Howdy, Poptropicanos, my name is LJ! I’ve been playing Poptropica for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been blabbing about it here on the PHB for over 8 years. Wowie, the time sure goes by fast when you’re having fun. Beyond the realm of Poptropica, some of my hobbies include drawing, taking long strolls, collecting way too many cool things I don’t have room for, creating unique characters, and letting my imagination run wild in my daydreams. In real life, I tend to be pretty extremely shy, but online, I’m usually bursting with cheerful energy. Don’t be afraid to chat me up in the comments or on the PHC. Also, follow my IG and DeviantArt if you wanna!
-Gravatar icon by me!
-Background by napstachill
Greetings Poptropi-lympians! The Sensational Scavenger Hunt is now closed (although the Gifted Gladiators event is still open until the end of August 29!) And that means the tournament is coming to an end. You’ve all been hard at work trying to lead your teams to victory, so we thought you deserved a celebration at our Closing Ceremony!
The overall results of the games will be announced live on our Discord server, the PHC (Poptropica Help Chat) before being posted here on the blog.
In addition to the final scores being announced, plenty of fellow Poptropicans and some PHB authors will be chatting and partying it up in the Midas’ Gym common room on Mythology Island (if Poptropica decides not to crash). So, if you’re not already in the chat, you’ll definitely want to join so you don’t miss out!
Our event will take place on Saturday, August 31 @7pm Eastern / 6pm Central / 5pm Mountain/4pm Pacific (for all other time zones, check a time zone converter). In some parts of the world, it may be Sunday morning, September 1. Hope you’re excited! See you there.
For now, here are all of the clues (and medal) from last round’s Sensational Scavenger Hunt. Check the caption for each photo to see which page each clue led to. 😉
Answer: Monster Carnival Island GuideAnswer: Avatar Studio GiftAnswer: Look Book (ignore the typo 🤡)Answer: ComicsAnswer: Fortune Cookie QuotesAnswer: Haunted House GuideAnswer: About Answer: The Poptropica YearbookAnswer: LexiconAnswer: Merchandise Guide
Welcome back once again, Poptropicans, it’s time for the third and final round of the 2024 Tribal Tournament!(If you’ve been under a rock for the past few weeks and have no clue what we’re talking about, check out our previous posts, rounds 1 & 2.) Remember: Although the Brawny Brainiacs Bout is over, the first round—Gifted Gladiators—is open for the remainder of the tournament, so don’t hesitate to start creating now!
I now present the ✨ Sensational Scavenger Hunt! ✨
In this competitive game, you and your team will follow clues, hidden on different pages all over the blog, by answering questions relating to Poptropica.
Here’s how this works: Below, you’ll find your first clue that will hint to any given page here on the blog where the next clue is located. (For example—“A list of many themes and scores enhances islands even more”—would probably lead to the Pop Music page, where you’d find the next clue.) The clue could be anywhere on a page, so you might want to scroll through its entirety to find it.
There are a total of 10 clues you will need to decipher in order to complete this round. The first team to find the last clue and reach “the finish line” will earn 80 points. Second place will earn 70 points, third will get 60, and so forth. If any team doesn’t start the race at all, they won’t receive any points.
Unlike last time, this round will be a collaborative effort that will hopefully bring you and your tribemates closer together. We recommend discussing the clues in your designated tribe channel on the Poptropica Help Chat and to avoid talking about the clues in the comments section as to not ruin the purpose of the race.
Rules:You must go through all of the clues in order to finish the game. If you just so happen to stumble upon the finish line or any clue ahead of the position of where you actually stand in the game, then it will not count unless you have proof that you found the answers for the previous clue(s). We’ll need screenshots of all 10 clues and the finish line for you to earn points.
Join us on the PHC Discord to get involved in this final round!
P.S. Here are the answers to the last week’s Brawny Brainiacs Bout challenges if anybody was curious. 😉 How much could you solve?
Poptropica Word Search Challenge
Character Crossword Challenge
Decode-A-Message Challenge
Clue 1: A-M & N-Z, the first above and the latter below… Message: Gnyyl ub! Answer: Tally ho!
Clue 2: B is Y, G is T, and M is N Message: Gvoo nv blfi hvxivg, zmw r’oo gvoo blf nrmv! Answer: Tell me your secret, and I’ll tell you mine!
Clue 3: Take 8 steps backward (Tip: Use the alphabet as a clock, counterclockwise. When you pass “A” continue with “Z”.) Message: Izm gwc twwsqvo nwz awumwvm? Answer: Are you looking for someone?
