Use These Secret Tricks to Dominate in 'Pokémon Quest' on iOS and Android

The Pokémon Company’s free-to-play title Pokémon Quest has been released on iOS and Android. It’s a different type of Pokémon game that introduces some mechanics we haven’t seen in previous titles, so here’s a primer on what’s new and what you need to know.

Pokémon Quest is a quirky little game where you collect Pokéxels, which are blocky, cubist versions Pokémon that roam Tumblecube Island. Aside from looking like something out of Minecraft, they share one key difference from their organically shaped cousins: You can’t catch them. This is a big departure from the usual method, which is beating the crap out of a feral Pokémon within an inch of its life and throwing a Pokéball towards its swollen face.

Instead, you convince Pokémon to join your team with great catering. The way to a Pokémon’s heart is through its stomach. You need to out into the world, collect ingredients, and cook up some tasty food that will attract prospective Pokémon your base camp. After that, they’ll join your team.

Here’s a cooking guide to get you started. You can’t use cooking to get the exact Pokémon you want, but you can make dishes that certain Pokémon will be attracted to. For example, if you want a Pikachu, cooking Yellow Curry of Watt a Risotta are your best bets since they attract Yellow Pokémon and Electric Pokémon, respectively.

Pokémon Quest also features live combat. You don’t have to wait your turn to fight this time around, but you still don’t have direct control over your Pokémon (you can only command their attacks, not their movement) and abilties have cooldowns to prevent spamming. You can beef your Pokémon up with items called Power Stones which made through the crafting system.

That about covers it. If you want more details, check out the starter guide on the game’s official website.

Keep cooking up that dank ass grub and you’ll be fielding a world-class team in no time.