Hello! I'm Slanted Fish, the editor-in-chief and creator of the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB). I'm a writer, Hong Kong native, and Christ follower. My Poptropica username is slantedfish 🐠 Don't forget to be awesome!
This is a guest post by Tiff on why Poptropica should focus more on their older players.The following is the writer’s opinion only. Enjoy!
Hi, I’m Tiff, and I want to talk about a few things—but most importantly, the idea that Poptropica should gear the game toward older kids.
Despite the fact that Poptropica bills itself as a children’s game, fewer and fewer young kids are interested in Poptropica these days. In fact, if you look at the PHB’s surveys, you’ll find that the majority of players are 13 and up (at least, the majority of who read this fan site are teens and young adults).
If the Creators want to keep Pop going, they’ll need to create content suitable for the audience they have and expand on that, rather than holding onto the past ideal of being suited for kids. They need to grow with their fanbase, so that they’re not left behind by their competitors.
After all, Poptropica is my favorite game, and I really want it to stay. Plus, with an evolving games market, and a growing trend for augmented or virtual reality, I wonder if they can explore that avenue further.
And as we know, Poptropica has been putting a little too much emphasis on Membership. I know they’ve been working on the Islands, and bringing the old ones back, but they really should be available to all players, not just members. This post isn’t necessarily about the paywall, but more on the fact that the Creators seem to only orient their game for a subset of players that they find more valuable—whether that’s members or younger kids—rather than focusing on the majority of who’s already here: the non-members and the older players. I’m here to say, Creators, focus on who your players are now, not who they used to be, and expand from there.
Creators: grow with the game, and grow with the times. We are not kids anymore, we’re teens and young adults. Poptropica’s demographic has changed, so let’s change the game with it. It’s supply and demand: the demand is the older demographic, the little kids who aren’t so little anymore, who’ve grown up with Poptropica and have stuck around for the fun and nostalgia. And the supply is Poptropica, which needs to adapt for this crowd which seems to make up the majority of our community these days.
Let’s be a little less forceful in trying to promote our game to a younger audience, who seem to have already moved on to other things—after all, there’s not much a new player can do on Poptropica these days as they’re locked into a Haxe account with few islands—and perhaps, with careful consideration for the older demographic (and particularly our desire for islands with deep storytelling), Poptropica’s demand may rise again.
Hope you enjoyed this Pop Petition guest post by Tiff! If you did, be sure to check out our other Pop Petition posts on the PHB, as well as our series on the topic of Poptropica and Age.
The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. You can find some tips and guidelines on our page on how to Write for the PHB, and share blog posts on the PHC.
📰 If you have an idea for a PHB post, send it in! ✨
Lights? Check. Internet connection? Check. Dr. Beev—wait, come again?
This weekend, we hosted the Poppies, our annual fan-directed Poptropica awards event, in celebration with the PHB’s 12th birthday. And what an event!
Despite the lack of Multiverse rooms (that feature disappeared a while back), just a few classic head-to-head mini-games to play (only Balloons, Sky Dive, and Star Link remain), and our decision to forego the traditional livestream in favor of concentrating our energy on announcing Poppies winners via our PHC Discord chat server, we had fun in the presence of emojis of all kinds (including the beloved Dr. Beev, the Dr. Hare/beaver parody from Mocktropica Island) and hit up the Party Time Tower on Time Tangled and Midas Gym on Mythology to shake the floors with our stellar outfits and groovy dance moves.
But enough about that, right? You want to know who won, and we’re here to bring you the highlights. Our winners for the 2020 Poppies are…
🏆 Gameplay Awards
OG Island We’ll Miss Most: Astro-Knights Island (runner-up: Mystery Train)
Best Pet Accessory: Buccaneer Hat (runner-up: Flower Headband)
Best Clubhouse Decor: Poptropica blimp (runner-up: Fox)
Best Home Island Makeover: Halloween (runner-up: Wizardry)
Best Quippy: 24 Carrot (runner-up: Escape From Pelican Rock)
Best Default Character: Old School (runners-up: Love Star and Girl Power)
Worst Paywall Offender of the Year: Classic islands return for members only (runner-up: Store items that used to be for all return as members only)
🏆 Community Awards
Popular Poptropican: idk*, creator of the Old Island Directory and admin on the Poptropica Club Discord server (*in acknowledgement of winning the award two years in a row, idk handed the title to noveen, one of this year’s nominees and fellow admin on the Poptropica Club) (runner-up: Thinknoodles, YouTuber known for Poptropica walkthroughs)
Best Fan Art of the Year: “Endgame” by Magniventris (runner-up: “Untitled” by anne14tco)
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2020 Poppies!! 🏆 And if you’re interested in knowing the rankings of each nominee, head on over to the PHC and check out the pinned messages to scroll up in the chat. We’ll leave the pins for some time, but not forever, so check them out while you can.
