Reviews

• "Virtual Villagers 3 The Secret City is the 3rd game in the hit Virtual Villagers strategy sim game series. Like the Virtual Villager 2 game Virtual Villagers 3 The Secret City puts your virtual villagers on a new part of the island. As well as caring for and nurturing your villagers you explore the ruins of the secret city, rebuilding and populating the city while trying ot solve the mystery of the city. Virtual Villagers 3 has a lot of the great features that made the previous Virtual Villagers games such big hits, plus there are some new features that make Virtual Villagers 3 one of the best games yet. In Virtual Villagers 3 the real-time weather now includes clouds, fog, sunbeams and sudden rain storms and there is a chief to rule your villager tribe. Virtual Villagers 3 The Secret City is a very addictive game, you become very attached to your villagers. Adopt a virtual villager today! " - Zoo
• Virtual Villagers 3 - "Virtual Villagers 3 The Secret City is a fun game. I liked playing this game" - Mary L
• Virtual Villagers 3 - "Wow, Virtual Villagers 3 the secret city is an amazing game. I've got the 3 virtual villagers games and virtual villagers 3 is the best game yet. The real time weather in VV 3 is a cool feature" - Megan
• Virtual Villagers 3 - "If you've played the other virtual villagers games you just have to get virtual villagers 3. This game is so cool, you're in for a real surprise with Virtual Villagers 3! Great game!!! Hope they bring out a Virtual Villagers 4 game!" - Kenster
• Virtual Villagers 3 - "Virtual Villagers 3 is a really, really good game and I'm glad I decided to buy it but I still like the first Virtual Villagers game." - AndreaW

Tips

Check out our strategy guide for

Virtual Villagers 3: The Secret City.

Be warned: this guide is full of spoilers! We have solutions for all 16 puzzles, potion recipes, and tips that will help you master the game.

GETTING STARTED

• From the options menu you can choose the speed of your game to be slow, normal or fast. You can adjust these times to suit your needs. You can also pause the game when you need to do so and the game will not progress until you start it back up again.
• It is not a good idea to have too many people in your tribe in the early stages. When you have a lot of people in your tribe you will have more people to feed. Your food supplies will be limited so you have to make sure that you have enough food for everyone.
• I kept my population around 10 for a long while until I had enough food that I could afford to provide for more villagers. Once in a while your villagers will make babies without your influence so you need to be prepared for that.
• One of the very first things you want to do when you start the game is scroll to the upper right side of the screen, by the hill. On the ground you'll see a piece of fruit, drop one of your villagers on top of it and they will plant the seed for your first tree.
• Concentrate on getting mushrooms as much as you can. The best time to get mushrooms is when it is raining. Adults cannot collect mushrooms only kids can.
• Build a fire and name a chief right away. Look at the sections below on instructions on how to do both.

  BUILDING SKILLS

• There are 5 basic skills that your villagers can learn. It is important that at the beginning of the game that you teach your villagers different skills so that you have villagers with a multitude of skills.
• There are 3 levels a villager can achieve in each skill, Trainee, Adept and ultimately they can become a Master.
• Pay attention to the likes and dislikes of each villager that appears when you click on the "details" tab. That can help you determine which skills the villagers will excel in.
• Farming - You accumulate farming skills by teaching your villagers to hunt for food. This includes fishing and harvesting fruit.
• Building constitutes constructing huts and repairing them. It also includes pushing the statue,removing rubble from the village or repairing any structure that needs it.
• Research involves sending your villagers to the research table in the lab. Once a villager becomes a Master Scientist there are things they can do that regular scientists cannot.
• Healing consists of taking care of villagers that are sick. Please read the section below that explains the steps involved in taking care of sick people.
• Parenting skills are increased when you manage your population correctly. Each time one of your villagers procreates or they go in a hut for privacy their parenting skills improve.

