Getting started in Cookie Run: Kingdom is easy, but our Beginner’s Guide will provide you with the tips you need to start out on the right gingerbread foot. Cookie Run: Kingdom is much more in-depth than an initial glance may suggest; the RPG upgrade system and kingdom management aspects bring a lot of depth into such a cute game.
These sweet tips will help you keep your resources and wallet tasty and full!
Cookie Run: Kingdom | Beginner’s Guide + Tips
Log in Daily — or as Often as Possible
Cookie Run: Kingdom is a free-to-play game, but you can still enjoy it without spending any actual money. Resources are earned while completing tasks and missions but they’re also provided in the form of log-in rewards.
Starting up Cookie Run for a few minutes every day is worth it, even if it’s just checking messages and menus for free daily items and other rewards.
Make sure to set a few minutes aside every day to check your Mailbox, the Events page, the Gacha menu, and the Shop.
Checking each screen and tapping a few quick prompts will provide crucial items and resources, which can be used whenever. Try to log in daily even if you don’t have time to play. The free goodies will help you when you can play!
Save Time Skips Unless You Really Can’t Wait
Everything is based around a form of currency but time is perhaps the most prevalent. Upgrading buildings, areas, and resource production stations takes time, unless you’d rather pay.
With the use of Time Skips, Gems, and more, players can shave minutes of waiting off the clock or jump to the end instantly. It’s hard waiting but it’s much cheaper.
Gems can be used for other actions and resources, so it’s best to save them when possible. There will no doubt be times where it makes sense to spend gems on speeding a particular task up, but it’s best to try to minimize those instances.
As the game continues, the time to wait for some actions to be completed will increase as well. Save those Time Skips for those longer waits when you have time to play and simply can’t wait.
You can always plug your phone in and walk away, saving the cash or gems for another day.
Make Sure You Start Lengthier Actions Before Scheduled Idle Tasks, Like Work and Sleep
Some of the game’s actions and upgrades can take hours, such as the Bear Jelly Train. Find a time in your schedule when you know you won’t be actively playing, like during work, sleep, or whenever else you won’t be playing anyway.
A few minutes throughout the day and before going to bed are more than worth the investment. Being greeted with goodies and prizes nearly every time I pick up the game has been good for my serotonin, kingdom, and resources.
Establish Your Microtransaction Rules Before Starting — And Stick to Them
That being said, there’s nothing inherently wrong with spending money on something you enjoy. Your experience should be better if you pick some spending rules before getting too far into the game.
It’s worth pointing this out because Cookie Run: Kingdom will absolutely try to tempt you with spending money. Themed upgrades or being just a few gems short on something will tug at your wallet, and that’s fine.
But removing impulsive purchases and/or sticking to a predetermined set of personal rules will make it easier to know when it’s time to stop. You can always pick up the game later or another day.
Cookie Run’s Kingdom Pass is Worth it For Determined Players
The Kingdom Pass is worth the low cost if you’re planning on regularly playing. Much like Fortnite’s Battle Pass system, the Kingdom Pass provides additional rewards to unlock through regular play.
Players will still earn rewards without the Kingdom Pass but an additional reward track and other exclusive perks are only available to those that purchase the premium pass.
As of writing, the Kingdom Pass provides the following monthly bonuses:
- Two additional daily Bounty attempts
- A faster opponent refresh time in the Arena mode (from 30 minutes to 10 minutes)
- Golden Profile image frame
The Kingdom Pass also includes exclusive landmarks and other rewards. It’s available for $10 (of 1,000 Gems) as of writing and is essential for anyone interested in more fun and less waiting. The rewards given are invaluable and worth it, especially considering the low cost.
Don’t feel pressured though. It’s a good deal but you can successfully play without spending any money too.
Check Achievements Frequently During Sessions
Completing Achievements provides Gems, which you’re going to need a lot of if you want to unlock and see everything in Cookie Run.
Tap your Profile Picture in the upper-left hand corner of the screen before selecting Achievements on the next screen.
Here you can claim Gems earned from completed achievements. You can also see what’s pending, which allows you to focus on tasks to optimize Gem unlocks.
Often the Achievements contain things worth doing anyway so if anything it functions as a list of smart decisions that include a reward. It’s a pretty sweet deal.
Consider Joining a Guild For the Help and Bonuses
Guilds are a social component in addition to another way to earn rewards. You can create a guild or join one that’s already been established.
Guilds feature requirements that must be met if you’d like to join. This allows players with common goals and playstyles to unite for even sweeter rewards.
This mode might not be for everyone but it does offer another way to play and introduces even more resources, making it an important addition and worth mentioning.
Guild membership and quests aren’t required but skipping out will mean sometimes missing out on exclusive rewards, such as Cream Puff Cookie.
Keep a Close, Candy Eye on Your Kingdom’s Storage
Collected resources go straight to your kingdom’s storage once collected by tapping the screen. You can view your loot at any time by tapping Storage at the bottom of the kingdom screen.
Here is where you’ll see what you’ve collected so far, and how much room is remaining. Resources cannot be collected when it’s full though and you don’t want that to happen in the middle of producing resources.
This can interrupt whatever you’re working on, forcing you to refocus resources on freeing up whichever process is stuck. Until those resources are collected, that specific task is frozen.
It’s best to upgrade your kingdom’s Storage when nothing is at stake or waiting. I ended up in a position where it was better to just throw Gems at upgrading it once or twice. It was that or wait on four different tasks to complete so I could earn enough Gems to free up the frozen tasks.
The kingdom’s storage is the heart of your operation. Keep it open so nothing is forced to stop moving.
Don’t Eat Too Much Candy
Cookie Run: Kingdom is a great game but like any other game, moderation is key. Binging the game and playing for incredibly long sessions won’t just burn you out, it will also deplete the resources necessary for playing eventually.
And if you’re wanting to play but can’t, you’re more likely to impulsively spend money. Prevent burnout and ill-thought purchases by setting boundaries and a Cookie Run schedule that works best for you.
Keeping the cookies in the oven for too long will only lead to burnt cookies, and no one wants that.
Cookie Run: Kingdom has everything necessary for a free and fun time, especially if you pay close attention to the way you’re playing and how often. Be sure to use these helpful tips and our How to Get Started guide to make your cookie time as sweet as possible.
Related: What is Cookie Run: Kingdom and How to Get Started