As an added bonus, here’s a quick thank-you video from Theo of Dimension Bros, whose channel won Best Fan Video (you may recall the PHB’s spotlight post for them last month). Thanks for celebrating with us! 🥳
🎨 “Best Fan Art of the Year” Nominee Gallery
We’re always impressed by what this fandom produces. To celebrate that, we’re showcasing our top nominees for this year’s “Best Fan Art” award:
Thanks to all of you who nominated, voted, came out for the Poppies awards show—and most of all, for being part of the Poptropica community in ways big and small. 💙 Also, happy birthday to the PHB! 🥳 We’re grateful to you, dear reader, for your part in making these 12 years so special.
A minute of beauty onstage is years of work offstage. Now let’s pick up those Dr. Beev emojis littered all over the blue carpet and get it rolled back up!
Hey Poptropicans, you need look no further for the news—and this time, it’s all about the looks. Let’s pop in.
First, new store items are here! Poptropica actually missed last week, which is the first time that’s happened since they made the store rotations weekly.
The non-costume categories haven’t changed since the last rotation, so only the store’s costumes are pictured above. This week’s items are:
Costumes: Lumberjerk (male and female), Boho Chic*, Furry Monster 4 (two different versions)*, Magician (male and female)*, Friendly Face Masks, Mud Pie, Rockstar, Mech Pilot*, Clown, Pig#, Bottle Cap#, Ringmaster*, Cool Boy Plush#, Shark Plush*, Milk Box#
Followers: Deer, Dryad, Dolphin*, Mini Astroknight*
As is the norm these days, about half of the store stock is for members only. Still, both non-members and members have the chance to snag some great deals with several items at 75 credits (marked with #): the Pig, Bottle Cap, and Milk Box costumes, plus the Cool Boy Plush and Coconut Drink.
Interesting detail: the handheld plushie of the Shark Tooth Island character previously known as Shark Boy before his erasure is not called “Shark Guy” as he later came to be known, but now, the item is simply “Shark Plush” despite not being a shark but rather a dude in a shark suit. 🦈
If you’re playing in Haxe, you may also notice that a couple of NPCs have gotten makeovers! The person in front of the store is now a golden-haired girl, and the lady by the New You building has gotten a glow-up.
That’s not all that’s new in looks. If you head over to the home page to create a new character with one of the default picks, you’ll be taken to a screen where you can further customize your character before diving into the game.
We’ve seen this orange customization screen before, back before “pick a character” became a thing. And new players can still access it by speaking to Amelia, the girl on the Home Island bridge. But it’s interesting to now have it show up right after picking a default character design, when it seemed the whole point of that was to skip the step of customization from the beginning.
However, when the “pick a character” update first rolled out, players had commented on how it took away from the fun of carefully crafting one’s character right from the get-go. For them, this reversion may be a welcome update. But having both a simplified selection screen and a customization screen seems odd—what about the new player who carefully selects a default character only to realize it could’ve been altered all along? Will this inclusion of both features be temporary?
Speaking of customization, there’s been a startling development: the beloved Costumizer tool—the green shirt button which allows you to “steal” clothing parts from other characters—has disappeared from most areas in Haxe. Will it return, or are the Creators sabotaging the fun in yet another way? We can only hope this is temporary, but it’s hard to tell…
No more Costumizer in Haxe!
Except in common rooms like the arcade…
…and on PoptropiCon Island, where it’s essential.
That’s all for this post. Be sure to check out our previous posts to catch up on other Poptropica news, and see you at the Poppies this weekend! 🏆
Hey Poptropicans—we’re taking another look into Poptropica’s post-Flash future. In case you missed it, we took a deep dive on the subject back in January, and again in February when Poptropica put out their own State of the Game address. And, of course, we’ve been following along with the latest developments in Poptropica’s Haxe Javascript build.
The Haxe engine is the future of Poptropica. It looks a lot like the old Flash engine, but it’s kind of starting over from scratch.
Ever since the Haxe build launched earlier this year, there’s been at least one glaring issue: Poptropica accounts on Haxe are separate from the accounts used in the Flash version. So in this post, we’re asking the big question: What will happen to our Poptropica accounts post-Flash? Here’s what we know so far.
Why are Flash and Haxe accounts separate?
