• If You've Played VV2, a few things are the same as far as game functionality:

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  • You can still zoom around the map by using your keypad.

  • If you pick up a villager while he or she is in the midst of something, they will drop what they are holding or forget what they are doing.

  • Only children can pick up collectibles and mushrooms. If a child can't pick it up, then maybe it isn't actually a collectible, hmm? </yoda voice>

  • Teenagers can still start working around age 14; adults still have to be 18 to make babies. I was able to get a mid-40's female to make a baby, but no older. Your Parenting May Vary.

  • You can still occasionally get an older child to start learning a skill earlier than 14, especially if he or she was born with an aptitude.

  • Fire still affects health, and to get it started and keep it going is very similar to VV2.

  • No totems this time.

  • Swimming works the same.

• Food

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  • In the Short Term

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    There has to be something immediately available to feed your villagers, right?

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    It's buzzing right in front of your face.

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    There's honey in the beehive by the beach.

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    You just have to find a way to get rid of the bees to get to it.

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    Convenient how those torches are just lying there, isn't it?

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    With a flaming torch, you could smoke the bees away.

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    But a dead torch won't smoke, so you need to light it.

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    To start a fire, you need a safe place to do it, some fuel and some kindling.

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    The wood in the pile by the beach is always nice and dry.

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    There is some "very dry grass" near the waterfall; sounds like a good firestarter.

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    Warning: the hive runs out eventually, so you should be on the lookout for other sources of food.

  • In the Medium Term

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    You'll need more than one little hive of honey. And those sharks ruin your fishing chances.

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    That nice big loamy area seems to be suitable for planting.

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    And there's rain in VV3, so you won't need to worry about irrigation.

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    If only a seed would appear, so you could grow produce!

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    (It will. Right on the topsoil.)

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    Keep an eye out for other seeds in this spot. You can plant a couple more times.

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    The good news is that later you will get a tool to help you harvest seeds for planting.

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    The bad news is two-fold: it takes fruit trees a while to mature, and eventually, they will stop producing fruit, so you better be on the lookout for additional food sources.

  • In the Long Term

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    This will require you to get further into the game; you need to have completed Puzzle #3, and also have Level 2 Faction. I suggest you wait to read hints till you have just about maxed out your orchard and are doing fairly well at alchemy and tech points.

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    Solving your long-term food problem is also Puzzle #11, so go to Puzzle #11 hints.

• Fire

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  • Starting It

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    To start a fire, you need a safe place to do it, some fuel and some kindling.

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    The wood in the pile by the beach is always nice and dry.

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    There is some "very dry grass" near the waterfall; sounds like a good firestarter.

  • General Fire Tips

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    • Click on the fire and check the status bar to see how long it will burn.

    • You can't burn a villager, so don't worry about putting them on or near the fire.

    • The fire might signal to you for some interaction; keep an eye out.

    • After the first time, the torches don't behave like you would expect. You'll have to use the villagers and hope they remember how to use the torches.

    • A fire can be replenished with firewood, or restarted, at any time.

    • There are two ways you can get rid of a fire, should you need to do so: let it burn out, or put water on it.

• Parenting

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  • General Tips

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    • Remember that a nursing mother won't do any other chore but care for the baby, for two years -- so choose your mothers wisely.

    • If you check the Parenting skill box for a male villager, you run the risk that he'll just go around breeding with all the villagers he encounters, which eliminates your control over who's tied up with childcare. Let the ladies make all the first moves!

    • If there is a particular couple that you are having trouble getting to "go indoors," some alchemy can help you if you've reached that stage (you'll need Puzzle #3 completed:

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      There is a "feeling romantic" potion and a "feeling fertile" potion. Use wisely! The romance potion drinker will rush out and try to mate with the first adult he/she sees. The fertility potion seems to encourage immediate babies. Get the recipes from the Potion Recipe section.

• Skills

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  • General Worker Tips

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    • Always toggle on the activity preference for any particular job you want a villager to keep working on, or else he/she will lose interest and wander off. (Well, they do that sometimes anyway... but they seem to get the hang of things more quickly when their preference is set.)

    • Giving your villagers multiple abilities will insure that you are covered for the puzzles where you need two or more of a particular type of skilled worker.

    • If a villager has mastered a skill, but refuses to work on a project with that skill, there's a reason. Usually, it's that you need to level up with tech points in some category.

  • Building

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    • Builders seem to learn faster if you rotate them onto different projects occasionally.

    • Any restoration project will go faster if you put more builders on it, and faster again if they have higher skill levels.

  • Researching

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    • Keep an eye on the health of your scientists. Testing too many potions can weaken them. You can always test potions on other villagers too. }:)

    • If you can't get an untrained villager to stick with the researching, try sending them for herbs for a while. It keeps them occupied and returning to the lab.

    • Master scientists always earn more tech points for the same work.

    • Use children to collect your herbs; they're lightning-fast at delivery!

• Collectibles

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  • General Tips

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    • If you've spotted a collectible but don't have a child handy, the space bar (which pauses the game) is your friend.

    • Be aware of camouflaged items. Some collectibles are hard to spot in their natural environment.

    • If you find a collectible that a child can't pick up, try having an Adept or Master worker do it.

    • Duplicate collectibles still earn tech points.

    • The collectibles that are produced by nature will be found all over the place. But the collectibles that are man-made will only appear in one area, and won't start appearing immediately. So don't sweat those.

• Puzzle #1

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  Prerequisites: None.

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  Some of the Puzzle symbols in the grid are easy to identify, but this one doesn't match anything you can see.

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  But it is something that your villagers can do right away, at the first of the game.

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  In fact, it's best to just get it over with.

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  The answer is already among them, and merely needs to be identified.

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  The villagers need to figure out who their leader is.

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  Johnnie Cochran might say, "If it doesn't fit, you must not be it."

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  Check out the amphitheater.

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  Have the villagers try on the robe till you find the chief.

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  Click the mask to the left of the status bar to give you hints about the chief's abilities. Be sure to read the Leadership detail on the Tech page also.

• Puzzle #2

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  Prerequisites: A fire. If you've got any food in the bin, you've likely already solved this puzzle.

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  If not, you better hurry, so the villagers don't starve. It's buzzing right in front of your face.

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  There's honey in the beehive by the beach.

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  You just have to find a way to get rid of the bees in order to collect it.

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  Convenient how those torches are just lying there, isn't it?

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  If you could light them, you could smoke the bees away.

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  Warning: the hive runs out eventually, so you should be on the lookout for other sources of food.

• Puzzle #3

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  Prerequisites: An Adept Scientist

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  If you've tried to pick up any of the flowers and herbs lying around, you've been refused, along with the message that the alchemy lab is in ruins!

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  And have you tried to pick up those weird pots and other manmade items that are lying around? They aren't collectibles.

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  You need an adept scientist to gather those things up and put the lab back together.

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  There are five items total. You'll have to drop a villager on each one separately.

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  They are: a plain brown pot, a yellow and white pot, a red and white pot, a gray bowl with spoons, and a multi-colored stick-shaped item. No help on location -- the items are in a different place in each game.

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  Once you've found them all, watch your scientist put your lab back together.

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  Now you can use those herbs!

• Puzzle #4

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  Prerequisites: None.

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  It involves something in the grassy area to the far right of the village.

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  And not the orchid.

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  But there's only one other thing over there for a villager to see or notice.

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  And there's only one thing you can do with it.

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  Any villager can help clear leaves. The more you put on it, the faster it will go. It will take a while but you can watch the status in the bar.

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  This is also a great way to add builder skills to your villagers. There's nothing for you to do when the job is complete. Easy milestone!

• Puzzle #5

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  (Warning: this one is slightly frustrating -- because without seeking hints, it's impossible to be aware of.) Prerequisites: Level 2 Leadership, at least 2 Adept Farmers, and a completed Puzzle #1. You can come back to this one if you want, as no other puzzles are dependent on it.

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  What would you do if you were a primitive tribe and needed some rain?

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  Pray to the gods, maybe, or show some sort of sacrifice. Your chief would probably lead you.

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  Where would the chief do this kind of ceremony? Check all the places that a nature ritual might happen.

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  Drop your chief on the fire. He'll start to do a dance.

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  Of course he needs some villagers to help him.

• Puzzle #6

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  Prerequisites: Level 2 Restoration and 3 Adept Builders.

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  It's time to fix that broken machine in the orchard.

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  The better trained your builders are, the faster this will go. Also, if you bring your chief over to supervise, the builders won't get distracted.

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  If they are having trouble getting started, drop a builder so he sees the broken machine or lift.

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  They can repair the lift, but they can't operate it. It runs on nature's schedule.

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  The lift runs on gravity... and there's no way for your villagers to fill the bucket with weight.

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  When it starts to rain, you can put a villager on the lift's platform. When the bucket fills with rainwater, it will raise the villager to access the tree above.

• Puzzle #7

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  Prerequisites: Level 2 Restoration

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  Have you noticed those loose stones to the right of the staircase, by the broken bath? (number 2 on your keypad)

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  It's rubble that needs to be cleared. The better trained your builders are, and the more you use of them, the faster this will go. Also, if you bring your chief over to supervise, the builders won't get distracted.

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  It takes a really long time. But something exciting happens in the interim:

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  Collectible tablet pieces will start to appear.

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  When you're done clearing the rubble, you should have a big hole in the ground. Send someone down to check it out.

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  Don't worry if you forget part of the story: you can "replay" it by sending someone into the cave again.

• Puzzle #8

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  Prerequisites: Level 2 Restoration and a Master Builder

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  By now you've seen the broken bath, a project "too difficult without plans."

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  So have a builder draw up some plans.

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  There's only one good place to really draw up plans:

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  the chalkboard in the lab.

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  Drop a Master Builder on the chalkboard.

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  Once he draws up plans for the bath, you can put your builders onto this project.

• Puzzle #9

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  Prerequisites: Level 3 Restoration, Level 3 Leadership, completed Puzzle #8, a Chief, lots of trained builders

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  You need a Master Builder to draw up some new plans.

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  And you'll need the Chief or a Master Builder to do some site preparation.

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  What happens when you fly a Chief or Master Builder over the top of the path?

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  They will "see a good place to anchor the statue." Drop a Master Builder on that spot.

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  He or she will build the scaffolding.

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  Then, you can start bringing builders onto the statue. They need to be supervised, though.

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  Make sure your chief is there to direct the work. It takes a really long time to execute this.

• Puzzle #10

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  Prerequisites: Completed Puzzle #6

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  If you have a tree growing in the dark soil already, you've begun this puzzle.

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  If you've had a villager plant the other two seeds that fell after using the lift two times, you've done all you can on this puzzle.

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  Now you're growing an orchard. When the trees mature and bear fruit, you've completed it.

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  You can keep sending villagers up on the lift if you want, but they won't plant the seeds that fall; they'll just put them in the food storage.

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  Sadly, the lift can't be used for anything else.

• Puzzle #11

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  Prerequisites: Completed Puzzle #3, and Level 2 Faction (Nature or Magic)

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  It's time to tap the ocean for some sustainable food source.

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  You can deal with the sharks via alchemy.

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  Specifically, with a potion.

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  And one of the ingredients is the magic 6th herb that was revealed to you after you leveled up in your faction.

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  The potion recipe is Orchid + Orchid + 6th herb (for Nature Faction), or Rose + Rose + 6th herb (for Magic Faction).

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  Have a scientist make the potion, then use it.

• Puzzle #12

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  Prerequisites: Level 3 Medicine, a completed Puzzle #8, and a Master Doctor

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  It's time to use those odd receptacles around the top of the bath.

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  Put a Master Doctor near or in the bath, and let him/her work.

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  Ah! Pretty lotus blossoms near the bath!

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  Only, you didn't get a "completed puzzle" pop-up, so clearly there's more to do.

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  Turn the flowers into incense.

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  By burning them.

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  Yes, it would seem to make sense to take your doctor back to the torches by the beehive. But those don't work anymore.

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  But how can your villager get fire to the bath?

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  Apparently, the good doctor is carrying a torch in his pocket (ahem). So, just drop him on the fire.

• Puzzle #13

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  Prerequisites: Time. There's nothing else you can to do to bring this one on.

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  Have you noticed that your fire appears to be sparkling?

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  If not, you're not ready for this one. You can't go looking for this; it can only be found by accident.

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  One way or the other, your fire needs to go out.

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  You could let it die out, or you could put it out somehow.

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  If your fire is sparkling and you don't want to wait for it to go out, or if you just want to see if your fire is ready for this puzzle,

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  drop a villager onto the waterfall. If they just get a drink of water, you're not ready.

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  But if they collect a bowl of water to dump on the fire: hurrah! Keep them doing it till your fire is out. Something of value lies under there.

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  There is a diamond gem in the ashes.

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  Does the shape look familiar?

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  It ought to: it matches the door at the top of the path.

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  You can either cool the gem with water, or with time.

• Puzzle #14

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  Prerequisites: Completed Puzzle #3

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  So if you had something up high that you needed a villager to reach...

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  And you couldn't use that primitive ol' lift...

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  How could you get them up there? They won't stack up on each others' shoulders.

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  But maybe a really bouncy villager could jump.

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  There is a potion that makes a villager better at jumping.

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  It's Rose + Cactus + Lotus.

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  Have a scientist make the potion, then have a villager use it.

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  Once he or she feels "light and springy," drop him right under the pink gem on the cliff by the orchard.

• Puzzle #15

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  Prerequisites: A Chief, a Master Builder, a Master Scientist, and a completed Puzzle #9.

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  Once the statue was completed, did you find anything of interest?

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  It looks like a collectible. Only, a child couldn't pick it up.

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  Under the statue is an "irregular pearl" that needs to be shaped.

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  A skilled builder could do it... possibly with the help of some water.

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  Have a Master Builder take the pearl to the waterfall until it's smooth.

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  Now you've got a nice round light blue pearl.

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  But it isn't very shiny. Could you have someone polish it?

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  Someone with the appropriate chemicals and tools to clean it up?

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  Have a Master Scientist pick up the smoothed pearl to polish it.

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  Now what? There is a round hole remaining in the green door at the top of the path. Is this pearl the third key?

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  Doesn't seem like it... but could it possibly be a *decoy* for the third key?

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  That giant clam has a pearl too... but it's kind of a mean clam.

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  Maybe a leader could talk it into swapping.

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  Have your chief take the new blue pearl out to the clam on the reef.

• Puzzle #16

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  Prerequisites: Completed Puzzles #13, 14, 15

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  [I am very sorry to report that I played a test version of VV3, which had a bug that prevented one from reaching the final puzzle. I can't help you with hints here; all I have is a walkthrough tip... which might spoil your experience by revealing the ending. I am currently trying to re-play to the end in order to correct this. But, proceed at your own risk from here! ~ pineapple]

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  Once you have the three keys in the door, a special room will appear.

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  Put a villager on the farthest left position of the sun dial.

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  Wait for the sun.

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  Have a villager interact with the people that appear.

• The Shark Solution

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  Orchid + Orchid + Pitcher Plant (for Nature Faction), or Rose + Rose + Berry (for Magic Faction)

• "Light and Springy"

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  Rose + Cactus + Lotus

• "Much Healthier"

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  Cactus + Cactus + Lotus

• "Feels Romantic"

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  Rose x 3

• "Feels Fertile"

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  Rose + Rose + Cactus, also Rose + Lotus + Lotus

• "Much Healthier"

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  Cactus + Cactus + Lotus

• HUGE List of Potions (major spoilers!)