Clue 4: Unscramble each word and follow the next step (#) Message: steeh(7), lilw(1), frasn(9), idr(4), on(2), eon(3), fo (6), deomdeslem(8), em(5)? Answer: Will no one rid me of these meddlesome narfs?
Clue 5: Take 2 steps forward and reverse the message (Tip: Use the alphabet as a clock. When you pass “Z” start again at “A”.) Message: ?rlckylpsmr jyzgpr cfr lg qsmgpmragt cz jjgu mfU Answer: Who will be victorious in the Tribal Tournament?
Welcome, Poptropicans of all tribes, to the second round of the 2024 PHB Tribal Tournament! (Not sure what’s going on here? Check out our announcement post.) Note: The first round, Gifted Gladiators, continues for the rest of the month, so keep submitting your amazing works of art.
We are now starting our Brawny Brainiacs Bout, and believe me, you’re going to need your thinking caps. Thinking helmets? 🪖
Unlike the Gifted Gladiators event, please send your answers for every challenge to your tribe representative on Discord through direct message, rather than your tribe channel on the Poptropica Help Chat—as to not spoil the fun for your tribemates. If you choose not to participate on Discord, you can contact us through email.
In this round, all of the puzzles are not an all-or-nothing deal, meaning you aren’t required to complete them to be eligible for earning points. Points earned will depend on how much of a certain puzzle is finished.
This round ends in one week (Wednesday, August 21) and comes in four different parts, so you won’t want to wait long to get a start. Let’s leap right into the games!
Poptropica Word Search Challenge
The rules here are pretty simple: locate as many Poptropica-related words on the grid as you can.
Each word you find will add 5 points to your overall score, meaning if you find all 24 words you’ll earn up to 120 points in this challenge, but no pressure! Here it is:
Tip: Open the image in a new tab to enlarge
You can submit your answers by bubbling/crossing out the answers or by simply listing them out. It’s up to you! 👍
Character Crossword Challenge
Directions: Fill the empty grid of crossing words using the clues on the right.
Down clues have answers that stretch vertically while across clues have answers that stretch horizontally. The clues are numbered, corresponding to the number of the answer on the grid. Once you think you’ve figured out an answer, make sure the name fits within the space provided on the grid. Each answer is a Poptropica character worth 10 points apiece. Let’s see if you can figure them out. 😉
Tip: Open the image in a new tab to enlarge
Like with the word search, it isn’t necessary to actually fill in the grid (although, you’re certainly welcome to!); Listing the answers will be just fine. 🙂
Decode-A-Message Challenge
This one is a major brain exercise for sure. Below are 5 messages written in gibberish along with a clue on how to decode each one into something that makes sense. Most of these are actual bits of dialogue from Poptropica, and they become increasingly more difficult as you go along. This round is called Brawny Brainiacs for a reason. 😁 Because of the difficulty of this challenge, each message you decode will earn you 20 points. And if you guess all five, you’ll earn a bonus 50 points!
Clue 1:A-M & N-Z, the first above and the latter below… Message 1: Gnyyl ub!
Clue 2:B is Y, G is T, and M is N Message 2: Gvoo nv blfi hvxivg, zmw r’oo gvoo blf nrmv!
Clue 3: Take 8 steps backward (Tip: Use the alphabet as a clock, counterclockwise. When you pass “A” continue with “Z”.) Message 3: Izm gwc twwsqvo nwz awumwvm?
Clue 4: Unscramble each word and follow the next step (#) Message 4: steeh(7), lilw(1), frasn(9), idr(4), on(2), eon(3), fo (6), deomdeslem(8), em(5)?
Clue 5: Take 2 steps forward and reverse the message (Tip: Use the alphabet as a clock. When you pass “Z” start again at “A”.) Message 5: ?rlckylpsmr jyzgpr cfr lg qsmgpmragt cz jjgu mfU
Pop The Difference Challenge
Another toughie! You may remember our Pop the Difference specials from many years ago here on the PHB. Well now, we’re repurposing the game for our Tribal Tournament as the last challenge in this round. Down below are the 8 common rooms of the Poptropolis tribes, but there’s a catch: there are two images for each one. Each pair contains 10 differences throughout. Some are easier to spot, while many others are more indistinct. Use the image compare slider to help you find all the differences.
You will earn 10 points for each difference you find. If you manage to find every difference from every photo, you will earn a big bonus worth 100 points!
