What Is Super Auto Pets?
Super Auto Pets is a free-to-play, multi-platform auto battler game created by Team Wood Games. Auto battler games belong to a sub-genre of strategy-type games with chess-like elements. The player selects a given number of characters from a character pool. Afterward, the characters are paired off randomly with another team with a different set of members. The two teams face off automatically on the board, and the player can no longer provide additional input during the auto-battle. The winning team gains plus points or a trophy for that particular round, while the losing team gets a hit on their points. The first team to win ten trophies will win the game, while the first team to lose all ten lives will lose by default. Super Auto Pets is a multi-platform game that you can download from the Google Play Store and Apple Store for Android and IOS devices. You may also play the game online through the Steam platform using any web browser. However, you will need to have a pre-existing account. Here is a guide on how to download games from Steam. Alternatively, there are new games that make use of artificial intelligence to generate responses and behaviors from non-playable characters. Check out this list of the best AI games you should play right now.
Basic Mechanics
Before we can proceed to tips and tricks, allow us first to explain the game’s main objective and how it’s meant to be played. For starters, you need to know that each game consists of several rounds (instead of levels) of auto battling. Each round is divided into two phases: pet selection and combat.
Pet Selection
Pet selection involves selecting a combination of pets from a shop using the coins that are provided to you at the beginning of each round. Each round gets you a certain number of slots on which to place your pets. You can drag or tap on a pet from the store to transfer them to your lineup. You can also purchase duplicates of pets that you already have on your lineup if they are available. Other than pets, you can also purchase food, which enhances the capabilities of your pets in different ways. Feeding your pets with different types of food boosts their abilities in different ways. You can also freeze some food or pets from the store to purchase them later on. The pet selection phase does not have a time limit, meaning you take as much time as you need to select your team members. However, once you have ended your turn, you can no longer replace any member of your team.
Combat
Once you have selected the animals on your team, you can already proceed to combat properly by selecting the “End Turn” option. This option automatically sends your team into battle with either a randomly selected team for the arena mode, or an individual character in the versus mode. You need to understand the two performance indicators: trophies and heart as a player. The trophies represent your number of wins during the game. The objective of the game is to reach ten trophies faster than your opponent while preventing your lives from getting to zero. At the start of each game, each player will be given ten hearts for their health, ten gold to purchase animals with, and zero trophies. Per round, whoever loses all of their animals first loses the round, and the losing team will have to lose one life for every animal remaining on the opponent’s side. The winner of each round gets a trophy, and you always win a single trophy for each round regardless of tier. On the other hand, you can lose more than one life when you lose a round, depending on your current tier. Initially, you will only lose a single life for each round lost, but this increases to up to three lives per round lost as you progress through the different tiers. The first person to win ten trophies will win the game, while the first person to lose their life will automatically lose the game. The turns will continue until either one person runs out of lives or another one wins the required number of trophies.
Coins
Like the majority of games, Super Auto Pets operate with a particular currency. This currency is in the form of gold coins, and it allows you to purchase pets and food for your pets. The currency for this game is in the form of gold coins, and pets and food in the store are sold in a similar currency. At the start of each turn, the system gives you ten gold coins, and this is regardless of whether you won or lost the previous round.
Cost of Items
It must be noted that everything in the shop costs three gold coins each. This includes both pets and food. The only exception to the three gold coin rule is probably the sleeping pill, which costs only a single gold coin. Note that you also have the option to “Roll” your shop to get a new batch of pets and food to purchase. However, a single roll will cost you a single gold coin.
Coins are Temporary
It’s also very important to note the gold coins only apply to a specific round of purchasing a pet, and it doesn’t carry over from one round to another, and it disappears at the end of each battle. Having said this, you’re going to want to spend all of your coins before ending your turn. On the other hand, there are some exceptions to this rule. This exception applies specifically to pets that require leftover gold to achieve buffs. For certain pets like the puppy or t-rex, you need to leave some gold and reach the end of the round to receive bonus buffs.
Freezing pets and food
Alternatively, you can freeze a pet you can’t afford at the moment. You can pay for it after your turn with the gold coins provided. If you want to receive extra gold, you can sell a pet. Selling a pet gets you back the same amount you paid for that pet. The cost of different pets is the same regardless of the exp points they’ve earned.
Buffs and Debuffs
Specific pets and items come with status effects that boost your team. These status effects are known in this game as buffs. Some of these buffs are temporary in that they expire at the end of the round while others are permanent in that they last for the entire game.
Temporary Buffs
Generally speaking, buffs that are applied in combat are considered temporary. In other words, they last only until the end of the battle. For example, when your ant faints in combat, the buff from the ant is temporary and lasts only until the end of combat.
Permanent Buffs
On the other hand, buffs that are applied within the shop or outside of the battlefield are considered permanent. For example, if you feed your duck a sleeping pill before combat, the buff generated will be permanent. The same logic applies to all other faint and trigger effects, such as otters, dogs, horses, you name it.
Temporary vs Permanent Buffs
Luckily there is an easy way to distinguish between a temporary buff and a permanent buff. That method involves looking at buff stats and the indicators on it. You can often tell the difference since a temporary buff is marked with a white line underneath to highlight its non-permanent status. A permanent buff, on the other hand, will not have a white line beneath the indicator.
