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The co-op mode should no longer be limited to local multiplayer. A new online matchmaking feature should be added, allowing players to team up with teammates via the internet to complete co-op levels together. Players can send friend requests to their co-op partners, and afterwards, they can team up to participate in the 2v2 Offense and Defense Mode, the existing 2v2 Battle Mode, as well as various online co-op challenges to be launched in the future.
When a plant is given a costume, it will also receive a unique additional attribute corresponding to that plant—costumes are not just for decoration.
For example: A specific costume for Iceberg Lettuce allows it to freeze zombies within a 1x3 area in its normal state. When using its ultimate move (activated by Plant Food), it not only freezes all zombies on the entire screen but also shoots a volley of ice bullets from the left side of the screen to damage zombies. These bullets are the same ice bullets from "Power Snow".
Another example: A specific costume for Cactus lets it fire ice-element spike bullets in its normal state. When using its ultimate move, it not only upgrades to more powerful super ice-element spike bullets but also scatters a large number of these super ice-element spikes forward to damage zombies!
In the future, the game design team can create entirely new plant costumes with additional attributes to further expand practical combat capabilities!
【This feature can refer to the Super Gatling Pea in Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese version.】
When a plant is given a costume, it will also receive a unique additional attribute corresponding to that plant. Some plant accessories can even be displayed during battles, and accessories can be upgraded—higher-tier accessories provide better in-combat effects!
Rubber Duck Floatie Accessory: Allows plants to be planted directly on water.
Speed Planter Accessory: Reduces the planting cooldown of plants by 30%.
Energy Saver Can: Reduces the sun cost of planting a plant by 10 points.
Small Clock: Has a 10% chance to reset a plant’s planting cooldown and also reduces the planting cooldown by 10%!
In the future, the game design team can create entirely new plant accessories with additional attributes to further expand practical combat capabilities!
【This feature can refer to the Super Gatling Pea in Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese version.】
The "Creative Courtyard" is a highly flexible game mode for custom level creation and sharing. It supports the creation of multiple level types, including "I, Zombie", "Conveyor Belt", "Card Slot Selection", "Boss Challenge", and "Jar Smashing". Players can link their self-created levels to the terrain style of any world, and also deeply customize scene elements: these include adding mold, tiles, Chlorophyll Tiles, movable minecarts, bounce boards to grids, as well as zombie-enhancing potions, exclusive giant metal ball mechanisms from Lost City, mechanisms that clear flames in a row, and ice floes and slider tiles that change zombies' movement paths. There is no limit on the number of these scene elements that can be placed.
In addition, players can customize the tiers of plants and zombies, set special zombies that carry Chlorophyll, and add level events such as sandstorms. A player must clear their self-created level by themselves before they can publish it for other users to play; when other users play the level for at least 30 seconds, they can automatically receive Gameplay Coins, and failing the level does not affect the acquisition of this reward.
【This feature can refer to the Chinese server of Plants vs. Zombies 2】
When Bonk Choy or Kiwibeast activates their ultimate move (at the moment they jump up and before they land), immediately use Hurrikale or Blover at the position where the zombies are knocked into the air. If timed correctly, the zombies will be blown away directly. You can also first gather zombies into specific lanes (e.g., Lanes 2 and 4) using plants like Sweet Potato and Pineapple, then use this combination on the gathered zombie group.
Currently, the maximum number of plant slots is 9, which is still insufficient for some players. It is recommended to unlock an upgrade that allows purchasing a 10th plant slot.
After the user finishes watching the advertisement for the supply Lawn Mower, the Lawn Mower for the corresponding row will be replenished and placed back in its original position in that row. This ensures that the Lawn Mower is only activated when a zombie comes into contact with it, rather than being activated directly in the row.
The classic gameplay "I, Zombie" makes a grand return, with the following adjustments to game content:
The victory condition is no longer collecting all brains; instead, it is changed to eliminating all plants. Destroying 1 plant grants 150 sun points. This rule applies to all plants—even if a Puff-Shroom disappears after expiring, you will still receive 150 sun points.
