Key Quest Guide
Written by Seshennu
What is Key Quest?
Key Quest is a new multi-player interactive game designed by Neopets. It's been
compared to games like Mario Party, in which you control a Neopets-themed token
and roll dice to go around a game board. The objective is to collect a certain
pre-determined number of keys (from a minimum of two to a maximum of five).
Along the way, you can land on different squares that have a variety of
functions including adding Neopoints to your score, starting mini-games and
giving you different power-up cards that can be used to further your game.
A Brief History
For a long time, starting in 2007, Neopets users were left in the dark as to
what Key Quest was going to be. The most released at a time were the name, a few
vague screenshots and hints at a multi-player function. Some people thought Key
Quest was going to be similar to a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role
Playing Game), while others took note of what appeared to be a game board and
thought different. On approximately July 03, 2008, Key Quest was opened up to a
small number (2500) Premium users for beta purposes, and new information was
finally revealed. As the month went on, more Premium users were allowed into
testing. At the end of the news post for July 29, 2008, Key Quest was opened to
the public, allowing all users to have a go at this new game. At the time of
writing, Key Quest is still under beta testing, so it's very likely that things
can be changed, tweaked or temporarily broken.
How to Play I - Tokens
First and foremost, in order to play Key Quest you must have a token. Right now,
there are only two ways to get a token. The first is by purchasing Neopets
Series 3 Plushies or trading card packs and entering in the 15-digit code on the
main Key Quest page.
The second method is by simply participating in the beta testing! If you do not
have a token, one will be provided for you, and it's been said that you can keep
the token as thanks when beta testing ends.
There are many, many tokens to collect, and you can view them all easily in your
Collector's Case.
They come in six different categories, with various numbers of collections
within the categories. The categories are Neopets, Petpets, Faeries, Heroes,
Villains and "Special". Please note that some of these categories do not
currently have tokens for you to collect.
A quick run-down of all the current collectible tokens are as follows:
Neopets - Collection 1: Pink Bruce, Yellow Kacheek, Brown Uni, Red Scorchio,
Speckled Acara, Starry Grundo, Striped Cybunny, Cloud Kougra, Plushie Wocky,
Plushie Mynci, Plushie Jubjub, Gold Gelert Limited Edition, Gold Shoyru Limited
Edition, Gold Aisha Limited Edition and "Bonus Token"
Neopets - Collection 2: Yellow Xweetok, Pink Cybunny, Orange Kougra, Blue
Elephante, Spotted Kau, Camouflage Poogle, Speckled Uni, Cloud Meerca, Island
Jubjub, Island Kacheek, Island Bruce, Silver Aisha Limited Edition, Silver
Gelert Limited Edition, Silver Shoyru Limited Edition and "Bonus Token"
Neopets - COllection 3: Yellow Kougra, Green Kacheek, Pink Quiggle, Purple
Scorchio, Cloud Uni, Speckled Bruce, Striped Xweetok, Starri Elephante, Faerie
Aisha, Faerie Acara, Faerie Ixi, Strawberry Jubjub, Strawberry Poogle,
Strawberry Poogle and "Bonus Token"
Petpets - Coming Soon!
Faeries - Collection 1: The Darkest Faerie
Heroes - Collection 1: Jeran, Princess Amira
Villains - Coming Soon!
Special - Coming Soon!
You may have noticed the three "Bonus Tokens" at the end of the Neopets
sections. These tokens can only be obtained by completing their respective
collections. When you obtain an entire collection 1, 2 or 3, you will receive
that collection's bonus Token automatically.
**As an aside, you can obtain different themes for your Collector's Case by
redeeming a $10 or $25 Neocash Card Box.
How to Play II - Getting Into a Game
Now that you have your token, you're all set to play! From the main Key Quest
page, click on "Play Game" From there, you'll be taken to the Game Lobby. At the
Lobby, you can choose to create your own game, or join another user's game.
Clicking on the options on either side of the house will take you to their
corresponding chat rooms, where you can hang out with other users and look for
games. If that's not your thing, click "Quick Game" at the lower right-hand
corner of the screen to be taken to the Waiting Room, where you'll join someone
else's game. If you have your own game idea in mind, click on "Create Game" in
the center of the house.
There, you'll have the following options: choosing the number of keys
(currently, you can only have five key games), the number of players, the game
board (currently, the only game board available is Neopia Central), the game
topic (if any), and invited players. You can choose from one to three players to
invite into your game from your Neofriends list. If you do not invite any
players, anyone can play your game with you. When finished, click on the "Done"
button on the lower right-hand corner of the screen to be taken to the Waiting
Room.
How to Play III - The Waiting Room
The first thing you'll do in the waiting room is choose from four colors (red,
blue, green and yellow) to represent you and your token. Once all players have
entered the room and chosen their colors, you'll all roll the dice to determine
your playing order. The person with the highest roll goes first. After this,
you'll choose your starting home. If you've played the game before, think
carefully about which house you want to use and how you'll be moving towards the
keys from it. For example, if you choose the haunted house, you're just a hop,
skip and a jump away from the white key, but much farther away from the blue
key. Once each player has determined their starting point, you'll be taken to
the game board, where the fun will really start!
