PHB Review: Poptropica on Steam 💨🎮

Poptropica recently released a bunch of their older islands and more via Steam for about US$20 (or less in some regions). From what’s in it to whether it’s worth it, we’ll be evaluating everything you need to know about this Steam bundle. Let’s pop into it!

What do you need to run the game?

First and foremost, you’ll need access to Steam, the video game distribution platform. Signing up for an account and downloading its app is free and easy. The game will run on both Windows and Mac computers, although M1 Macs (post-Nov 2020) are currently not supported, and Mac users will also need to download Adobe AIR.

Downloading the game requires 2 GB of storage space, and playing the game requires an internet connection and Poptropica account (free).

What’s new with Poptropica on Steam?

Most of the content has lived on the main Poptropica desktop and mobile game before, so playing it is more for nostalgia than novelty.

The only new thing is a twist on the ending of Monster Carnival Island. However, the changes are not particularly significant — just a bit of dialogue changed, with a somewhat less cruel fate for Ringmaster Raven. See what’s new in our updated Monster Carnival Island Guide! 🐦

What else is included in the Steam bundle?

The Steam bundle includes 17 islands (+1 if you count the tutorial, Snagglemast): Mythology (classic), Shrink Ray, Poptropolis Games, Monster Carnival, Time Tangled, Mystery of the Map, Virus Hunter, 24 Carrot, Galactic Hot Dogs, Mocktropica, Escape From Pelican Rock, Reality TV: Wild Safari, Timmy Failure, and all episodes of Survival, PoptropiCon, Arabian Nights, and Mission Atlantis — also known as the AS3 islands, or the newer bunch of the old islands. 🏝Plus, it also comes with the create-your-own-world Realms.

You’ll also have the Flash version of Home Island (with summer scenery), which includes Amelia greeting you on a bridge, your clubhouse and Realms portal at the top, the New You customization building to the left (plus the movie theater, closed), and the daily spin wheel, store, pet barn, and Blast-off Arcade to your right.

In terms of features, it’s almost like going back to the 2020 version of Poptropica. You’ll get to access the Costumizer (on all islands, not just PoptropiCon), the crate menu, and the inventory layout with the item cards in two rows and horizontal scrolling. You can also visit common rooms and buy older store items, but can’t access the friends feature nor play in full screen — though it’s still bigger than the desktop version.

Since you’ll need to login to your Pop account, everything’s connected to your save data from Haxe (desktop) Poptropica (formerly Flash) and the mobile app, which means you’ll have all your store items, costumes, pets, clubhouse layout(s), island progress, credits, etc.

Is Poptropica on Steam worth the price? Do we recommend it?

At the risk of sounding like a cop-out answer, it depends! If you can swallow the US$19.99 price tag (varies by country), and are wondering if this is where you want to spend it, these are our recommendations:

👎 If you have Flashpoint (requires some setup): No

You might know that you can revisit these islands and more with Flashpoint, the fan-run preservation project, which is already free. All it needs is a bit of setup on a computer (Windows will be easier, while Macs might take more work, and Chromebooks are not compatible).

Flashpoint might occasionally glitch out, but if it works for you, then this Steam bundle won’t add anything new beyond Realms and the minimal changes in Monster Carnival. And if you’re looking to play the oldest of old islands, like Astro-Knights or Super Power, you’ll want Flashpoint, not Steam.

👌 If you have the pre-2022 Pop mobile app: Maybe

For those who have the pre-2022 Poptropica mobile app, the content will be similar — although you do gain Poptropolis Games, Mocktropica, Monster Carnival, Virus Hunter, and Realms, so long as you never update the app. Plus, if you just have the islands on mobile but want to play on the computer, the Steam bundle gives you that option.

👍 If you don’t have Flashpoint: Yes

Mac users will have to jump through more hoops to get Flashpoint working, so if you’d rather save yourself this effort, the Steam game offers an easier option (except for M1 Macs, which are not currently supported). If you can spare the cash, $20 adds up to about $1 per island, for about an hour of gameplay each, which seems like an OK deal.

Plus if you’ve updated your Pop app since 2022, this is also the only official way to access these old islands. Because of that, it should run more smoothly — if it doesn’t, you can always contact Pop support for a fix. You’ll also be supporting the development of Poptropica with this purchase. It’s true that these islands all used to be free, but alas, times have changed. Better a paid Poptropica than none at all?

That wraps up the PHB’s review of Poptropica on Steam! You can also read more reviews directly on Steam. Will you be getting the game? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

— the Poptropica Help Blog —