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  Spreadsheet of potions

• those light blue flowers with green leaves, sprinkled all around the village?

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  Nothing. Sometimes a pretty flower is just a pretty flower.

• those white flowers with yellow centers, sprinkled all around the village?

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  Nothing. Sometimes a pretty flower is just a pretty flower.

• the mountain?

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  Nothing. Just a mountain.

• rainy season?

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  Nothing, really. This is a notice that doesn't always appear, but when it does it simply signals lots of rain. It's a good time to collect seeds from the lift, but otherwise, is of little consequence.

• the fifth item for Puzzle 3?

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  The colored stick can be very hard to spot. It's mostly gray, and it's long and thin. It won't be under anything, but it might blend in to the background.

• Puzzle 4?

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  Don't feel like you missed something (I got all the way to Puzzle #15 before I finally solved 4) -- there's no real way to spot this one. You need to get the chief and some farmers over to the fire, so they can lead a rain dance.

• Making Potions?

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  While the Awards list in the game says you should make over 50 (you can actually make 56 total, I believe), only a handful are really necessary to advance. Check the potions recipe list for the critical ones. But, making potions is a good way to train your villagers while adding tech points, so keep at it if they've got nothing else to do. Besides, a couple of them are funny: try Rose / Rose / Tiger Lily.Also, if you need to make a new potion but an old one is still in the pot, just collect the new herbs, and then drop your scientist onto an herb-filled table. He or she will empty the pot.

• that weird stone area with the face statue and three piles of hay?

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  Piles of hay like... bedding? And with bowls nearby? Could it be...

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  an area for people to rest? Maybe heal?

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  It's a clinic. It won't look like much till you get some doctors in training, and buy higher Medicine Tech.

• those bowls on the bath?

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  They're not nothing. It's a puzzle for you to solve.

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  But you'll need to have accomplished some stuff first.

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  Those bowls are part of Puzzle #12.

• 'Too hot to touch'?

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  There are two ways to cool off the diamond you found in the fire: wait long enough, or have the villagers pour water on it. Drop a villager on the waterfall and she will bring a bowl of water over and pour it on. This has to happen a few times (probably at least 10). I just left the game overnight and when I came back the diamond was cool.

I would go in the following order for spending those precious tech points.

1. Level 2 Alchemy. Yes, Level 1 Faction is cheaper, but it doesn't provide all that much benefit, plus your scientists will accrue more tech points faster if they can successfully experiment with potions. (Disclaimer: I never waited to earn 7,000 before buying tech... but I can see also where Level 2 Restoration would be good to buy first as well.)

2. Level 2 Restoration. Not much room for debate here. You really can't start to repair anything until you have this. This has to be your first or second purchase.

3. Level 1 Faction

4. Level 2 Faction. Trust me, you really need that special herb.

Then at this point, I'd say it's a toss-up and you should pick based on your villagers' needs and what your play schedule will be:

• Buying Level 2 Science or not doesn't affect play too much, but it does help your scientists accrue more tech points while you are away from game.

• Buying Level 2 Medicine is good if you have sickly villagers - but that's also probably a symptom of a problem like not enough fire, food, or shelter. You can train doctors faster with higher Medicine. You can have a scientist whip up a health potion if you need to squeak by for a while on Medicine.

• Level 2 Leadership comes in handy for when you want to get through Puzzles #7-9 quickly, as the Chief can supervise the building work; it's kind of a waste as far as educating children, though.

• Level 3 Leadership and Level 3 Restoration are both necessary to complete the game, so be prepared to let your villagers accrue points.

• Level 3 Faction lets you play a long time with multiple generations of villagers, but doesn't directly affect your completion of the puzzles.

All of the following can be done before you've spent any tech points (although certain skill levels might be required, or elapse of time):