Classic: zones, guardians and the shrine
- Survive and level up. Your partner attacks on its own; every level-up offers three cards.
- Open Poké Balls. Balls around the zone cost PokéDollars (₽), which wild Pokémon drop. The first elite of each zone drops a free Poké Ball.
- Wake the guardian. Stand at the guardian altar and press E. Beat it to open the portal to the next zone.
- Take the portal. Before you do, check the minimap for Poké Balls you missed — the game warns you if any are left.
- Three zones and a legendary shrine. Each region has three zones and a shrine where you can face the shrine's legendary. Clear the zones to win the region.
Don't wake the guardian too early. In our first run we woke Viridian Forest's guardian, Scyther (4,203 HP), at about 2:00 at level 7 and fainted at 2:04 with it still on 4,126 HP. Level up and open Poké Balls first — the altar prompt itself tells you to.
Survival: endless hordes and milestones
One map, no portals, a horde that never stops growing. A milestone boss arrives every 5 minutes (beat it to choose a pact), Meowth passes by with his shop, and the Endless Night starts at minute 45. You are ranked by time survived. Full details on the Survival page.
Difficulty: Normal, Hard and Nightmare
| Difficulty | How to unlock | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Available from the start | The baseline. |
| Hard | Win the region on Normal | More Pokémon, faster, more elites; bosses warn you less. |
| Nightmare | Win the region on Hard | Bigger hordes, elites that explode when they fall, merciless bosses. |
Unlock rules and descriptions are from the in-game difficulty screen. We have not played Hard or Nightmare yet.
FAQ
Should I play Classic or Survival first?
Classic. It teaches the zone loop — level up, open Poké Balls, wake the guardian, take the portal — and its wins unlock Hard difficulty and several League challenges. Survival is best once you have a few upgrades.
How do I unlock Hard and Nightmare?
Win a region on Normal to unlock Hard in that region; win it on Hard to unlock Nightmare. Each region tracks its own difficulty.
What changes on Hard and Nightmare?
Hard: more Pokémon, faster, more elites, and bosses warn you less. Nightmare: bigger hordes, elites that explode when they fall and merciless bosses. Higher difficulties also score more for your clan.