We’ve got a good hunch on this one, although the Creators’ Blog hints that this could “be applied to two other islands.” Besides the seemingly obvious, we might venture a guess for PoptropiCon, with its hench-bots serving the robo-suited Omegon, or Game Show, where we’ve got to reverse a robot domination.
However, the Mega Fighting Bots reference (“Mega Bot-ched”) points us right in the direction of Mocktropica, once again an AS3 island.
…wait. Mocktropica?
How A Bot That: Nobody told these guys about Asimov’s three laws of robotics.
While a cult classic, Mocktropica has become notorious for its unintentional prediction of what Pop was soon to become. Many aspects of the story take a jab at the obsession with surface-level gaming gimmicks like costumes and pets, as well as removing any challenging elements.
Adding on references to former Pop Creatorswho had been let go by management, this island may be an odd (albeit welcome) addition to the pack. At least we can enjoy the pretty musical theme in-game again!
“Max McPatrick” was based on then-Pop Creator Mitch Krpata.Strap In: Concussion prevention starts with sensible headgear.
What do you think about the current Pop reviving this past island? Do you have ideas for other islands that could fit this riddle? Let us know, while I sulk in the corner about the Astro-Knights neglect!
We’re nearing the eleventh hour of the Steam island hints, and the eleventh hint is upon us! (Visit past hints here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.)
“You must resist a biteless bug that few can see or wait some time for reality.” Will you take the bait, or wait for an answer?
Among the fandom’s guesses, two popular candidates stand out as strong possibilities: Virus Hunter or Mocktropica. The “biteless bug” could be a virus or computer bug, while waiting for “reality” could refer to situations that emerged since the islands’ first releases: the Covid-19 global pandemic or Poptropica’s pivots towards gaming gimmicks. (But would the Creators be so bold as to put the latter out there?)
Fighting viruses gets my blood pumping.I kicked their bots.
However, we previously guessed both of these in hint #8! If it’s not one, it could be the other, which balances things out on both ends. Still, the vagueness of hint #8 also leaves room for other possibilities.
One option posited by Tough Spinner is PoptropiCon, which also follows the AS3 islands theory. Now that other episodic islands have been hinted at for Steam, PoptropiCon could be one of them — seeing as, following the eighth hint and the events of Episode 3, you solve a “puzzle” to save the Mighty Action Force heroes from Omegon, a “dire fate.”
Unmasked: A costume is good for what’s alien you.
Now that we’ve gotten a lot of guesses going, let’s take a moment to round up what we’ve got so far, if our guesses turn out right:
Fans following the AS3 islands theory have been checking off the list, and among those that remain are Monkey Wrench, Reality TV: Wild Safari, and any of the possibilities mentioned for hint #8 that turn out false. Then again, maybe this theory will be debunked at the reveal of the 13 Steam islands later on. Here’s hoping! 🤞
With two hints left to go, we’ll be following along to find out which ones make the cut, and which were just wishful thinking. Stay tuned!
Hey Poptropicans! After a brief hiatus for the holiday weekend (a belated blessed Easter if you celebrate! 🐇🥚), the Pop Creators are back with the next Steam island clue, store updates, and fan art features.
The tenth hint is an ad with some interesting criteria: “Adventurers Wanted! Must be familiar with: Search & Rescue, Fishing, Explosives, Heavy Lifting, Food service experience a plus.” 🧐
Can you think of an island that ticks off this whole list? Following the AS3 islands theory, Tough Spinner put forth a good case for Mystery of the Map: We “search & rescue” Octavian (or the kids), go “fishing” with a goblet, cause a rockslide with “explosives,” do “heavy lifting” with a big fur coat, and even serve food to hungry Vikings.
Chop to it.
Whether or not this guess is right, we’ll soon find out. (Btw, keep up with past Steam hints here: 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.)
In the meantime, we’ve uncovered another interesting detail about the upcoming Steam bundle. According to a Pop Creator’s reply to a comment on the official blog, players will be able to linkactive Poptropica accounts (as in desktop and mobile) on Steam! This could mean connecting credits, costumes, medallions, and so on. Cool!
Speaking of connecting adventurers with their outfits, the latest rotation at Adventure Outfitters on Home Island has sprung some fresh spring looks. Highlights include the Floral Spring Dress (350 credits), Jetpack (300), Fedora for pets (75), and more…
Rounding off this update, enjoy the latest displays of fan art from Poptropica’s Instagram stories! (Protip: Click the artists’ names to view originals, including animations for the Friday Night Funkin’ post.)