How to Play IV - The Game Screen: Your User Display
Woah! There's quite a lot of information on the game screen, and if it's your
first time playing, it might be a little hard to take it in all at once. So
instead of jumping straight into moving your character and using those fancy
power-ups, let's take a moment to get familiarized with all of this new
information. At the very top of the screen is the User Display. Depending on the
number of players, there will be two to four at any time (note that while the
number of users may go down depending on if a person gets removed from the game,
the number of players will <i>not</i> increase - meaning new people can't join
your game after it's been started.); these Displays are also listed in turn
order, so you can easily see whose turn is coming up next.
In the circle you'll see each character's token and the color they chose to
represent themselves. This is very useful if you get two or three of the same
token in one game. There are three boxes next to the token picture that start
off empty at the beginning of the game. This is where your Power-Ups will be
stored. Everyone can see which Power-Ups every player has, so there won't be too
many nasty surprises if one gets used on you.
Below this are little colored boxes with numbers next to them. These boxes match
the colors of the keys on the game board, and the numbers tell how many keys of
that color you have. There doesn't seem to be a limit as to how many keys of a
single color you can pick, so if you win many mini-games, or go over a key
multiple times, you can have two, three or maybe even more of a single color
key! While it seems odd at first, there is a certain Power-Up that allows a user
to steal one of your keys, so having multiples could help in a tricky spot by
saving you from having to backtrack.
Finally, at the very bottom of the User Display, there's a box to show how many
Neopoints you've earned. Neopoints earned in-game will be rewarded to you after
the game ends, along with other prizes.
How to Play V - The Game Screen: The Chat Box
At the moment, you can only send pre-written messages to other players using the
chat box. Click on the space where you would normally write your message, and a
number of categories will appear. Click on one and you'll be shown all of the
messages for that category. To send it, click on that message, and then on
"Send". After this, your message will be displayed to the rest of the players in
the game. The "+" box in the upper right hand corner expands the chat window.
How to Play V - The Tiles
There are currently eight different tiles you can land on, each one having their
own special, unique properties. The first is your starter tile, which is always
next to the starting home you chose, and is always the color of the token you
chose. You can only visit this tile again if someone uses a Power-Up on you to
send you back to start. The second is the Neopoint tile. Landing on or passing
over this tile will add a number of Neopoints to your total score. Remember,
these Neopoints will be given to you after the game ends, so try and pass over
as many as you can!
The third is the Power-Up tile, which looks like a bunch of multi-colored
squares within squares. Landing on or passing over this tile will award you one
random Power-Up. Note that if you already have three Power-Ups, you'll be given
the option to discard one of them to make room for the new one. The fourth is
the Teleport tile, which looks like a purple circle. There are only two of these
on the Neopia Central board, and landing on it gives you the option of using it
to be transported to the other.
The fifth is the Mini-Game tile. Landing on this tile will begin a random
Mini-Game that allows you to participate in a quick competition against all of
the other players to win a key of your choice. The sixth tile, and one of my
personal favorites, is the treasure tile. This tile is right next to an opened
treasure chest, and looks like a black X on a yellow background. Landing on this
tile gives you a huge amount of Neopoints, a random Power-Up and a Key of
your choice. That makes this tile definitely worth going for if you're nearby -
and since this tile is just a few steps away from the goal, odds are you will
be.
The seventh tile, and perhaps the most important, is the Key tiles. Depending on
the number of keys your game requires, there will be two to five key tiles on
the board. You must collect at least one of each required color in order to
unlock the Quest door and win the game, which brings us to the final tile... The
Quest door! Land on this tile while holding all of the required keys, and you
win the game! You do <i>not</i> need to roll the exact number of spaces in order
to reach this tile and end the game. If you roll one, two, or even five spaces
higher than you need, you won't be penalized and will still win.
How to Play VI - Your First Turn
Now that you've learned what to expect from the game board, it's time to start
your first turn. At the start of your turn, you have the option to play a
Power-Up (if you have at least one. If not, that option is greyed out) or to
roll the dice. Take note that when it's your turn, you have a time limit in
which you must act - approximately 15 - 17 seconds - before your turn is
skipped. Since you shouldn't have any power-ups right now, your only option is
to roll the dice. Choose that, and then click the rolling die. The number you've
rolled will be visible in your User Display instead of the picture of your token
while you're moving, allowing both you and other players to see how many spaces
you move. If you roll high enough to reach a crossroads, you'll have to choose
which direction you want to move in. Be careful, though, as sometimes the arrows
are close together, making it easier to click on the wrong one by accident.
How to Play VII - Power-Ups
Power-Ups are special cards obtained by landing or passing over Power-Up tiles
and the treasure tile. They can only be used at the very start of your turn.
After using them, you roll the die as usual and continue on your turn. There are
currently eight different Power-Ups in the game:
Bottle of Quicksand - Choose one player to lose one turn.
