5 Tips for Monster Soup: Play Like a Pro
1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. We’ve seen a lot of people play the game and get caught up on catching every little monster. Don’t worry about letting some slip by. Focus on getting longer chains and power-ups. Having a little ice on the screen doesn’t hurt. If you’re focusing on long chains, you’re going to be clearing it away with Starshine and Rescue Bombs anyway.
2. Power-ups, power-ups, power-ups! The only way to survive later levels is to have a constant stream of power-ups helping you along. This is probably the most important thing to remember. The pink monster’s Bonus Coin will help you get through levels faster. The green monster’s Beach Ball will give you more opportunities for longer chains and help you get out of tight spots. But the two most important power-ups to go for are the blue monster’s Warp Clock and the yellow monster’s Starshine. When you keep the monsters moving slowly and the ice continually melting, you’re a monster-saving force to be reckoned with!
3. Take small steps for the set-up. When things get really frantic, it helps to clear a bunch of smaller chains out of the way to cash in on a mega power-up. If it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to make a 5+ chain with a certain cluster of monsters, there’s no point in keeping them around. A screen with a majority of one color makes it super easy to craft a mega chain. The mega Starshine power-up melts two layers of ice and can quickly turn the tides in a dire situation.
4. Start your chain in the right spot. Thinking ahead and starting your chain in the right spot can make all the difference. (Below is a diagram of a bad start and a good start.) In many ways, Monster Soup is a constantly shifting puzzle game. You need to clear as many monsters as possible with each chain—this can result in some crazy, criss-crossing chains.
5. Don’t over think it. Yes, there’s a lot of strategy involved in Monster Soup, but at the end of the day, speed is your best friend. Once you’re comfortable with a few basic strategies, you don’t want to get paralyzed by indecision. Long chains are nice, but sometimes waiting to add one more monster is just not a good idea. Jack be nimble, jack be quick.