Zombies can gain special abilities similar to the "Plant Food effect" for plants:
Zombot Football Zombie will throw a football to destroy plants, dealing massive damage to nut-type plants;
Gargantuar Prime will not only upgrade to the classic Red-Eyed Zombot Giant but also have an increased laser firing frequency.
It is recommended to bring the classic mini-game "Wall-nut Bowling" to the second installment. The types of bowling "balls" should not be limited to Giant Wall-nuts, regular Wall-nuts, and Explode-O-Nuts, but should also include the following:
Primal Wall-nut: Rolls straight through the entire lane, deals damage to 2 zombies, then immediately splits into 2 small Primal Wall-nuts. These split nuts move in 2 directions, dealing damage to targets in other lanes.
Jackfruit (China-exclusive Plant): Rolls straight through every zombie in the lane, leaving Jackfruit pulp behind each zombie. Zombies will have their movement delayed as they feed on the Jackfruit pulp.
Frosted White Hair Peach (China-exclusive Plant): Function unknown.
Gluttonous Dragon Grass (China-exclusive Plant): Function unknown.
It is recommended that the international version development team create entirely new types of bowling "balls".
【If you don't quite understand the content of the description, you can refer to the attached video!】
A "Traitor Plant" refers to a villainous plant placed on specific grid cells, usually with high health. After eliminating a Traitor Plant, you not only get a reward of twice the sun cost of that plant but also can plant your own plant in its original position. Examples include:
Traitor Peashooter: Attacks your own plant team;
Traitor Squash: Crushes your own plants and deals damage;
Traitor Sunflower: Deducts the sun you have already collected, but eliminating it will refund all the deducted sun.
More innovative dynamic visual designs: Running, flying, being knocked into the air, opening/closing eyes, and a variety of real-time changing expressions. Character animations should not be limited to swaying back and forth.
The so-called "Element 1+1" is a unique plant fusion gameplay. Its core mechanism is to fuse two plants with the same element tag to create a new plant with an entirely new appearance and skills.
Plants in the game have different element attributes, such as Frost, Fire, Electric Shock, Venom, etc. Only plants with the same element can be fused.
For example: Fusing Melon-pult and Jalapeno creates a Fire Melon-pult. Not only does its appearance change, but its attack method is also significantly enhanced!
Another example: Fusing Cherry Bomb and Wall-nut creates an Explode-O-Nut. Not only does its appearance change, but it also adds an explosion effect when destroyed on top of the original nut’s defensive function. Additionally, the Explode-O-Nut triggers an explosion effect when synthesized, and also triggers an explosion effect when shoveled up!
A third example: Fusing E.M.Peach and Wall-nut creates an Infi-nut. Not only does its appearance change, but it also adds an automatic healing effect when gnawed on top of the original nut’s defensive function. Additionally, the Infi-nut automatically regenerates after being gnawed!
A fourth example: Combining Peashooter and Chomper creates a Snap Pea. Not only does its appearance change, but it also introduces new modifications to the original Chomper’s devouring function. Additionally, large zombies can be damaged by the zombie’s head & peas...
Let’s add the brand-new mini-game "Element 1+1" mode! These powerful combinations will make zombies tremble with fear 👻!
Once a plant has reached its maximum tier, you will no longer obtain duplicate seed packets for that max-tier plant.
Even if a plant has not reached its maximum tier, if the number of its seed packets is already sufficient to max out the plant, you will no longer obtain duplicate seed packets for that plant.
The plant slots that appear in Conveyor Belt levels should not be limited to the default selected slots. It is recommended to allow players to choose the plant slots they want to use in Conveyor Belt levels.
In the Chinese version of Plants vs. Zombies 2, the Artifact system provides rich tactical options and significantly changes battlefield dynamics — the higher the Artifact level, the more powerful its effects!
