POPUCOM is a co-op puzzle platformer from Hypergryph, the studio behind Arknights, published by GRYPHLINE and Fireshine Games on 1 June 2025 at 19.99 dollars. Two players carry a rainbow blaster that fires coloured gum, and nothing pops until three pellets of one colour land together. Each player only controls two of the four colours, so almost every puzzle is a communication problem before it is a platforming one.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Colour matched shooting
The blaster fires coloured gum pellets and a target only pops once three of the same colour sit on it together. Enemies visibly deform as gum sticks, so a half built match changes how the target moves and reads.
Two colours per player
Each of the two story players owns two of the four colours, which means neither can finish most matches alone. The standard pattern is one player laying two pellets and calling the partner in to close it.
Colour gated obstacles
Platforms, switches, portals and hazards each answer to a single colour. Because one player carries only half the palette, whatever you cannot handle is by design your partner's problem.
Gadget tools
Past the blaster you pick up a shield that deploys as a platform and deflects coloured lasers, a morph ball form that breaks through walls, a drone arm for grabbing distant objects, and a swap gun that trades your position with an object. The first four levels introduce them one at a time.
Goodiebot rescues
Rescued Goodiebots unlock extra levels and upgrade Pancake, the vessel you return to between stages. They are the reason to sweep a level rather than run straight for the exit.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our POPUCOM combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup shooter | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Match closer | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Platform layer | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Route caller | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Collectible sweeper | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our POPUCOM builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Rainbow blaster | The universal tool, firing coloured gum pellets that pop a target once three of one colour line up. | Everything. Enemy clears, switch activation and puzzle setup all run through the same blaster. |
| Shield | Deploys as a solid platform and also deflects coloured laser beams back along their path, which makes it two tools sharing one button. | Crossing gaps with no platform, and turning an enemy laser into the answer instead of the obstacle. |
| Morph ball | Compresses your character into a rolling form that breaks through weak walls and fits through openings a standing character cannot use. | Opening shortcuts and reaching stickers and Goodiebots hidden behind breakable panels. |
| Drone arm | Grabs and retrieves objects at range, letting one player fetch something the other physically cannot reach. | Split rooms where a key object sits on the far side of a colour gate you do not own. |
| Swap gun | Teleports your character and a targeted object into each other's positions rather than pulling the object toward you. | Crossing hazards with no floor, and repositioning puzzle blocks without carrying them. |
Rainbow blaster: The universal tool, firing coloured gum pellets that pop a target once three of one colour line up. Each player carries only two of the four colours it can produce.
Shield: Deploys as a solid platform and also deflects coloured laser beams back along their path, which makes it two tools sharing one button.
Morph ball: Compresses your character into a rolling form that breaks through weak walls and fits through openings a standing character cannot use.
Drone arm: Grabs and retrieves objects at range, letting one player fetch something the other physically cannot reach.
Swap gun: Teleports your character and a targeted object into each other's positions rather than pulling the object toward you.
Full breakdowns in our POPUCOM weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Pomu War HQ | Level 1 | Blaster fundamentals, first Goodiebots, arcade unlock |
| Windmill Meadow | Level 2 | First boss clear, stickers, Goodiebots |
| Ocean Rig | Level 3 | Gadget mastery, stickers, Goodiebots |
| Pancake | Hub | Cosmetics, base upgrades, minigame access |
| Arcade Room | Hub | Minigames, collaboration content, a break from hard rooms |
Anti-Pomu War HQ: The tutorial stage and first level. It establishes the match three rule and the two colour split before any real hazard shows up, and clearing it unlocks arcade content back on Pancake.
Windmill Meadow: The second level, an open outdoor stage that adds moving colour gated platforms and finishes on a boss fight. It is where most pairs first discover that shouting colours out loud is mandatory.
Ocean Rig: The third level, set on an offshore rig, and the point where the gadgets from the opening stages stop being optional conveniences.
