After playing this game for a few hours and then walking around my apartment, I find that I'm asking myself questions like, "Why didn't a previous version of myself pick that up?" and "How will this affect a future version of myself?" o_o
To get the hard badge: You must reach rank 15, which unlocks the shrimp at the beginning of the next day. The badge is awarded after you complete the first day with shrimp. This took me 28 (game) days (2 real ones).
It took me 6.5 hrs to complete the game on easy mode. I'd HATE to think of how long it would have taken on, say, NORMAL. All badges can be awarded on the easiest difficulty. Choosing to upgrade mana gives +50 max, choosing to upgrade food gives +40 max (same for each level on a ring, maybe only +20/lvl). Once you get enough lvl ups to upgrade max food and mana, those rings are pointless. I played through the whole game with only the wealth and exp rings (switched to food and mana speed rings for the purple lvls). Once you have rhinos and dragons at your command, it gets very repetitive. Very rarely did I have to try a level more than once to get all three stars. Final Paladog lvl: 135.
Good news! The game saves, so you don't have to try for all the badges in one sitting! Just play a little bit each day, and then you'll get the badges eventually...
List of less obvious achievements/ones you won't get just by playing: Land on same track twice; same track 3 times (called triple tap, first rail doesn't count); perfect jump x10 combo; jump with J, K, keyboard, and mouse (separately); click all possible buttons on start screen; survive for 300 seconds (5 minutes); triple tap on a rail WITH magic sparkles; double tap on a track with pictures; get 10, 20 triple taps (not necessarily in a row). Plus if this helps!
In order to get boomtown after having all upgrades purchased, you will need to eventually expand your town to cover all 4 plots. Also, you can use the "build town" option to preview where the "gold" place has been surveyed, then move your HQ accordingly.
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