Distraction Potion - Choose one player and swap one key from your inventory with
one key from their inventory. This is an instance where having extra keys of a
single color can come in handy. Give your opponent one of your spare keys to
take a key they really need (and so do you!)
**Note that while this Power-Up is listed in the Tutorial, I've yet to see it
in-game. This could either be poor luck on my part, an indication of its rarity
or it's just not active yet.
Catapult - Choose one player and return them to their home tile. This is a very
useful Power-Up when used correctly. If it looks like your opponent is going to
reach the Quest door before you, using this card can turn the tables completely.
Be warned, it's very annoying when someone uses it on you.
Key Grabber - Choose one player and take any one key. This Power-Up is much more
useful than the Distraction Potion, as you don't lose any of your keys in the
process. Naturally, you should try to use this card at the first available
opportunity, so as not to lose it to someone with a Sticky Hand.
Loaded Gummy Die - Choose what value your next roll will be. Sometimes what
you're trying to get is only a couple tiles away, and you end up rolling too low
to reach it. This card prevents that from happening by allowing you to choose
what the die lands on, from one to six.
Misdirected Compass - Choose any one player and reverse their direction. You <i>can</i>
choose to use this Power-Up on yourself. If your opponent is nearing the Quest
Door, you can use this card to force them to move in the opposite direction. If
they don't have a Misdirected Compass to right themselves, they'll have to loop
around to get back into position, by which time you're sure to have caught up or
even pass them by.
Sticky Hand - Choose one player and take any one Power-Up. Power-Ups that you
grab with the Sticky Hand are added to your inventory. If your opponent has a
Key Grabber, or any other potentially annoying or helpful Power-Ups, take them
from him before he has the chance to use them on you!
Transporter Helmet - Choose one player and swap tile positions. On the surface
it looks like a very simple card, but there's two "rules" that aren't mentioned
in the card description.
1. If you have been catapulted back to start, and you use this
card, your opponent does not get sent to his or your starting point. You will
move to his space as expected, but he'll only move one space behind you!
2. When you teleport to your opponent's space, you will face the
same direction as your opponent instead of the direction you were facing. Think
carefully before you end up moving <i>away</i> from your goal by mistake!
How to Play VIII - Mini-Games
If you land on a Mini-Game tile, one random Mini-Game will be activated.
Currently, there are three Mini-Games that can occur. One is Nova Matching,
where you have to match similarly colored Novas. Speed is key for this game, so
move your mouse as fast as you can. Keep in mind that some Novas are the same
color on the inside, but have <i>different</i> colored glows. The Novas must be
the same color on both the inside and outside to earn you points.
Another game is Spyder Grab. You control a Robot Spyder with your mouse, and
click to send it down in one direction in the hopes of grabbing objects. Your
Spyder's eyes will be the same color as your token, and the beams from their
eyes will move from left to right. When the eyes line up with an item you want
to grab, click the left mouse button and your Spyder will swoop down toward it.
Finally, there's Petpetpet Circle. At the top of the screen is a box with your
target Petpetpet. Use your mouse to draw a circle around the matching
Petpetpet(s) to grab them for points. When all of those bugs are gone, the
target Petpetpet changes, and you must now search and circle the new bugs
instead.
The winner is determined by who scored the most points during the time limit,
and as a reward for playing so well, he or she gets to choose whichever color
key they want to add to their inventory.
**Note that while there are only three active Mini-Games, there are six preview
images in the Tutorial - these will probably be released after beta testing is
complete.
Winning and Prizes
The game ends when someone with all the required keys lands on the Quest door
tile. That person is awarded a special Gold Key. The second place winner,
determined by who earned the most Neopoints, is awarded a Silver Key. The third
place winner, the person who has the next greatest amount of Neopoints, is
awarded a Bronze Key. Finally, the fourth place winner, the person who has the
least amount of Neopoints, is awarded a Lead Key. Not only do all players get to
keep all of the Neopoints they earned while playing the game, the special Keys
gained at the end of the game can be used to unlock special items as prizes.
These prizes include stamps, codestones, neggs, books, furniture, wearable
clothing and (possibly, and most likely very rarely,) paintbrushes!
Naturally, the best prizes are given to those with better keys, although
everyone has a shot at something nice.
You can redeem your Keys for prizes at the
Vault, though it will only
allow you to redeem ten keys per day. There is also a limit to how many
Neopoints you can earn from this game per day - 25,000.
Final Tips
- Key Quest is still in beta, and Neopets is testing how much their servers can
handle. If Key Quest doesn't load for you, or if you get removed from a game
early, wait a half-hour or so and try again.
- If you still can't get into a game due to server overload, try playing the
game in the early morning or later at night when less people are likely to be
online.
- Most of the Mini-Games require you to think and move your mouse quickly. If
you play often, the practice will surely help out.
- Four-player games give out Gold, Silver, Bronze and Lead Keys. Three-player
games give out Gold, Silver and Bronze Keys. Two-player games give out Gold and
Silver Keys. If you want to earn the best prizes quickly, create a two-player
game. Whether you win or lose, you'll get a hefty prize!
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