  GENERAL TIPS

• If a villager drops an item on their way to deliver it somewhere, the fallen item will just go back to where you originally got it from. Go back and get it from there.
• Building a lift will allow you to grow a tree that will give you some fruit. As soon as it starts raining, have a villager stand under a tree and catch a piece of fruit that has fallen off. Plant that fruit so you can start having an orchard.
• In order to get a villager to do a job you may have to drag them to a task several times before you succeed in making them stay. You know what they say:If at first you don't succeed try and try again.
• If you're looking for a villager to perform a a task and you can't find them, click on the "Details" tab in the lower right side of the screen. Scroll through the villagers and whichever one is showing will be highlighted when you get out of that screen.
• In those cases in which no matter how many times you try the villager will not do a job, you will have to pick a different task for them to do.
• Collectibles are only on the screen for a short period of time before they disappear. As soon as you see a collectible search for a kid so they can pick it up right away.
• Villagers Can die of old age ,starvation or diseases. Make sure that you take care of your villagers needs as quickly as possible so you don't lose them too soon. Train some healers early on so that they can be available when you need them. Most villagers seem to pass away at around 75 years of age.
• After you've completed puzzle no 5 you will be able to make it rain anytime by performing a weather dance.
• If you have several workers on a job and it seems like it's taking too long to complete, you can click on the project and it will tell you what percentage of the job is completed. For example if you planted a tree you can click on the base of the tree where the dirt is and it will tell you how much longer it will take for the tree to mature.
• In order to grow more population you have to have sufficient housing otherwise you will not be able to do it.
• A villager has to become a master in 3 different skills in order to become an Esteemed Elder.

  RESEARCH

• In order to teach a villager to do some research you have to drag an adult to the research table that is located on the right side of the lab.
• In the beginning of the game the lab will be in disarray. Once you send your scientist out to gather the pots the lab will start taking shape.
• As your villager's research abilities get better you will gain what they call tech points. A Master Scientist will accrue more tech points than another type of scientist.

  TECH POINTS

• Tech points are points you can use to purchase new technologies. You will earn these points from the research that you've done.
• If at any point you have a question about any technology items, you can click on the question mark that appears in red next to the word "buy". It will tell you what it is used for.
• Science Technology - When you purchase this technology you will accumulate tech points faster.
• Medicine Technology - This technology is a good one to have since depending on the level, your villagers will get sick less often. It will also increase longevity and fertility rates.
• In level 2 of the Medical Technology you will be able to train your doctors in the medical area.
• Alchemy Technology - This will diminish the amount of times your villagers will be hurt around the island.
• Restoration Technology will give your villagers the ability to rebuild and restore ruined structures.
• Leadership Technology - This one will influence the chief on the job they're supervising. The chief will also have special powers that can only be used once a day.
• Level 1 - Your chief will be able to make food.
• Level 2 - your chief will be able to educate kids.
• Level 3 - It will help a kid find a rare collectible but you have to place the chief on top of the path in order to achieve it.

  CLOTHING HUT

• Once you build a Clothing Hut you can use some of your tech points to buy outfits for your villagers.
• All you have to do is drop one of your villagers on the clothing hut and you'll see how much it will cost to change an outfit.
• Scroll through all your choices and select whatever outfit you prefer for your villager.

  MAKING BABIES

• In order to make a baby on the island you have to pair up a man and a woman. Just drag a man over a woman or vice - versa and the adults will decide if they like each other.
• If you hear a kissing sound that means that the pair is getting along and they will go into a hut for some privacy. That does not guarantee that they will have a baby.
• If you want to know for sure if the woman got pregnant you can look on the top left side of the screen. The population number will increase right away if it was a successful match. Otherwise your villager's parenting skills will just increase instead of getting pregnant.
• Parents can have multiple babies at once, twins are possible and in some rare cases you will have triplets. Give your villagers fertility potions if you want to increase the amount of births in one shot.
• If you drag an adult to a child the only thing that happens is that the adult will read a book to the child to keep them entertained.

  CHILDREN

• The kids cannot work until they've reached the age of 14.
• Kids from 2 - 13 can gather herbs and take them to the lab.
• Whenever you see a collectible, drag a kid to it and they will take it back to the lab. Only kids can take collectibles to the lab.
• Kids will be able to heal sick people. However, they cannot do it while the game is running by itself because the kids need guidance to heal.
• Make sure you send kids to collect mushrooms as often as they can. This is especially important in the early stages of the game since mushrooms and honey will be your only sources of food until your trees grow.
• Kids of any age can try on robes and become chiefs.

