Growtopia – Creativity Abounds in Ubisoft’s MMO

Growtopia is Ubisoft's mobile, sandbox-style, massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, in which players can punch, build, and grow everything, including building materials, decorations, clothing, tools, and more, all with one goal in mind: in Growtopia, players can become anyone and create anything. These items can be used in a myriad of ways, including being broken down to create a seed, which can be planted and grown into a tree, which, when harvested, will drop more of the item (and some gems, Growtopia's in-game currency). Add in the ability to combine items to create new items, and players can end up eagerly awaiting the chance to harvest a great white shark tree. Or a wizard hat tree, for those who want something less toothy.

In Growtopia, players can use their imaginations to explore nearly infinite creative pathways, designing worlds and filling them with fun activities and items. It doesn't matter whether someone is a fashionista, architect, social butterfly, or experimenter - Growtopia has a means for everyone in its community to express themselves and enjoy the game.

The easiest way to get started in Growtopia is, well, growing things. Plant a seed, grow a tree, harvest the items, and use these items to trade, decorate your world, or craft a robust wardrobe. The possibilities expand dramatically when you begin splicing; this is a core gameplay mechanic in Growtopia, and is one of the best ways for curious minds to experiment with combining materials to create new items in the game. Splicing is done by planting two different seeds in the same block; for example, combining a dungeon-door seed with a death-spikes seed will create a portcullis. Almost every crafted item can be re-spliced, creating a cascading tree of possibility; players should collect as many seed varieties as they can, and experiment with combinations for every one of them.

Some of the combinations will make logical sense, like fishbowl and glass-pane seeds splicing together to make a rectangular fish tank, while others require some suspension of disbelief, like an old-timey radio being the product of a toilet seed and dungeon-door seed. It’s always a good idea to keep a record of your attempted splices to help keep track of what items specific combinations create, though there are plenty of recipes available online or in Growtopia worlds. Some items are unspliceable, which can mean one of two things: Either the item has reached peak evolution, or the two items selected simply don’t create anything when combined.

Growtopia worlds are measured in blocks, and at 100 blocks long and 60 blocks high, that comes out to approximately 5,400 blocks players can shape and decorate however they choose. Each item in the game is approximately the size of one block, and players’ starter worlds have a basic template of sky above and land below. Only dirt, lava, cave backgrounds, and rocks are available in the beginning, but players can quickly splice different combinations to grow their inventory. Early in the game, Growtopia players will likely focus on building an efficient farm, enabling them to harvest basic items for seeds that can be spliced into more advanced creations. For example, dirt and rock seeds spliced together create grass, which is a component of several hair, plant, and decorative item recipes.

As players grow their inventory, their ability to modify their world to create unique designs grows exponentially. Growtopia gives players the chance to live out their wildest fantasy; it’s possible to create galactic worlds fit for an astronaut captain, murky cave worlds for dungeon crawlers, undersea explorations for marine biologists, and more There are also some creators who choose to focus on aesthetic designs, where a looking at a zoomed-out view of the entire world reveals a work of art. Entrepreneurial players can go so far as to build mall-like worlds, called trade worlds, lined with items and seeds visitors can purchase.

Traveling to other worlds and engaging with other players is a pillar of Growtopia. Not only is it a way to share world designs with the community, it’s a key way to get new materials. Most trade worlds will sell goods in exchange for World Locks, one of the most important items to have in Growtopia – when placed in a world, it prevents anyone else from harvesting materials or making changes. Each player gets one World Lock when they start their first Growtopia world, and more can be purchased from the in-game store or from the NPC Traveling Lock Salesman. By trading in other worlds, or building a trade world with fair deals, players can quickly expand their inventory, and even make a friend or two along the way.

Growtopia’s social scene is also full of mini-games for players to enjoy. Some are official in-game worlds, others are user-generated, but all offer fun challenges and an opportunity to win prizes. Mini-games include mazes and puzzles that players can visit and try to solve, adventures, complete with signs that tell a full narrative to go along with the visitor’s journey, parkour challenges, complicated surgical quests – even PvP competitions. Players can also take advantage of Startopia, Growtopia’s quest-driven space simulation where they take on the role of Star Captain and complete missions to earn out-of-this-world rewards. These mini-games help solidify Growtopia’s mission of letting anyone be anything.

Often, traveling to other Growtopia worlds and interacting with other players can inspire new ideas. These worlds could have items that guests haven’t yet discovered on their own, like the Dating Dandy’s hair, or they could be using them in innovative ways, like using signs to narrate adventures. Popular worlds usually have many players milling around at once selling wares of their own, and they are often dressed to impress. Players can outfit their avatars with sets of clothing, called “sets” for short, that show off their own bespoke fashion sense.

Piecing together an impressive outfit is another way for players to creatively express themselves in Growtopia. Clothes, hairstyles, and hand items can all be grown, traded, or purchased from the in-game store. While some items, such as wings, give gameplay buffs, most are purely cosmetic. Some sets are designed for a specific look, like the nine-piece Assassin’s Creed-inspired Ezio set, while others come together for a cohesive aesthetic, like the wizard robes and hat. Still others are random assortments that make a lasting impression, like a Santa coat, cargo pants, and rooster hat.

Transmutation is a key part of creating sets, as it enables players to use a Transmutabooth to combine two articles of clothing and create something completely new, like a funky wizard hat that expands a player’s build radius. Creators can experiment with different combinations – the only parameter is that both items must be part of the same clothing slot, meaning you can combine two hats, but not a hat with a pair of pants. When two items are transmuted, the first item placed in the machine will keep its gameplay buffs (like the ability to double jump, summon pets, or heal faster), but take on the appearance of the second item. Because the placement order is so important while transmuting in Growtopia, each combination has two different outcomes, effectively doubling set creativity.

If you’re ready to share your creation with other players, you can submit your worlds to be featured as a World of the Day; if selected, it’s a surefire way to attract other members of the community to come and appreciate their design. This is also a great way to discover other players’ creations; Growtopia’s social hub features 10 Worlds of the Day every day, as well as offers quick links to top-rated worlds in different categories, such as Adventure, Trade, Farm, Art, Roleplay, and more. Worlds of creativity to explore and plenty of opportunities to experiment and express yourself await: Growtopia is free to play on Apple and Android mobile devices.

If you're ready to share your creation with other players, you can submit your worlds to be featured as a World of the Day; if selected, it's a surefire way to attract other members of the community to come and appreciate their design. This is also a great way to discover other players' creations; Growtopia's social hub features 10 Worlds of the Day every day, as well as offers quick links to top-rated worlds in different categories, such as Adventure, Trade, Farm, Art, Roleplay, and more. Worlds of creativity to explore and plenty of opportunities to experiment and express yourself await: Growtopia is free to play on Apple and Android mobile devices.