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 walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Anti-Pomu War HQ | Colour matched shooting basics | Match closer | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Windmill Meadow | Two colours per player mastery | Match closer | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Ocean Rig | Colour gated obstacles + gear | Setup shooter or Match closer | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Pancake | Build optimization | Setup shooter | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Arcade Room | Min-max | Setup shooter or Collectible sweeper | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (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.
Level/Difficulty: Level 1 Key Rewards: Blaster fundamentals, first Goodiebots, arcade unlock
What to Do in Anti-Pomu War HQ
- Learn Colour matched shooting. The blaster fires coloured gum pellets and a target only pops once three of the same colour sit on it together. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Match closer as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Shield or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Colour matched shooting fundamentals
- Match closer selected and functional
- Anti-Pomu War HQ main content cleared
- Ready for Windmill Meadow
Phase 2: Early Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Level 2 Key Rewards: First boss clear, stickers, Goodiebots
What to Do in Windmill Meadow
- Work on Two colours per player. Each of the two story players owns two of the four colours, which means neither can finish most matches alone. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Shield if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- 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.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Ocean Rig.
- Consider whether Setup shooter might suit your playstyle better than Match closer.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Two colours per player integrated into gameplay
- Shield acquired
- Windmill Meadow fully cleared
- Ready for Ocean Rig
Phase 3: Mid Game (Ocean Rig)
The third level, set on an offshore rig, and the point where the gadgets from the opening stages stop being optional conveniences.
Level/Difficulty: Level 3 Key Rewards: Gadget mastery, stickers, Goodiebots
What to Do in Ocean Rig
- Master Colour gated obstacles. Platforms, switches, portals and hazards each answer to a single colour. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Rainbow blaster. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Gadget tools for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Colour gated obstacles mastered
- Rainbow blaster acquired or in progress
- Ocean Rig fully cleared
- Ready for Pancake
Phase 4: Late Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Hub Key Rewards: Cosmetics, base upgrades, minigame access
What to Do in Pancake
- Finalize your build. You should be running Setup shooter or Match closer with optimized gear.
- Rainbow blaster should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- 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.
- Goodiebot rescues optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Arcade Room.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Rainbow blaster upgraded to max
- Pancake fully cleared
- Ready for Arcade Room
Phase 5: Endgame (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.
Level/Difficulty: Hub Key Rewards: Minigames, collaboration content, a break from hard rooms
What to Do in Arcade Room
- Arcade Room tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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 endgame loop: run Arcade Room, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Collectible sweeper for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Goodiebot rescues mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Arcade Room fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- 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
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More POPUCOM Guides
- POPUCOM POPUCOM Overview
- POPUCOM Best Builds
- POPUCOM Tier List
- 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
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