  NURSING MOTHERS

• Nursing mothers do not work until after their child is 2 years old.
• Nursing mothers cannot become chiefs until after they stop nursing.
• Female chiefs can get pregnant.

  CHIEFS

• In order to obtain a chief for your village you must drag villagers one by one over to the robe. Once a villager accepts a robe he or she will be chief.
• You can drag your chief to the food bin and he will make some food. Don't pull the chief off of the food bin until they've had a chance to finish.
• The chief can only make food magically appear every 24 hours. The amount of food the chief makes varies in the game, there is no set amount.
• You can have the chief lecture to the village when you stand him or her on the amphitheater and place them on the round black podium. He can only give 1 lecture every 24 hours.
• When the children are educated by the Chief they can master certain skills at an early age since the lectures make them smarter.
• The bigger the tribe the more influence your chief has.

  HEALING

• There are times in which your villagers will get sick and you'll need to make them better. In order to do this you will need to train a healer.
• In order to accomplish this, look for a sick villager in the medical area. Drag a healthy villager, (an adult or a child) onto the sick person. Your sick villager will automatically feel better.
• Every time you do this your healer will gain healing skills which help your villagers live healthier lives in the long run.

  FOOD

• At the very beginning of the game you should drag an adult villager over to the right side of the screen where you see the lift (it looks like a see - saw).
• There will be a piece of fruit on the ground, the villager will pick it up and plant the seed. It's important to do this at the beginning of the game since it will take a while for your fruit tree to grow.
• The length of time it takes for your tree to grow will depend upon the speed you set for the game to run.
• You will have to make honey in the beginning of the game as well since you will need the food for your villagers. If you have the tutorial on it will guide you through the necessary steps to do so.
• You can only plant three trees in total. If any more fruits fall to the ground after the initial 3 trees, they will be taken to the food bin.
• You can only plant the other 2 trees once the lift is fixed. Then you can have your villager stand on the lift when it's raining. The rain will fill the bucket in the back with water which in turn will make lift go up. Read Puzzle # 6 for detailed instructions on how to accomplish this.

  MAKING FIRE

• If you don't have the tutorial on just follow these steps. Close to the beach, in the upper right hand corner you will see a pile of wood.
• On the left side of the scene you will see a dry patch of land. Somewhere in the middle you will see a fire pit.
• Please look at the screenshots for a clearer picture of where things are.
• To get a fire started you have to drop a villager on the pile of wood and they will automatically take it to the fire pit.
• Send another villager to the dry grass patch and they will pick it up and take it to the wood pile.
• Once both those items are on the fire pit, drag and drop a villager on the fire pit and the fire will start.

  COLLECTIBLES

• Only children can pick up the collectibles around the village. The same collectible found more than once is converted into tech points.
• Look for collectibles that may be hiding behind trees, by the waterfall and by the ocean. They are practically everywhere. From time to time it's a good idea to take a look around the island to see where collectibles may appear.
• Some people think that when you hear bells in the background that a collectible is present, that is not the case. The only time you know for sure if the collectible is available is when you hear the sound of a gong. At that point look on the island to see where it could be.
• The direction the Chief is pointing at is not necessarily the direction in which you'll find the collectible.
• Collecting items is optional you don't have to do it to complete the game.
• Kids are the only ones that can pick up collectibles but they will not do it on their own. You have to drag and drop a kid on a collectible for them to pick it up.
• If a message states the kid is collecting a collectible for a scientist then you know it's a duplicate. Collecting duplicates will add to your tech points.
• If a kid is collecting an item and it says "Collecting a new uncommon item" Then you know you've found a new piece to add to your collection.

  TABLET PIECES

• Tablet pieces are the collectibles that you'll find once you complete puzzle # 7.
• Unlike the regular collectibles that repeat themselves throughout the game, the tablets do not repeat themselves. Once you find one you will not find one like it again. If for some reason you miss a tablet when it came out you will have a chance to collect it a later time since they will reappear eventually.