It is recommended to introduce the Artifact system to the international version.
【A tutorial on how to use Artifacts for all users, as well as a tutorial on how to use Artifacts for speed farming, should be provided. If the description is unclear, please refer to the attached video!】
In the Chinese version of Plants vs. Zombies 2, there is a unique and highly popular mechanic: by quickly tapping the Next Wave button, players can efficiently defeat large numbers of zombies in a short time and complete levels rapidly.
This gameplay not only delivers an intense experience and strong sense of accomplishment but has also been officially confirmed as a legitimate mechanic that does not affect game balance.
Since its release, this feature has received widespread praise and high recognition from Chinese players.
Given its clear advantages in enhancing fun and strategic diversity, it is recommended to introduce this feature to the international version.
We believe this addition will bring new enjoyment to international players, help improve overall appeal and global player activity, and further enrich the diverse gameplay ecosystem of Plants vs. Zombies 2.
【A tutorial on "Speed Farming" for all users, as well as a tutorial on how to use Artifacts for speed farming, should be provided. If the description is unclear, please refer to the attached video!】
The so‑called Mo‑Gan Combo is an essential strategy for the Endless Mode in the Chinese server.
It refers to the combination use of Tile Turnip and Hurricane Bulb:
When Tile Turnip activates its ultimate move (the moment it jumps up and lands), immediately use Hurricane Bulb at the position where zombies are launched into the air.
If timed accurately, zombies will be blown away directly.
If used too early or too late, zombies may become immune to knockback after landing and become "feral," meaning they can no longer be launched or blown away.
Solution:
When Tile Turnip activates its ultimate move (the moment it jumps up and lands), immediately use Hurricane Bulb at the position where zombies are launched.
Even if used too early or too late, zombies will not become "feral" and unremovable after landing.
Expanded Proposal:
Remove the whitelist restriction for Blover.
This way, Blover can blow away any floating zombie, consistent with the international version’s mechanic where Blover blows away all floating zombies.
When Beast Kiwi activates its ultimate move (the moment it jumps up and lands), immediately use Blover, Hurricane Bulb, or Air Currant at the position where zombies are launched.
If timed accurately, zombies will be blown away directly.
Most players rely on this mechanic to clear Endless Mode, so it holds high evaluation value!
If the Speed Up button is enabled during a level, it may cause the Mo‑Gan Combo to fail.
It is recommended that enabling Speed Up not break the Mo‑Gan Combo, as this is also of high evaluation value!
【A tutorial on the "Mo‑Gan Combo" and other tricks to launch and blow away zombies for all users should be provided. If the description is unclear, please refer to the attached video!】
Add a large number of China-exclusive plants and zombies to make the content of the international version more abundant. Plants and zombies from different versions have their own unique features; integrating these elements will bring players a more comprehensive gaming experience and also promote communication and interaction between players from different versions.
Introduce plant heroes, zombie heroes, plants, and zombies from Plants vs. Zombies: Heroes, Plants vs. Zombies 2, and Plants vs. Zombies 3 into the game, and adapt them to the TV-side battle mode. These hero characters have unique skills and attributes, which will add more strategic elements and fun to the game. Continuously update new features, such as new hero skills and battle maps, to constantly bring freshness to players, attract more players to join, and enhance the game’s long-term appeal and competitiveness.
Add plant heroes and zombie heroes from Plants vs. Zombies: Heroes to the game, making them compatible with both new and old 2v2 Duel modes. These hero characters have unique skills and abilities, which will enrich the game’s gameplay and strategic combinations, bringing more freshness and fun to players.
Add a large number of China-exclusive plants and zombies to make the content of the international version more abundant. Plants and zombies from different versions have their own unique features; integrating these elements will bring players a more comprehensive gaming experience and also promote communication and interaction between players from different versions.
One-time-use plants are also compatible with the Plant Food effect. One-time-use plants that are fully grown in the Zen Garden will become Gold Card plants, which immediately activate their ultimate move when planted.