Just a few more clues to go as we guess the upcoming 13 Steam islands! (Keep up with past hints here: 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.)
The ninth hint has descended upon us like night: “Hidden behind the thrilling fun is a fowl affair. Step right up, if you dare.”
Only a few more clues remain! This fan favorite island will be returning to Steam… with a secret twist. Can you fuess the island AND predict the surprising turn of events? 🔮 pic.twitter.com/CeftoxeDsx
If you know your stuff, this one should be straightforward: our bets are on Monster Carnival! The island (which follows the AS3 theory) introduces you to the carnival (“thrilling fun”), with booths including a weight-guesser who implores you to “Step right up.” But as we soon learn, something’s not quite right: “hidden behind” the monstrosities is the bird-like Ringmaster Raven (“fowl affair”). 🎡🐦
pic: Thinknoodles
But note the caption of the hint post: there’s going to be a “secret twist” with this return! And based on past fandom chatter, we have an inkling of what that could entail.
Ringmaster Raven’s portrayal has been critiqued for playing into ugly stereotypes (including anti-Semitism and slavery), and he is given disproportionately unfair treatment when he is turned into a chicken to be a laughingstock by the townsfolk (who bullied him as a child and never repented). Here’s a fan video that covers the discourse:
Back in 2020, the PHB hosted a Q&A with Poptropica’s CEO Abhi Arya, where we asked how Poptropica might address the Monster Carnival critiques. In response, he shared:
I totally get it. This is definitely one of those instances where you know the intent doesn’t align with the issue and you have to ask, “How was this affected by implicit bias?” We’re actually auditing all the islands for this reason and have already revised Monster Carnival for its conversion to Haxe. I appreciate that players bring this to our attention. It’s the only way we can all collectively move forward in the right direction.
It’s been a while since that Q&A and we haven’t seen Monster Carnival return to Haxe, but it looks like we’ll be seeing it soon on Steam. Perhaps this time around, we’ll be getting a new look, character arc, and/or better ending for Raven, and maybe the townsfolk as well. We’ll see! 🤞
Poptropica’s pressing on, and we’re guessing on with clues for the upcoming Steam islands. (Keep up with past hints here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.)
The eighth hint appears to be the most enigmatic one yet: “Restore the puzzle to its natural state or face the consequences of a dire fate.”
This latest riddle is surprisingly vague after a week of fairly guessable clues, but let’s give it a try. While this could apply to lots of islands, the Pop Creators suggest focusing on the hint’s last words: “dire fate.” ⚠️
If we’re following the AS3 islands theory, outside of islands guessed from previous hints, there are still quite a few candidates. Perhaps it’s Virus Hunter, where you must restore Patient Zero to homeostasis before a virus spreads; or Monster Carnival, where you have to save the town from Ringmaster Raven’s hypnotic spell. Or could it even be Mocktropica — a dire fate not for human life, but a computer game?
MocktropicaVirus HunterMonster Carnival
Still others have speculated Time Tangled (fixing the timeline of history), which fits the clue well, but already exists in-game. It wouldn’t exactly be a “returning” island if it came to Steam, but it’s an AS3/SUI.
However, the vague clue leaves options open for older AS2 islands as well. Among the best of Pop classics, we might consider Zomberry, where we have to find the source of the zombie outbreak or risk succumbing to it; Super Villain, where we enter villains’ dreams and extract the source of their evil; Twisted Thicket, where we risk the destruction of a forest; Steamworks, where we crack puzzles that lead us to restoring humanity; Spy, where we rescue spies and prevent hair loss… and so many more! With so many possibilities, who knows? 🤔
SteamworksSpyZomberry
While we wait for islands both old and new, the Pop Creators are hosting a new challenge based on the upcoming Dream Island winner: the Secret of the Jade Scarab Fan Challenge! 🪲
All are invited to design an Egyptian artifact, which can be completely original or a redesign of a preexisting one. Submit your entries to Poptropica byThursday, April 28 at 8 p.m. PST for a chance to win big credit rewards. See the official blog for details »
At the same time, the monthly costume contest has kicked off. Design an outfit for a chance to get it in the game! April’s contest runs until Monday, April 25 at 8 p.m. PST. More details on the official blog »
Rounding off this post are the latest fan art features from Pop’s Instagram stories, including doodles of the many different emotional sides of the Black Widow from the PHB’s MaryannTheConqueror. Enjoy!
🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺 