Kou-Jong is an immensely profitable Neopets game. A player can breeze through the “easy” setting, hitting all the bonuses, and receive 450+ neopoints. Play that the allotted three times per day, and you can get 1350+ neopoints, or, once you’re experienced enough, you can play on medium difficulty and receive around 1000 NP per play… 3000 NP a day from one game! Excited much? Follow this guide to Kou-Jong greatness!
Part 1: An Introduction to Kou-Jong
- First off, you need a computer mouse. Done? Good. Moving on.
- Kou-Jong is under the “Board Games” section of the Neopets games area. Click it… seriously, you have to.
- For basic instruction, we’ll be going to the in-game instruction menu. It reads as follows:
- The goal is to clear the board by removing all the tiles.
- You must remove the tiles in pairs. A pair consists of two tiles that are both ‘free’ and identical.
A Tile is ‘Free’ When it Has
- No other tile laying above it or partially covering it.
- At least one side (left or right) unblocked (no tile present).
Two tiles are identical if they look exactly the same, except for the flower and season tiles. All of the flower tiles can be matched with another, and all of the season tiles can be paired together.
Got it? Good. Time to move on.
Part 2: The Tiles
Obviously each of the tiles has some sort of design printed on it. There are three categories of tiles (which I have made up), ‘one-of-a-kind’ tiles, ‘group’ tiles, and ‘mixed’ tiles.
The One-of-a-Kind Tiles
You must match one-of-a-kind tiles with the exact same design.
- Blue-Mussel Soup
- House on a serving spoon
- Pawkeet
- Octopus Soup
- Red Lantern
- Magenta Onions
- Cherry with green spots
- Scroll and Magnifying glass
- Dart Board
Group Tiles
You can match a group tile with any other tile in its group.
Flower Group
- White Orchid
- Red Flower (no idea what kind)
- Bamboo (not to be confused with the bamboo shoots group)
Seasons Group
- Summer (Sun over pyramids)
- Spring (A beach scene)
- Winter (Snow-tipped mountains)
- Fall (Brain tree with fallen leaves)
Mixed Tiles
Like the one-of-a-kind tiles, you must match a mixed tile with the exact same design; however, these can be confusing because there are many variations of a mixed tile.
Dots
- 3 diagonal dots
- 4 dots in a square
- 5 dots in an “x”
- 6 dots, two black on top and 4 red on bottom
- 7 dots, 3 black dots on top, 4 red on bottom
- 8 dots in two columns
- 9 dots in square
Bamboo Shoots (Short Green or Blue Pieces of Bamboo)
- 2 shoots in a line
- 3 shoots in a flying-v
- 4 shoots in a square
- 5 shoots in an “x” (middle one is blue)
- 6 shoots in two rows
- 7 shoots, 1 on top, six on bottom (only top 1 is blue)
- 7 shoots, 1 on top, six on bottom (column of blues through middle)
- 8 shoots in a scarab shape
Pointing Fingers
- Up
- Down
- Left
- Right
Be sure to remember which kind of tile can match with which. A lack of hesitation is the key to gaining the bonus points.
Part 3: Time Limit and Bonus Clock
There is no time limit.
Seriously.
Nice, isn’t it?
There is, however, a bonus clock. Complete the level you are on with time left on the bonus clock and every second is another point. This is the key to getting big neopoints.
Each difficulty level has a different bonus clock which is the same for each stage.
Easy: 60 seconds
Medium: 180 seconds
Hard: 360 seconds
On the easy setting, you should be getting about 30 seconds left on the bonus clock on the first stage, 20 or higher on the second, and just any left on the third. It’s very difficult to finish in less than 60 seconds on the final stage just because of the amount of tiles you have to click. Be proud of every second left.
The medium setting is the easiest to receive high bonuses on. Acceptable seconds left for medium are as follows: Stage 1 & 2 – around 100 seconds left is good. Stage 3 – 40+.
That means medium difficulty can be insanely profitable… a decent player can earn 1000 NP per play on the medium setting.
The hard setting is… well… really hard. I feel accomplished if any time is left on the clock. With the low points awarded for completing each stage, unless you’re a Kou-Jong god, it’s more profitable to stay on the medium setting. If you’re breezing through medium, though, have at the hard level. Earn some big neopoints.
Part 4: Tile-Clearing!
Now we get to the nitty-gritty, actually winning the game. Follow these tips and tricks, and you’ll finish all the stages in no time flat.
- THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: Always, ALWAYS start by taking tiles off of the top. This is imperative! You do not want to get to the last two tiles and find out that one of the tiles you need is underneath the other one (true story, happened to me).
- When clearing from the edges is OK: Only clear from lower levels if it releases tiles that you need to clear the top layers. A complicated chain of tile releasing may be necessary, but try to stay away from clearing 10 tiles just to get to one. My personal rule of thumb is three pairs of matching tiles (for the medium and hard settings… for easy, two pairs is probably best). This assures that you are always taking tiles from the top if possible.
- Use your hints: The button is there for a reason. If you cannot find a pair, click the hints button. It doesn’t dock your bonus or lower your score, but you are limited to the number of hints you can have per stage (one on easy, two on medium, and three on hard).
- Don’t be afraid to reset: Resetting doesn’t lower your score in any way, shape, or form. Your bonus and your hints both replenish, and you don’t lose any of your hard-earned points.
- Watch that bonus clock like a hawk: If it gets too low and you think you can do better, reset the board and start over. The bigger the bonus, the bigger the neopoint payout.
Part 5: A Few Good Tips Here Are Some Things That Help me Out When I’m Playing
- Try not to rush too much. Sounds silly after talking about the bonus clock, but there is such a thing as being too rushed. You may miss a nice opportunity to clear some top tiles by hurrying to get some lower layers cleared. Always check the top rows first, then descend downward.-Watch the difference in the bamboo-shoot 7s. They always annoy the crap out of me. There is a tiny color difference in the bamboo-shoot 7s. In one version, the blue is just the top shoot. In the other, the blue goes all the way down the middle. Just a little something to watch out for.
- Always re-focus to the top tiles. It’s easy to get excited and clear all the tiles in one small area. Make sure you are always checking the top rows for tiles possible to clear.
- Master the lower difficulty levels first. Before moving onto medium, breeze through the easy setting for a few days. Try the hard setting if you want, but stay at medium if your overall score suffers on hard. After all, the games are all about making neopoints.
That’s about it, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the in-depth guide and can earn yourself some neopoints fast. PM me on Neopets if you have any questions, concerns or ideas you want presented to other people in the guide. – BradMckenzie