Shopping Blocks
From Badges Wiki
| |
| Status: | Active |
|---|---|
| Genre: | Customer-serving |
| Developer: | unknown |
| Publisher: | unknown |
| LTP badge type: | Generic 3 |
| Game version: | Restricted |
| Game length: | 3 tutorial and 5 normal levels |
| Playable in non-IE browsers: | Yes |
Contents |
Tips
- Pull your objectives to the limit. Remember that you need to get as much cash as possible, instead of finishing the levels early. Make sure that at least one objective is incomplete and only do it when the time almost runs out.
- Remember that pausing the game with P works even when the tutorial asks you to click on a specific thing.
Tutorial Level 1 - Forest Lane
Level goals:
- Build 2 Basic Clothes Shelf
- Build 2 Fitting Room
- The value of your shop must be $ 1,200 or more
Follow the instructions until you are asked to build a basic shoe rack. Let the game run and keep refilling the clothes shelves until the time is almost up, then pause and buy the shoe rack and fitting bench.
Tutorial Level 2 - Jefferson Street
Level goals:
- You have to sell 10 items
- You can't lose more than 3 customers
After building the TV and water cooler, dismiss the tutorial and sell the patience boosters. Build the shoe rack and fitting bench. Let the game run until the 10th customer is at the cash register, then sell everything except the cash register.
Tutorial Level 3 - Meadow Street
Level goals:
- The value of your shop must be $ 1,000 or more
- You must have at least $ 1,200
- Raise Shop Class to 100%
Follow the tutorial to the end, then sell the rug and the painting. Buy a basic shoe rack and fitting bench. Buy lino floor to boost your shop rating to 100%. Now you should have 934 shop value. Let the game run until the time is almost up, then buy a primitive rug ($65) and 1 tile of lino floor to finish the shop value goal.
Generic tips for the normal levels
The key to winning each level is that all items sell for the same price they cost. Only buy the items needed by your customers, and sell unwanted items when you run out of money. Over time you can add more and more things to your shop. However, save the fitting room/bench and floor mirror for last since they are often needed by other things. Don't buy more than one of each item, and don't buy any patience or decor items unless you need them for your objectives. Lino floor is the cheapest way to fill up your shop rating.
Level 1 - Maple Street
Level goals:
- Raise Shop Class to 100%
- Build 2 Classic Clothes Shelf
- Build 1 Basic Television
- Build 1 Fitting Bench (note that the inital briefing says Basic Luggage Display but that's incorrect)
Immediately sell the painting and fill your shop rating with lino floor. Use the generic strategy until the time almost runs out. Sell everything (including cash register) except the clothes rack and fitting bench. Buy a TV and a second clothes rack.
Level 2 - Davis Lane
Level goals:
- Raise Shop Class to 100%
- You have to sell 20 items
Start by buying 19 tiles of lino floor (so your shop rating is only 95%). Follow the generic strategy until the time almost runs out. Sell everything (including cash register) and buy 1 more lino to finish the shop rating goal.
Level 3 - Oak Street
Level goals
- Raise Shop Class to 100%
- You have to sell 20 items
- Build 3 Video Arcades
Fill your shop rating with wood or lino floor. Follow the generic strategy until the time almost runs out. Sell everything (including cash register) and buy 3 video arcades.
Level 4 - Lee Street
Level goals
- The value of your shop must be $1,500 or more
- You must have at least $ 900
- Build 1 Sunglass Stand
Fill your shop rating with wood or lino floor. Follow the generic strategy until the time almost runs out, but don't let your money reach the goal - buy patience boosters as a cash sink. At the end, if you have a sunglass stand, make sure that you are low on money, then sell it. Sell other items until your shop value is at most 1150. Buy cheap items or decor to bring it up to exactly 1150, then buy a sunglass stand.
Level 5 - Walnut Street
Level goals
- Raise Shop Class to 100%
- The value of your shop must be $ 4,000 or more
- Build 1 Bicycle Stand
Start by buying 19 tiles of lino floor (so your shop rating is only 95%). Follow the generic strategy until the time almost runs out. You should go well above the shop value goal, so (if your game hasn't frozen with the "script is taking too long" error) sell the bicycle stand, if any, and buy/sell items to bring your shop value to exactly 3099 (3999 minus the price of a bicycle stand). Buy a bicycle stand plus 1 more lino to finish the shop rating goal.