  EVENTS

• There are a series of events that will pop up on your screen periodically. When they appear you will read a short story and you will be given 2 choices.
• Take your time and think about what the best choice could be and what the consequences your choices will bring.
• If you choose the wrong answer you could lose certain things that you've worked hard to accomplish.
• If you choose the right answer then you'll get some type of reward.

  MAKING POTIONS

• The first step to being able to make a potion is that you have to complete puzzle # 3. In puzzle # 3 you will need an Adept Scientist to collect the pots around the village.
• Once Puzzle # 3 has been completed you can have any villager, adult or child look for the herbs that you need. In order to see what the herbs look like and where they are located please look at the screenshots:
• Pick the herb combination for the potion that you would like to make. Send 3 villagers out to get it and they will automatically take it to the lab and place it on the round table.
• A Scientist cannot begin making a potion until all 3 herbs are on the table. Once all the herbs are on the table, drag your Scientist to the round table on the left side of the lab.
• The Scientist will then pick up each herb one by one and drop it in the cauldron. Once all 3 herbs are in the cauldron you will see smoke above it. That means that the potion is ready for consumption.
• Drag whichever villager(s) you want to consume the potion and you'll see a message appear at the bottom of the screen describing what kind of effect the potion has on each villager.
• When you make a potion you can click on the cauldron and it will tell you how much longer the potion will be available. Most potions only last for a couple of minutes.
• Kids will deliver herbs much faster than adults will so if you need to make a potion quickly get one of the kids to get it for you.
• Once a villager has had some potion you will have to wait for a certain amount of time before you can give them another dose.

  FACTION OF NATURE

• Level 1 will make sure that your food supplies are available faster.
• Level 2 will give you a special herb that will not be found when you choose Faction of magic. (The Pitcher Plant)
• Level 3 - It will increase your villager's longevity.

  FACTION OF MAGIC

• Level 1 - It will make your scientists work faster.
• Level 2 - It will provide you with an herb that you will not find when you choose Faction of Nature. (Berries)
• Level 3 - It will increase the maximum amount of people that you can have in your tribe.

  POTIONS LIST

• Here is a list of a lot of some of the potion combinations that you can make in the game. As I discover more, I will update the list.
• The order in which you pick up the potions does not matter, all that matters is the combination that you set on the table.
• This is only a partial list, I was not able to get all of them.
• 1 Rose + 1 Catus + 1 Lotus = Light and Springy (Use this to get the pink key in puzzle # 14)
• 3 Roses = Romantic Embrace (good for parenting skills)
• 2 Roses + 1 Cactus = Fertility (good for multiple births)
• 2 Black Orchids + 1 Rose = Stomachache
• 2 Black Orchids and a cactus = Stomachache
• 1 Rose + Black Orchid + 1 Lotus = Awful (Makes then sick)
• 2 Cacti + 1 Lotus = Awful (Makes them sick)
• 3 Black Orchids = Yikes! Half health gone
• 3 Cacti = Feels Better
• 1 Rose + 1 Black Orchid + 1 Tiger Lily = Whee! What a fun potion
• 3 Tiger Lilies = Whee! What a fun potion
• 2 Lotus + 1 cactus = Feels healthier, restores half health

  NATURE FACTION POTIONS

• 2 Black Orchids + 1 Pitcher plant = Gets rid of sharks
• 2 Pitcher plants + Lotus = Feels better
• 3 Pitcher plants = Itchy
• 2 Pitcher plants + Tiger Lily = Awful!
• 1 Pitcher Plant + Tiger Lily + 1 Rose = Hiccups

  MAGIC FACTION POTIONS

• 2 Roses + 1 part Berries = Gets rid of sharks
• 1 Berry + 1 Lotus + 1 Rose = Yummy
• 2 Berries + 1 Rose = Burn
• 2 Berries + 1 Tiger Lily = Awful
• 1 Cactus + 1 Berry + 1 Lotus = Feels better