The international version has not updated a new game world for nearly a decade, and players’ expectations have been accumulating—new content is urgently needed to inject vitality into the game. It is recommended to launch a brand-new world with innovative gameplay, introducing new plants, new zombies, and unique game mechanisms to expand the game’s depth and strategy, and bring players richer challenges and experiences.
Drawing on the successful experience of the Chinese version, it is recommended that the international version introduce regular seed packet group purchase events. Specific rules:
The more players participate in the group purchase, the higher the proportion of virtual currency refunded to participants after the event ends;
After the first four seed packet group purchase events are completed and currency refunds are processed, the next batch of group purchase events will start immediately;
At the same time, the event interface should fully display all seed packets available for group purchase, making it easier for players to plan their participation in advance.
【In the Chinese version, seed packets are uniformly called "plant shards".】
It is recommended to introduce the popular gift code mechanism from the Chinese version into the international version. After obtaining a gift code, players can paste it directly from the clipboard into the gift code input box in the game. Upon successful redemption, they can receive generous rewards such as seed packets and virtual currency, thereby increasing player engagement and game retention.
In Endless Mode, even if you fail a challenge halfway through, you can restart from the current level progress you have achieved—there is no need to start over from the beginning due to a single mistake. Additionally, the lineup used when failing will not be saved; instead, the lineup from the initial stage of the current level progress will be automatically used, making the mechanism more reasonable.
V. Optimization of Ads and Payment
The coins, diamonds, and extra Goldfinger spent within a level can only be deducted when the level is won. If the level is failed, the coins, diamonds, and extra Goldfinger spent in this level will not be deducted. At the same time, the batteries spent in Penny's Pursuit, the diamonds spent in the two Pinata Parties, the Z Keys spent in the Z League, and the candies spent in other modes will only be deducted when the level is won; after failing the Boss level in Penny's Pursuit, players are allowed to try again. Such a payment mechanism is more fair and reasonable, reducing players' losses in case of failure and improving players' gaming experience.
There are certain plants in the game that cannot be unlocked even if players collect a large number of their Seed Packets—these plants can only be obtained through in-app purchases. This is extremely unfriendly to players who choose not to spend money on the game.
VI. Optimization of Levels and Items
It is recommended to add a mechanism where users can claim corresponding rewards based on their total login days, achieving a win-win situation of entertainment + rewards!
This is NOT the existing daily check-in system in the current version.
Examples:
Total login days: 100 — Reward: 20,000 Coins + 20 Chocolates + 50 Insecticides
Total login days: 200 — Reward: 50,000 Coins + 30 Chocolates + 60 Insecticides
Total login days: 300 — Reward: 80,000 Coins + 40 Chocolates + 70 Insecticides
Total login days: 500 — Reward: 100,000 Coins + 50 Chocolates + 80 Insecticides
Total login days: 1000 — Reward: 500,000 Coins + 100 Chocolates + 180 Insecticides…
It is recommended to open an official channel payment service via webpage & mini-programs in future updates.
This can avoid unnecessary commissions generated from payments (such as Apple Tax).
This will not only further stimulate users' desire to purchase items & in-game currency,
but also allow users to spend less, while the platform earns more — achieving a triple win.
Note: Commissions refer to fees like Apple Tax, etc.
Add "Total Login Days" Mechanism
Collecting sunlight ☀️, diamonds 💎, gold coins and silver coins is not limited to using the tap gesture to complete the collection. It also supports the swipe gesture to complete the batch collection of resources.
【This feature can refer to Plants vs. Zombies 2 and 3.】
By completing and activating the corresponding achievements, you can unlock exclusive rewards, adding a stronger sense of ritual to every accomplishment.
It is suggested that the sun cap be expanded to 60,000 sun. This will allow players to accumulate more sun and enhance the strategic value of sun management in the game.