Exceptions to the Rule
But of course, there are specific pets and items with buffs that follow different rules. For example, the cupcake produces a buff that expires at the end of the round. The description of the particular pet or item at the store always includes details such as this. So it’s always a good idea to read the description while at the store.
Tier System
Pets and items in the game have different abilities and strengths, which is why they are classified into different Tiers. There are six tiers available, and each tier comes with incrementally more powerful pets and items available. At the beginning of the game, you will only have access to Tier 1 pets. As you probably know, Tier 1 pets are the weakest in the game. The other tiers will become accessible to you in intervals of two turns. This means you will access Tier 2 on your third turn, and Tier 3 on your fifth turn. Additionally, you will gain access to Tier 4 on your seventh turn, and Tier 5 on your ninth turn. Additionally, you will gain access to the final tier on your eleventh turn. Beyond the final turn, you will have access to all of the pets in the store.
Free Pets
For each tier that you gain access to, the game will grant you one free pet from the pool of pets from that particular tier. However, note that the shop only has six display slots for the pets for each tier. In other words, you can only gain access to the free pet if you have enough space in your shop to accommodate that pet. To make your pets more powerful, you can combine several versions of the same animal. For example, by combining three versions of the same pet, you can create a stronger level 2 version of that pet. Likewise, if you combine a total of six versions of the same animal, you can get a level 3 animal.
Leveling your pet
Leveling your pet on odd-numbered rounds has its advantages as well. For example, if you level up your pet right before entering a new level, you can gain access to a free pet that is one level higher than you currently are in. Having a higher-tier pet on your side should give you a significant combat advantage over your opponent.
Summons
Some of the pets in the store can “summon” other animals. Meanwhile, some animals gain a “buff” whenever you summon other animals. For example, if your deer faints in battle and spawns another animal. But take note that the term “summon” could also be used interchangeably with the act of purchasing an animal for battle. For example, selecting a goat to fill in the last slot on your deck is also considered a summon. However, purchasing a horse and combining it with another horse is not considered a summon. With experience, you will begin to instinctively decipher the different abilities of the animals on the roll. That is, you’ll be able to distinguish between those that lead to buffs as opposed to simple purchases of animals and items.
Stats
Just like you as the player, the animals that you pick in this game also have different levels of health and attack power. In addition, they also have different and unique abilities. Both the attack and health stats are very useful indicators for arranging your animals before battle, and both also allow for multiple combinations in combat. When you combine two of the same animals, the game will add one point to the higher the health and attack stats for both. For example, if you have a pig with a level 3 health and level 1 attack, and mix it with a level 4 health and level 2 attack pig, the result will be a level 5 health and level 3 attack pig. On the other hand, experience points work a little bit differently, as these are simply added when you combine two of the same pets. Sometimes combining two pets results in a level up, in which case you will get an additional +1 Tier pet bonus in the shop. However, there are some combinations in the game with some complex calculations that are best left to the game. With this in mind, the way the works seems to indicate that it combines higher stats with lower experience points. For example, combining a level 1 fish (2 exp, level 4 attack, 3 health) with a level 2 fish (level 3 exp, 5 attacks, 4 health) will result in a level 2 fish (level 7 attack and 6 health).
Turn Order
Another question you may have is, how does the game decide which animal attacks first? Simply put, the animal with the highest attack stats gets to attack first. In addition, the sequence of attacks follows the attack stats of the remaining animals. This is why, if you want to trigger a specific animal with a specific ability, you will have to buff the attack stat of that animal. This will prompt the system to prioritize this animal and have them attack first. This is something you need to remember when competing against sniping animals like mosquitoes.
Additional Tips and Tricks
At this point, we have explored the basic mechanics and concepts of the game. We can now proceed to discuss some tips and tricks. These tips will help you select the best characters for your team, understand the concepts behind health buffs, and so on. Here are some of the tips and tricks you need to keep in mind:
Read the tooltips and numbers
Each animal and item in your shop menu does a different thing. With this in mind, you will want to check what each animal or item does before taking it. Of course, some numbers pop up on each animal called tooltips. However, there are also numbers below your animals that represent the buffs. Always take note of the tooltips on your animals before and during combat.
Buy or sell things in order
The sequence in which you purchase animals and items is also crucial to playing this game. For example, if you have a horse and an otter in the shop, which one should you buy first? Experienced players will know that buying the horse before the otter is the more sensible move, as it buffs the otter for battle permanently. If you go the other way around, the otter can only buff the horse temporarily. If you read through the tooltips, you will notice that some items must be bought in a specific order. This helps to boost the power of other animals within the lineup. But it will only work when conducted within the proper order instructed in the tooltip. For example, buying canned food before buying a shop pet is important as it boosts the health and attack stat of that pet. Alternatively, selling some animals can earn your team can boost the stats of your whole team. For example, you can sell your duck to boost the health and attack stats of the rest of your team. However, you have to sell the duck or other animal before you select members from your current roll. Otherwise, the bonus that comes with the animal will not take effect.
Opt for permanent buffs
As we’ve mentioned, specific items in the store can give your pets either a permanent or temporary buff. The apple, for example, gives you a pet permanent plus 1 for both health and attack stats. Meanwhile, the cupcake gives your pet a temporary plus 3 for health and attack stats. The cupcake might seem more appealing in this scenario due to the numbers alone. However, it runs the risk of being invalidated when you’re faced with an unexpectedly strong opponent. That being said, you should prefer permanent buffs over temporary buffs as much as possible. These types of buffs can help your pets on the battlefield for the entire duration of your game. In addition, having a stronger opponent does not invalidate permanent buffs, unlike temporary buffs. Some examples of items that can give you permanent buffs include apples, salads, sushi, and pizza slices.
Save level-ups for early in the game
Every battle in the game is counted as a turn. After every two turns, you advance by a tier. This gives you access to a roll containing stronger pets in preparation for stronger opponents. It is at this point that you should level up your pets. To expound, you can level up your pets either by combining them or feeding them particular items. But why do you need to level up your pets in between tiers? The answer is less about the performance boost that your pet gets. It’s more about the free higher-tier pet that you get as a reward. To clarify, you should get a free pet from a higher tier than your current roll each time you level up any of your pets. Having access to a higher-tiered pet early on in the game will give you an overall tactical advantage. Of course, this excludes the possibility that your opponent’s team is just as strong or even stronger.
Pass items to buff your pets
When it comes to combining two or more animals, only the animal you are giving an upgrade to gets to keep its item. Case in point, combining a pet with an item with another pet without one leaves the combination with that same item. However, if you have two pets and both have items, the pet you carry over will be the one to lose its item.
Super Auto Pets vs Similar Games
Auto battler games have increased in popularity lately. And there are hundreds of games that are similar to Super Auto Pets out there that you can try. Whether you are interested in games with cute animals, or you would prefer games with human characters, there are plenty of other auto battler games that you can try alongside Super Auto Pets.
The Dungeon Beneath
The Dungeon Beneath is a tactical auto-battler with teams composed of heroes instead of animals. The game has your team descend into a dungeon to face multiple opponents spread out across different rooms. In addition to actual combat, the game also tasks you with collecting artifacts and equipment that can help your team. Just like Super Auto Pets, this game offers a generous pool of character combinations and equipment. These combinations make for a wide variety of strategies you have to uncover. Also, similar to Super Auto Pets, each character can also modify their attack stats and abilities based on extra items that you need to provide for them. As for the auto battling elements of the game, the dungeon layouts in which combats take place are selected for the journeys beneath. In addition, the program is responsible for carrying out actual combat sequences, requiring no input from the player.
Automon
Automon is a rapid-pace auto battler game with great visuals and a healthy dash of humor. Many people have compared the game to the highly popular anime Pokemon, and naturally, the similarities involve the use of cute, anthropomorphic creatures called “Automons.” Similar to Super Auto Pets, each Automon comes with special abilities as well as synergies with other Automons. Having said this, part of the challenge with this game is discovering which characters go well together to form the best teams. Not to mention, some Automons can maximize their power earlier than others. Meanwhile, others are deceptively weak but have solid stats in one area or another. In comparison to Super Auto Pets, it appears as though the Automon characters are less predictable and more complex. The game’s rapid pace, in combination with the intricacies of character combinations, makes it quite difficult to win. You never know which characters your opponent is going to have, and you can’t lose a single battle. When it comes to gameplay difficulty and general strategy, it seems that this game is quite on par with Super Auto Pets.
Storybook Brawl
Storybook Brawl is a card-based auto-battler game that draws inspiration from the fictional universe. The game has you select a team of characters from a pool of randomly selected public domain characters. These characters cover all categories of characters from storybook princesses and villains, to fable characters, Greek mythology monsters, and so on. Examples of characters include Cinderella, the Three Blind Mice, Humpty Dumpty, and Peter Pan. Each character comes with special abilities that are twisted versions of their original storylines. Most characters also received minor costume alterations to fit into the combat-based atmosphere of the game. During actual combat, your team will automatically battle against a randomly selected team. Subsequently, the first one to lose all their members loses. The random selection of team members and in-combat mechanics is very similar to that in Super Auto Pets. However, one key difference with this game is that the losing team is sent back to the planning phase. Meanwhile, the winning team advances to another match. Similar to Super Auto Pets, each character in the game comes with randomly-generated abilities, active buffs, and character upgrades. You also get special treasures that you can collect to help your team win against the opponent.
Final Thoughts on Super Auto Pets Guide for Beginners
Super Auto Pets is one of those games that appear simple from the outside but are quite challenging to play. With this in mind, the developers of this game made the mechanics simple enough to understand for players of all ages. However, it does take some time and brainpower to come up with the best combination of characters. The strategic parts of the game are what make the game challenging and interesting. But even as this guide and others like it offer to speed up your learning curve, nothing beats practicing on your own. With enough time and practice, you should radically improve your chances of winning the game with ease. In addition to auto battlers, you may also want to check out this selection of the best AI games you can play and the best indie games that you may want to check out.