Items and costs
Not all items are available in all levels (levels indicated in parenthesis). The floor mirror is cheaper in level 2 than in later levels.
| Goods | Cost | Patience Improvers | Cost | Shop Class | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Shoe Rack (T1, T2, T3, 1, 3, 5) | $ 240 | Basic Greenery (T2, T3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 150 | Fancy Diamond Wallpaper (T3, 2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 2 |
| Extended Shoe Rack (3, 5) | $ 480 | Japanese Maple (4, 5) | $ 300 | Basic Chain Wallpaper (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 2 |
| Fitting Bench (T1, T2, T3, 1, 3, 5) | $ 200 | Basic Television (T2, T3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 200 | Fancy Wavy Wallpaper (3, 4) | $ 2 |
| Basic Sporting Goods (3, 4, 5) | $ 300 | Basic Statue (T2, T3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 200 | Accent Painting (T3, 1,2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 40 |
| Extended Sporting Goods (5) | $ 520 | Soda Machine (T2, T3, 3, 4, 5) | $ 200 | Detail Picture (3, 4, 5) | $ 75 |
| Basic Hat Rack (2, 3, 4) | $ 240 | Juke Box (5) | $ 200 | Primitive Art Rug (T3, 5) | $ 190 |
| Expanded Hat Rack (4) | $ 320 | Easel Contemporary (4, 5) | $ 500 | Primitive Rug (T3, 5) | $ 65 |
| Floor Mirror (2 / 3, 4) | $ 200 / $350 | Gumball Machine (4, 5) | $ 150 | Small Windows (T3, 1, 2, 4, 5) | $ 40 |
| Bicycle Stand (5) | $ 900 | Coffee Machine (T2, T3, 3, 4, 5) | $ 250 | Cottage Dome Window (2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 75 |
| Basic Clothes Shelf (T1, T2, T3, 1, 2, 5) | $ 160 | Basic Aquarium (3, 4, 5) | $ 150 | Basic Light (T3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 40 |
| Extended Clothes Shelf (5) | $ 360 | Basic Stereo (4, 5) | $ 220 | Cone Wall Sconce (3, 4, 5) | $ 75 |
| Fitting Room (T1, T2, T3, 1, 2, 5) | $ 200 | Basic Fountain (T2, T3, 1, 2, 3) | $ 350 | Basic Linoleum Flooring (T3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 1 |
| Cash Register (T1, T2, T3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | $ 100 | Simple Flower Arrangement (T2, T3) | $ 100 | Fancy Wood Flooring (3, 4) | $ 1 |
| Basic Media Rack (4, 5) | $ 120 | Water Cooler (T2, T3) | $ 150 | Basic Design Rug (T3) | $ 190 |
| Basic Toy Centre (2, 4) | $ 160 | Video Arcade (3) | $ 250 | ||
| Small Book Shelf (4) | $ 160 | ||||
| Sunglass Stand (4) | $ 350 |
Differences in the full game
If you like the online version of Shopping Blocks and want to try the full version, note that there are some differences in gameplay.
- There are more detailed info panels and convenience features, such as being able to rotate things with the right mouse button or being able to build something a customer wants by clicking on the thought bubble.
- Customers are less "picky". If you sell only bikes, everyone will buy bikes. This holds as long as you don't have enough money to buy something new. Once you do, new customers can demand something that you don't have but can afford.
- They also aren't selective between different version of the same thing. If you have a basic shoe rack, they won't cry for an extended one and vice versa.
- Restocking most stands takes much longer, and stands are counted as unusable while restocking, even if you restock them when they weren't full.
- More customer types with varying patience levels. One of them is a business lady who is very annoying: if she even starts demanding anything (because it's out of stock or you don't have it but can afford it), usually she will be upset and leave before the restocking or building is complete. Combined with the proliferation of the "must not lose any customers" goal in the later levels, the game becomes much of a gamble.
- The previous things combined mean that the gameplay strategy is vastly different. In the online game it's best to not build anything until someone demands it and you might have to sell things to afford other needed things. In the full version it's the opposite - you must spend your money as quickly as possible and try to get lots of items (so you have to restock less often), and you only need to sell things if you want to upgrade them.
- Some patience boosting items (the coffee machine etc.) are usable by your customers and will result in a patience increase when used.
- Getting your shop class to 100% is much harder - you won't get away with just 20 tiles of lino floor. This is the combined result of the facts that decor items in general give less points (floors are the most cost effective but limited), and the amount of points needed is larger. In some levels even with full floors, wallpapers and paintings in every possible place, you still need some rugs to reach the goal.