In a level, the gold coins, diamonds, and extra Power-Ups spent will only be deducted when the player wins the level. If the player fails the level or quits midway, the gold coins, diamonds, and extra Power-Ups spent in that level will not be deducted. Additionally, a prompt regarding this policy should be marked on the game pause screen. Implementing this policy will not only effectively avoid unreasonable losses but also significantly reduce the risk of user churn. It will also greatly enhance the user experience! Therefore, we urgently need to implement it!
During a level, players are allowed to turn the tide of the battle by purchasing sun through watching ads or using coins. The purchase button will appear as a "plus sign" icon next to the sun value, enabling players to reverse the situation in critical moments. Below is the sun price list:
1st ad watched: Grants 500 sun
2nd ad watched: Grants an additional 700 sun (on top of the 1st ad’s reward)
3rd ad watched: Grants an additional 1,200 sun (on top of the 2nd ad’s reward)
3,000 sun: Costs 1,000 coins
7,000 sun: Costs 2,000 coins
12,000 sun: Costs 3,000 coins
During a level, the way to obtain "Powerups" (to turn the battle tide) is no longer limited to coin purchases—players can also gain Powerup uses by watching ads. A "plus sign" icon purchase button will appear next to the Powerup button for emergency use. Additionally, Powerup uses can be acquired in the in-game shop via ad-watching or coin purchases. Below is the Powerup price list:
Each ad watched: Grants 1 Powerup use (players can select the desired Powerup type); a maximum of 10 ads can be watched daily to claim this reward.
Power Snow (Ice Finger): 1 use costs 1,150 coins
Power Toss (Float Finger): 1 use costs 950 coins
Power Zap (Shock Finger): 1 use costs 800 coins
Discount rules for bulk Powerup purchases (applies to each Powerup type individually):
2 uses purchased: 15% overall discount
3 uses purchased: 25% overall discount
4 uses purchased: 30% overall discount
5 uses purchased: 40% overall discount
Note: The original "50% discount for 2 uses" is adjusted here for consistency with preceding tiers; if adhering to the original, retain "2 uses purchased: 50% overall discount" and adjust other tiers accordingly.
When the level is in accelerated mode, the duration of Powerup effects will not be reduced by the acceleration—this ensures the gameplay logic is consistent when players use Powerups during acceleration. While a Powerup is active, all zombies will be immobilized, but plants can still attack zombies normally until the Powerup effect ends.
When in the accelerated state within a level, the duration of using the "Power-Ups" will not decrease due to the acceleration effect, making the player's experience of using the "Power-Ups" during acceleration more in line with logical reasoning. When the Power-Ups is activated, all zombies will be in a static state, while plants can still attack zombies normally until the Power-Ups effect ends.
After each round ends, the current plant lineup is automatically saved, and plants in their ultimate state will maintain this state throughout the entire Endless Mode level sequence (e.g., if Torchwood is in its ultimate state when a level is cleared, this state will persist in subsequent levels until the plant is removed).
The final level of Endless Mode in each world is adjusted to Level 200, with a Boss challenge every 5 levels: Defeating a Boss yields generous rewards, clearing regular levels also grants certain rewards, and clearing Level 200 rewards players with extremely generous prizes. This design makes "Endless Mode" more progressive and fulfilling, rather than a literal infinite loop.
Optimization of the lawnmower mechanism: After losing lawnmowers in Endless Mode, when selecting abilities to bring before the start of a Boss level, all lost lawnmowers will be automatically replenished. Additionally, lost lawnmowers will be automatically replenished every 5 rounds, and at this time, players can simultaneously select buffs and enhancements from "Penny's Pursuit." If additional buffs or enhancements are needed, they can be unlocked by spending coins, with support for multiple purchases and prices remaining constant.
Optimization of failure handling: After a failed challenge, there's no need to start over—players can restart from their current achieved level progress. Additionally, the lineup at the time of failure will not be saved; the system will automatically load the initial lineup for that level progress, making the mechanism more reasonable.