When you submit your answers for this specific challenge, using pictures where the differences are circled would be preferred. If you can’t get a picture, try listing out each difference in detail so we know exactly what you’re talking about, otherwise you won’t get the points. This won’t be easy. You’ve been warned. 😅 (Tip: open both images for each common room in separate tabs by clicking on both sides of the slider & switch between both tabs to see smaller details)
Seraphim
Yellowjackets
Pathfinders
Wildfire
Flying Squid
Black Flags
Nightcrawlers
Nanobots
Believe it or not, you alone can earn a grand total of 1,150 points from this round if you complete every challenge! Can you imagine if two team members were able to accomplish this feat? That’s a lot for your tribe! But again, no pressure. With that said…
Bienvenue, Poptropi-lympians, to our 3rd quadrennial Tribal Tournament! (Throwbacks to our 2020 and 2016 tourneys.) While the Paris Olympics are wrapping up, the fun at the PHB is just beginning. 😄
It’s time for the 8 tribes of Poptropica to once again compete for tribal supremacy in a series of riveting challenges. If you don’t belong to a tribe yet, check out our Tribes page to see which one is just right for you.
The games will take place here on the PHB and our moderated Discord server, the PHC (Poptropica Help Chat). On the PHC, we’ll have special chat channels for each tribe. To join yours, visit the #rock-n-role channel on the PHC and select the emoji of your tribe of choice to join the tribe. (If you’re having trouble, message or tag a PHC staff member.)
Once you add your tribe role, you’ll be able to see your tribe’s exclusive chat channel. No one outside your tribe can see your tribe’s channel besides the staff. This space will act as a sort of headquarters where you and your teammates can hype each other up, discuss strategies, and help one another with any challenge you may be having trouble with. 🙌
Pick a Tribe role on the PHC’s role channelAccess your tribe-exclusive channel
Plus, each tribe will have a representative (a PHB staffer) who you can message with questions and concerns anytime. They are:
Let’s kick things off with our premier round—the Gifted Gladiators event!
Round 1: Gifted Gladiators 🖍🎶
To compete in this round, you must showcase your creative prowess by creating Poptropica fan art and sharing it with us.
🎨 All forms of art are eligible, whether it be literary, visual, musical, or architectural — ideas include poems, drawings, in-game costumes, crafts, food creations, etc. We’ve seen a bit of it all before!
⬆️ Anything you can dream up, share it in your tribe’s chat channel on the PHC as soon as possible. If you can’t join the chat, you can contact us in other ways as well.
✴️ Each creation will be worth 20 points. The more you send in, the more points you’ll rake in for your team! 👌 We won’t be giving points based on technical skill or expertise, but rather the spirit and effort put into your work.
🗓️ This round will take place throughout the entire month until the conclusion of the tournament, so you have lots of time to produce as many creations as you’d like.
I hope you’re excited, because I sure am! We can’t wait to see all of the spectacular works of art that our talented community always has to offer. 😁 For inspiration, check out this Community Creations post!
Yoohoo Poptropicans, it’s LJ here. Today I want to turn the clocks back 10 years and revisit the islands of 2013 with a ranking to celebrate the anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been an entire decade!
I have an inkling my list will differ from most people’s opinions so I’m very excited to get into it and start discussing with you all. Let’s pop in.
(Disclaimer: This is not a full review for each island, so each analysis will be kept brief.Links to the synopses will be included throughout the commentary if you need more context.)
#5: Mocktropica Island 🖥️
Mocktropica Island was released for all players in January of 2014, but was first available to members on December 19, 2013, so it’s technically a 2013 and a 2014 island. With that said, I’ll be including Mocktropica in this list since 2014 has plenty of islands to rank as it is.
Now, don’t get me wrong ⎯ Mocktropica is a pretty neat island. The concept is wicked cool,and it was executed nicely in my opinion. I’m one to appreciate a good meta reference here and there, so without surprise, an island filled with them at every turn totally appealed to me. Initially, I found this island to be pretty cool and very funny. It’s not so bizarre like Timmy Failure Island, but I think it’s just zany enough to appeal to most players of all ages.
The reason I rank it last on my list, however, is because I’m pretty sure this is the island I’ve played the least from this year, so I don’t remember it as much as the other ones at this point. Plus, the main joke of the island ⎯ “Poptropica is under new management, and it’s falling apart at the seams!” ⎯ so heavily resonates with the current state of the game today, and it just hits too hard. It’s no longer tongue-in-cheek humor and retrospectively thinking, it just feels like a sad foreshadowing of what was to come.