Pancake: The vessel you return to between stages. Rescued Goodiebots improve it, the Closet holds gear and cosmetic customisation, and the Arcade Room sits aboard it.
Arcade Room: A room aboard Pancake holding unlockable minigames including a 2D shooter, a physics volleyball game, a grid matching game and an orbital bubble collector. An Arknights collaboration added Captain Bunny's Showdown: POMU Flood free to all owners.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Neither player can finish most matches alone because each owns only two of the four colours. The efficient pattern is one player laying two pellets of a colour they control and calling the third, rather than both firing at once and wasting gum.
- Enemies deform as gum sticks to them, so a target already carrying two pellets moves and reads differently from a clean one. Agree on which enemy you are building before either of you pulls the trigger.
- The opening four levels each hand you one gadget and later stages assume you still have all of them in mind. When a room looks impossible, the answer is usually a gadget you have not touched in an hour rather than sharper platforming.
- The shield does two jobs that look unrelated: it becomes a platform and it deflects coloured lasers. Rooms that read as traversal problems are frequently laser routing problems in disguise.
- Goodiebots are not decoration. Rescuing them unlocks additional levels and upgrades Pancake, so a stage cleared without sweeping it quietly costs you content later in the campaign.
- The story campaign is built for exactly two players, in local split screen or online, while Party Mode is the separate four player track with its own cosmetics and minigame unlocks. Plan your group around that split before you buy.
- There is no public matchmaking, so co-op means a specific partner rather than a queue. Line up one person willing to see the roughly eleven to fifteen hour campaign through before starting.
- The swap gun exchanges your position with an object instead of dragging the object to you. Getting that backwards is the most common reason a first attempt strands the wrong player on the wrong side of a hazard.
- The Arcade Room aboard Pancake works as a genuine pressure valve. When a boss starts costing more attempts than it is worth, the minigames are short enough to reset both players without ending the session.
- Bosses run on the same match three rule as ordinary enemies, so the difficulty is target selection under pressure rather than new mechanics. Assign one player to build matches and the other to keep the arena clear.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Both players firing at one enemy with colours that cannot combine, burning gum without ever reaching three in a row.
- Treating gadgets as level specific, then brute forcing a room the drone arm solves in a single shot.
- Running past Goodiebots on the way to the exit and locking yourself out of extra levels and Pancake upgrades.
- Expecting the campaign to fit four people, when story mode is a strict two player track and Party Mode is separate.
- Shooting before agreeing on a target, so each player is quietly building a different match on a different enemy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play POPUCOM solo?
It is built around two player co-op and reviewers consistently report no single player mode or AI partner. The campaign runs in local split screen or online with one partner, and Party Mode extends to four players for its own separate content.
How long is POPUCOM?
Reviews put the main campaign somewhere between eleven and fifteen hours, depending on how thoroughly you sweep each stage for Goodiebots and stickers. Party Mode puzzles and the arcade minigames sit on top of that.
Who made POPUCOM?
Hypergryph, the Chinese studio behind Arknights, with GRYPHLINE and Fireshine Games publishing. It launched on 1 June 2025 at 19.99 dollars and also released on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
What does matching three actually mean?
Your blaster fires coloured gum and a target only pops once three pellets of the same colour sit on it in a row. Since each player owns just two of the four colours, most matches need both of you contributing pellets.
Is there matchmaking?
No public matchmaking was available at launch, so co-op means inviting a specific friend online or sitting on the same couch for split screen. That is the largest practical barrier to picking the game up.
More POPUCOM Guides
- POPUCOM Best Builds
- POPUCOM Tier List
- POPUCOM Walkthrough
- POPUCOM Beginner's Guide
- POPUCOM Tips & Tricks
- POPUCOM Weapons Guide
- POPUCOM Combat Guide
- POPUCOM Boss Guide
- POPUCOM Maps & Locations
- POPUCOM Crafting Guide
- POPUCOM Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy POPUCOM, check out these related guides:
- Escape Simulator Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Pico Park Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Portal Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