Clearance reward: Upon completing Level 200, extremely generous rewards will be distributed, along with the prompt: "You've completed the final level of Endless Mode in this world—awesome job!"
It is recommended that when entering the level, the tombstones should all appear at the same time. This can make the visual effects more unified and coordinated.
The Gold Card is defined as that when a plant is placed each time, there is a 100% probability of releasing a special move, and it is for one-time use. The Gold Card can be selected for use when choosing a plant. The Gold Card will only become invalid when the game is won. If the game is exited halfway or failed, the Gold Card will not become invalid. This adjustment will increase the strategic nature and value of the Gold Card, allowing players to make better use of the Gold Card to turn the tide of the battle at critical moments.
The golden card is defined as a plant slot that triggers the special move with 100% probability each time the plant is placed, and it is for one-time use. The golden card can be selected when choosing plants. It will only become invalid after the player wins the game; if the player quits midway or loses, the golden card remains valid. This adjustment enhances the strategic value of golden cards, allowing players to better utilize them at critical moments to turn the tide of battle.
Adjust the height of the deck on the right side of the Pirate Seas level interface to be consistent with the height of the sea surface, and unify the appearance of the sea surface to be the same as that of Big Wave Beach. This enables amphibious, aquatic, and flying plants to be planted on the sea surface, while the characteristic that the seawater can submerge zombies can still be retained.
In the subsequent partial seasons of the Arena, it will be supported that all users place Sun Bloom at the top of their card layout. By default, the class of Sun Bloom in all users' hands will be uniformly defined as Level 10. A large number of Sun Blooms will be used as a sunlight source before "starting the battle". After "starting the battle", Sun Blooms will be planted in batches in all empty grids [except for grids that trigger mechanisms]. Sun Bloom can instantly release a large amount of sunlight! This not only maintains game balance and fairness but also enhances the user experience!
After users actively watch an advertisement, they can obtain an item that can automatically pick up sunlight ☀️, diamonds 💎, gold coins, silver coins, and potted plants in the Zen Garden. Each item remains effective for 60 minutes. During the effective period, it will automatically collect various resources, and after the time expires, it will return to the manual pickup state. It should be noted that the usage time of this item will only be deducted when the level is won; if the game fails or the level is exited, the item's time will not be consumed. This setting can help players efficiently collect resources in batches, making it more reasonable.
VII.Core Pain Points
Third-party advertisements should not auto-play without the user's permission. This not only seriously damages the user experience but also leads to a large loss of users.
In the current version, the difficulty of acquiring high-level plants is severely unbalanced. Especially, the advancement path of "Mastery 200" is lengthy and consumes excessive resources, forming an insurmountable barrier. Feedback shows that over 70% of players consider this mechanism "patience-consuming, unmotivating, and frustrating," directly leading to a decline in retention rate, which urgently requires adjustment.
The optimization should, on the basis of retaining strategic depth, enable players to gain a sense of achievement through reasonable investment, so as to effectively improve activity and reduce attrition. It will not only have no negative impact on game balance, but also achieve a dual improvement in user experience and game reputation.
Maintain the "Mastery 200" level cap, significantly reduce cultivation costs, and add a "One-Click Advancement" feature (supporting single-plant or batch direct advancement to the highest level) to minimize repetitive operations.
Regular Card Plants: Align with the acquisition cost of blue-card plants in the Chinese server, ensuring stable daily output through channels such as daily tasks and events.
Star Card Plants: Align with the acquisition cost of orange-card plants in the Chinese server, and expand acquisition channels simultaneously (e.g., season rewards, limited-time events).
Set the upper limit of gold coins for a single advancement to 10,000 to avoid excessive resource depletion.
The above are some of my suggestions and feedback on Plants vs. Zombies 2 International Version. I hope the development team can seriously consider them. I believe that through continuous optimization and improvement, the game will become more exciting, attract more players, and bring a better gaming experience to everyone.
Thank you, the development team, for bringing us such an interesting game. I look forward to the game getting better and better!