#4: Night Watch Island 🛍️
Night Watch Island was the first official island released in 2013, and it was first available to members on February 21. It was released for everyone the next month on March 14.
I’ll be honest, Night Watch was never the most entertaining island (gameplay wise) for me back then. The back and forth travelling felt a little too redundant in this island specifically, and with being released right after Zomberry, this one didn’t feel as epic. The things I do like about the island, though, are enough to redeem it and to not put it in last place.
It was pretty cool having a job in this one, and although you’re pretty much in solitude almost the entire time, it doesn’t feel lonely. I think that has something to do with all of the signs, toys, pets, robot dummies etc. all around you in the mall. I also can’t forget to mention little Eddie, the coral snake. Somehow, he steals the show for me, and I think he’s hilarious.
Also, I just really like shopping and malls in general, and I’m practically obsessed with Scooby-Doo ⎯ so I greatly appreciated the reference at the end when the culprit says “And I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for this meddling security guard!” Speaking of references, there are loads of them throughout Nightwatch to other Poptropica islands & characters (similar to Mocktropica), but also to real life stores & movies as well! What the island doesn’t bring in gameplay it definitely brings in super fun reference hunting.
#3: Back Lot Island 🎬
Back Lot Island came out for members on April 4, 2013 and for non-members later in the month on April 25, 2013.
This island was fantastic to me since I’ve always been interested in movie & television magic. Every time I played it as a kid, I really felt like I was making a movie. There is a bit of that back and forth travelling like I mentioned in Night Watch, but I don’t think it’s as bad in this island. To be honest, I actually enjoyed driving the go cart in the Grand Majestic Studios lot (in aerial view) and running up & down Sunset Blvd. As fun as a mall can be, I think the scenery in this island is even more captivating.
It was also very satisfying seeing all of your work come together when the movie plays in the theater at the end ⎯ although it didn’t make much sense to me. 😂 On top of all that, the paparazzi photographing me like I was a celebrity when I first landed on the island gave me a huge ego boost. Just kidding!
#2: Zomberry Island 🧟
Zomberry Island was first released on December 19, 2012 for members but released for everyone a month later on January 10, 2013. Because 2012 is the year with the most islands to rank already, I’ll be including it in the 2013 list instead ⎯ kind of like I did with Mocktropica.
I recognize that I may be a little biased with this one, but I don’t think it takes away from the greatness that this island is. Zomberry is the first island I played with my little cousins when I introduced them to the game. It was a proud moment. I’ve lost count of the number of times I played through this apocalyptic adventure (and watched the trailer before its release) so it’s super nostalgic.
The atmosphere is dark and chilling, but the characters are quite colorful despite that. This is a nice contrast that makes for a nice setting. Samuel Brains’ look is a whole vibe and DJ Saturday Night is just as about iconic as Shark Boy Guy in my opinion. Abe may not be as quirky and lively as the others, but he’s certainly memorable, nonetheless.
For me, Zomberry definitely deserves the silver. In fact, it was almost first but that honor went to… 🥁🥁🥁
#1: Virus Hunter Island 🧬
Virus Hunter Island was released for members on August 29, 2013, and on September 26, 2013 for everybody else.
I’ll admit, the environment isn’t exactly the cure for queasiness (and I imagine anybody with anatomophobia ⎯ or anything similar ⎯ would really not like this one), but it is very unique; I’ll give it that. It’s almost otherworldly even with-it taking place inside a body and all.
Virus Hunter was notorious for many years to be filled with irritating glitches. I remember experiencing some myself, but luckily it wasn’t anything more than any other island, so for that I feel pretty lucky. In addition to the glitches, I think the island was pretty long and challenging as it is; I’m sure a lot of us got stressed out at the time. You’re probably even wondering why this is my top pick of the year.
Well, now that we see what the game has come to ⎯ with islands that feel more suited towards kids who are still learning their shapes and colors ⎯ that stress is sorely missed. I really want new challenging islands like this again! This one was overall very fun, adventurous, and exciting to me. A very grand experience I must say.
That concludes my ranking of these islands that are now ten years old. 🥺 It was bittersweet writing this one, I won’t lie. I’m the type of person who often gets emotional about the past and Poptropica is no exception. Anyway, what is YOUR ranking of the Poptropica islands of 2013? Please share your lists with me! Commentary or no commentary, I’d love to read them.
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