Adobe Flash and Haxe Javascript are separate technologies. Flash is the older engine that’s about to have its plug pulled, while Haxe is the newer platform where Poptropica is working on moving the game. So far, Poptropica hasn’t made a way to connect accounts from Haxe and Flash together, perhaps due to tech limitations. So each account can only play in either Flash or Haxe.
However, there does seem to be some continuity available between the two. When Poptropica made the classic islands available to members in June*, players logging in from their accounts in Haxe could (and still can) head over to Early Poptropica to play the old islands in Flash. (*Non-members: check out the Old Island Directory to play the classics.)
Players have to log in again through the old Flash login screen, but once they do, they may notice that their Haxe character’s outfit will transfer over (for the most part). So perhaps a connection is possible… at least for one’s #OOTD.
My character in Haxe. The hummingbird’s wings don’t flap like they used to in Flash.
My character on an old island in Flash, after hopping on the blimp in Haxe!
How do I know if I’m in Flash or Haxe?
If your account was made before early 2020 when Haxe launched, it would be a Flash account, meaning that when you log in, your account would be in the Flash version of Poptropica.
You can tell based on a couple things: (1) there are more islands on the map (stretching back to islands released in 2013, when they were first made with sound and a newer version of Flash), and (2) there’s a daily spin wheel for credits on Home Island. As a bonus, you may also have some items or (especially rare) clothing parts that haven’t appeared in Haxe yet (though many store items have been converted to Haxe by now).
Daily spin wheel in Flash
Daily login rewards in Haxe
If your account was made after Haxe launched in early 2020, chances are, you’re on a Haxe account. As with Flash, you can tell by (1) seeing how few islands there are on the map (as of this writing, Mythology Island is coming soon), and (2) instead of the daily spin wheel, you’ll see a pop-up for daily login rewards of incremental credits. But there is a possibility for a Haxe-made account to enter the Flash dimension…
Can you switch from a Flash account to Haxe, and vice versa?
You can turn a Haxe account into a Flash account by logging in to the Poptropica mobile app. However, you can’t reverse this, and so, on the flip side: if yours is a Flash account, it can’t switch over to Haxe. Unless…
There is a way around this, but the method isn’t from Poptropica: you can idk’s unofficial Old Island Directory’s Format Loader to switch between the two.
How do you create a Flash account? And a Haxe account?
As mentioned above, you can convert an account to Flash just by logging into the Poptropica app. After that, Flash accounts will stay in Flash no matter what platform you use to log in.
When you create a new account via desktop computer on Poptropica.com, it will be in Haxe. Right now, Haxe accounts can only be made on a computer.
Will I keep my username and player name from Flash?
There’s no guarantee we’ll get to keep our usernames or player names from Flash after it’s gone. However, if you try to create an account on Haxe with a username that’s already taken by a Flash account, you won’t be able to. So it seems the collection of unique usernames between both platforms is shared. This could mean that as Flash nears its end, Poptropica may automatically switch all accounts to Haxe, or they may simply purge all Flash accounts (and usernames). Just speculating, though.
As for player names, we’ve previously noted how, with Haxe, player names don’t seem to be an important feature. Unlike the many combinational name possibilities we had on Flash, with Haxe there is only the small selection from the default characters on the home page—at least for now. But right now, there’s no indication Flash player names will transfer.
Picking one’s player name was a standard feature in Flash.
Another detail worth noting is that with Haxe, you can’t save usernames with punctuation marks. It might not feel like a big deal, but some Flash players may recall this as a method to claim an account with an otherwise common name without having to resort to adding a string of numbers.
So, what will happen to our Poptropica accounts after Flash is gone?
The short answer is: we don’t know for sure yet. Maybe we’ll get to keep our usernames, and as mentioned, there is some indication that at least our current outfits can be connected from Flash to Haxe.
As for the other stuff from our Flash days—like lists of friends, island medallions, costume closets—there’s no guarantee they’ll carry over.
The old friends page in Flash, showing off player medallions, costume closets, album photos, other friends’ pages, and more.Its redesign isn’t quite the same.
Poptropica hasn’t commented about this issue yet. But they’re working hard to bring a lot of the items we know and love from Flash to Haxe. Even if they’re not able to get everything (there have been a TON of items and customization options in the past decade, spanning many islands and characters), there’ll be plenty to play with. And they own all their artwork, so with more time, even after Flash, they may keep bringing things back.
Classic store items from the Flash era, like the Hot Dog costume, have recently resurfaced in Haxe.
So if you have a Flash account with years of energy put into it, enjoy what you’ve built while it lasts, and maybe save some pictures for the memories.
