list is somewhere in the key quest game. You can tell which are in the game because they will have a row of keys beside their name in your list(#4). You can click on their name and they will be added to your 'Invited Players' slots.

Same as for the other method, once you are done, click Okay. You will be returned to the previous screen. Just click Done and you will be taken to the games starting page.

No matter which type of game you choose to play, you will ultimately start the game from here. Once arriving at this page, you will pick a colored disk to occupy. Then wait for the other players, either invited or random players, to arrive. If you have invited players to join you in a game, and they do not show up in a certain time frame, you will be given the option of making your game public.

Once everyone arrives, players will roll the die for order of turns. The player who rolled the highest number will be first and also will have first choice of what house to start from, with the player rolling the lowest number being last and having the last choice of a starting house.

Once everyone has chosen their starting house, you are transported to the actual game board. Play begins with the first player rolling the die. Order of play is shown at the top of the game page.

Also this is where any power-up cards you have will be shown by a small icon. I have listed all the cards with their icons in their respective sections below. As you move along, there are several different squares you can land on besides ones that hand out NP's. But when you do land on a NP square, you have the possibility of triggering a Something Has Happened Card. This is an event that affects all players, unless they have a Reward Charm that overrides the Something Has Happened Card. The different cards are shown in another section.

7. Portal Square: When you pass over these 2 squares, you will have a choice transporting to the other portal.

To be successful in Key quest, you will need a fair amount of luck. Having a fast computer may help you in the mini games, but it will be the player that uses the best strategy, laced with a little luck, that will usually come out the winner. So study the Power-up cards listed below so you don't miss an opportunity to make a possible game winning move. Be it either by changing keys around, trading places with an opponent to improve your board location, or to slow someone down so you can catch up.

Once you have collected all the keys required for the game you joined, you then want to head for the exit door in the middle of the game board. You do not need an exact roll to land on the exit square.

Listed in the next few sections you will find images of the all the cards that can show up in the game. Sometimes they disappear too fast for you to properly read them. Power-up cards are represented by an icon in your inventory. On those cards I have included the icon so you will know what they look like. Here is an example to show you where I placed them.

Also listed are the 4 mini games and a brief explanation of how to play them.

On this game, you are a spyder on a web, trying to grab the most items. You use your mouse to slide your spyder across the top. Your web will be cast in the direction your spyder's eyes are looking. So make sure they are pointing to an object before you click your mouse button to throw your web and climb down to grab it. Only click once and wait till your spyder climbs back up before you try and move and grab another item. Right now, if you grab a white orb, your spyder will speed up. If you grab a dark orb item, an opponent will be frozen in their tracks for a short period. Take this time to grab as many close items as possible. The player with the highest tally wins the mini game.

When playing this mini game, you want to get to the bottom of the screen with the most gems first. I Do NOT use my mouse to move my Zomutt. Instead, I use my arrow keys. When the game first loads, quickly scan to see where the most gems are grouped and run your zomutt over there and start digging by clicking the down arrow key. The blocks are in 3 different color shades. The lightest requires one dig to break through, while the darkest require 3 separate digs at the block to break through. You can keep clicking down on the harder blocks, but he won't dig again till after he stands back up. As you go down, you can dig right or left also to grab gems. You are also suppose to be able to move back up a dug path, but a glitch sometimes prevents this. You get 3 points for each recovered gem and bonus points for getting to the bottom before the other players. Highest score wins the game.

Here you are trying to circle the most petpetpets. Please note that you will not always draw a circle. Sometimes you can only draw straight lines but that doesn't matter as long as you complete a shape around the target petpetpet. The target petpetpet is shown at the top of your game screen. Once all that species is removed, a new target petpetpet is displayed. An important tip: the more you circle as a group, the more points you score. But remember, you can only have the target petpetpet in your shape or it will not form a complete shape. The player that has the most points wins the game

This is just basically a match game. Secure the most matches and you win the game. The best thing to do here is to look for matches that are side by side. You can get out of your rhythm if someone makes a match with a nova you are trying to match. So keep an eye out for that as that can cost you precious matching time.

This is a maze game. You are trying to get your Faellie to the center first. The faster your computer, the better you will do at this game. You move your faellie around the maze and run across the colored button that opens the first colored barrier to the inner maze. After some playing, you will see which path you are to take to get to the first brown gate. When you hit that first gate, be centered on it and just keep pushing the arrow key that moves him into the gate. It may take 3 or 4 rams in the gate, but you will break through. You then want to go to the nearest colored button and move over it so it opens the same colored gate into the center of the maze. An important tip: If some of your opponents have not hit their first colored button when you arrive at this point in your mini game, you can try and sneak through any opened colored door leading to the final wooden gates. But please keep in mind that it can be slammed shut on you, just as you are getting ready to sneak through, when they hit their button. You will then have to go and hit a colored button to open a door yourself. Once inside the center, head to the closest wooden gate and keep ramming into it (being centered on it) till you break it down and move onto the center spot. First player to hit the yellow center wins.

In this game you use your water hose to wash the dirt off the petpet. Just hold down your mouse button and keep your water on the petpet. The one with the highest score wins.

Here you are growing and cutting flowers. First you will use the watering can to water the four seeds. It will take a couple of waterings to get them grown enough to bloom. When they bloom, you want to grab the pruners and cut the flowers. I like to water and grow all 4 flowers then cut the blooms off. The one who gets the most flowers grown and cut wins.

This is a game where you must match the lighed flowers in the correct order. You start with a sign that says WATCH and then one square of stones is lit up. The sign then changes to YOUR TURN and then you have to click the correct flower. The game continues, adding a new square to remember and match at each round. The winner is whoever matches the most in the allotted time wins.

Here you are tossing darts at the target to advance your poogle. You want to use your mouse and start in the black area and drag your mouse up to create an arrow. Do this as fast and as often as you can to get multiple arrows shot at the target. You will not necessarily always see your red arrow image. Adjust your angle for better placement on the board. A little practice and you will be racking up alot of points.

Here you are using your clippers to cut fruit and fill your colored basket. First off, be sure which basket is yours. You don't want to fill up your opponents basket. When you cut a piece of fruit, you can drag it over to your basket if it is not directly above your basket. If your basket is the last basket in the row, once you get some in yours, you can hurry and just cut the other off so it falls to the ground. The one with the most fruit in wins the game.

Here you are taking aim and shooting the berries as they appear. Just get the berry in your crosshairs and click. Some, lke the grey berries, are worth more points but they also disappear faster. Have the most points and win the game..

In this game you are trying to catch fish worth the most points. You have to be careful with your aim, and then "reel" them in when they bite. You will see yellow Exclamation points above them. That is when you start clicking your mouse repeatedly to "reel" the fish in. The one who catches the fish worth the most points win.

In this game you are trying to protect the petpets by holding the umbrella over them. Be careful though when the storm cloud comes over as the lightening will hit your umbrella and destroy it. You catch the powerups with your umbrella. The player with the most points wins the game.

In this game you are trying to toss items into the esophagors mouth when he opens it.You want to avoid getting hit by spew though. The player with the most points wins the game.

Now that you have completed a game, you have the option to Play Again, Exit the game, or Unlock Your Prize(s)

I realize everyone has their own way they play and strategize this game. But here are a few things I found useful:

Games are more fun to play if they are played in the spirit they were intended. If you do not have time to play a complete game, don't start or join one. It is impolite to quit in the middle of a game. It is also rude to quit if you see you are not going to win the gold key.. There have been many times that the 3 prizes I received from a silver key were better than the 4 won from a gold one.

Also please remember that this was stated in the Neopian Times Editorial week=371