And if you’re planning to keep playing after 2020, consider starting a Haxe account now to build up your collection of items, credits, and more — just be careful to avoid the app, which would switch it to a Flash account.
What comes next? Stay tuned and join us for the ride. May the Poptropica spirit stay alive in the years to come. ✨
Hey Poptropicans, it’s that time of the year… THE POPPIES are here! 🌟
🏆 What are the Poppies? 🏆
The Poppies are an annual Poptropica community awards event, hosted by Poptropica fans for Poptropica fans. This will be our sixth year celebrating, and as always, we welcome you to participate in the festivities and tell us where you think the spotlight deserves to shine in all things Poptropica.
First, we begin with the nomination round where you get to nominate your favorite picks for certain award categories. This round starts now and will end next Friday, July 10. It’ll be followed by a voting round, then culminate into a Poptropica party — more details to come! 🎉 But first, the it’s time to make some preliminary picks by nominating…
Part 1: The Nomination Round
Today marks the start of the nomination round. Each award category will be announced and described below.
To keep the nominations a surprise, you’ll be putting your choices in our surveyanonymously. However, you’re welcome to leave a comment in support of your choices. Maybe you’ll convince people to pick your faves, too!
Poptropica Gameplay Awards
🏝 OG Island We’ll Miss Most: We’re saying goodbye to a lot of islands by the end of this year, and there’ve been a ton of good ones over the years. Of all the OG classic islands, which epic adventures will you miss most?
🐶 Best Pet Accessory: Funky eyes? Fancy styles? The pet barn’s store has got all kinds of accessories for your beloved pets to wear. Which of these bling-blings is your favorite thing to complete your pet’s look? Is it the wings, or something else that clings?
🏠 Best Clubhouse Decor: Trampolines or lamps, basic or glitzy… the clubhouse decor store is full of fun home items with which to decorate your player-owned clubhouse. Which of these objects do you consider a must-have for any custom space?
🌳 Best Home Island Makeover: In this past year alone, Poptropica’s gotten pretty inventive when it comes to the appearance of Home Island. We’ve seen summer, (a very long) winter, wizardry, Halloween, fall, and spring. Which of these exterior designs was best? (All are nominated by default.)
🤖 Best Quippy: Common rooms on the Haxe build of Poptropica recently got a little upgrade in the form of an adorable android named Quippy, who sells wares related to the island where the common room is located. There aren’t many Quippys yet, but whether it’s the custom outfit or the items being sold, which of these little guys beats the rest? (All are nominated by default.)
🤩 Best Default Character: Earlier this year, Poptropica redid their home screen so new players could quickly hop into the game by picking any of the new default characters: Wild Fire, Pink Crush, Got Game, Old School, Cool Slice, Girl Power, Fast Ride, and Love Star. Out of this gang, who’s the GOAT? (All are nominated by default.)
“Fast Ride”
🤑 Worst Paywall Offender of the Year: Ah, the paywall of Poptropica membership. For those of us who can’t (or won’t) drop ~US$3.50 a month (and that’s most of us) for the privileges of monthly gifts, extra items, and even extra islands, we love to hate it. But in the past year, where did Poptropica go too far in its declaration of “members only”? Was it the time they locked away the player-designed Lightning Wielder, or perhaps the classic islands? Did they design a member gift you were just so envious of but couldn’t get your hands on? Or maybe a store item that used to be for all, now isn’t? Now’s your chance to make a statement.
Community Awards
😎 Popular Poptropican: Many awesome Poptropicans make up our community, whether they’re frequent commenters, fan artists, bloggers, YouTubers, or just someone well known in the online Poptropica world. But who should we recognize as this year’s Popular Poptropican?
🎨 Best Fan Art of the Year: Browse through the past year’s Community Creations posts and our We-Love-Poptropica DeviantArt group for tons of masterfully made pieces of Poptropica fan art, and tell us your favorites! (Anything published from July 26, 2019 onwards is fair game.)
📺 Best Fan Video of the Year: Poptropicans have gotten pretty creative with video in the past year, and we’ve highlighted some here on the PHB, too. Whether it’s YouTube or TikTok, a let’s-play or a deep discussion, let us know which Poptropica vids stood out to you this year (and please share the link!). (Anything published from July 26, 2019 onwards is fair game.)
Once again, the nomination round starts now, so be sure to fill out our survey and let us know who/what you think is deserving of the awards! Please limit your nominations to a max of three per award. Also, you’re not required to nominate for every category, though it is encouraged. 🙂
The voting round starts nextSaturday on July 11, and next week’s poll options will be made up of this week’s most popular nominations. So be sure to check back in a week to cast your votes, but in the meantime…
🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺 