Welcome dev team & players of Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolution to review below:
Dear Development Team of Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolution & Players:
The following is an AI translation due to my limited English proficiency; some inaccuracies may exist.As a loyal Chinese player, I have had a lot of fun while playing the game. At the same time, I have also found some areas that can be optimized, and I hope to contribute my ideas to the further improvement of the game.
Hello! Wishing you all the best, may we have a wonderful time together, and may you be free from worries and negative feelings! Happy New Year! Thank you for reading my feedback and for being willing to listen to the genuine thoughts of Chinese players about Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolution. Due to my limited English, the following content is translated by AI and may have some minor inaccuracies.
As a loyal Chinese player, I have really enjoyed playing the game. At the same time, I have identified some areas that could be optimized, and I hope to contribute to the game’s further improvement.
Should any parts of this written feedback be ambiguous or hard to comprehend, you may head over to
https://1drv.ms/f/c/3f086691686eb8d5/IgA17e1f4Q8ISLzxWDAagiL4AQ2hmP6XbD809zFA1XzCBKI
to watch the supporting feedback videos. Each feedback title strictly matches its corresponding video.
This cloud disk link includes fan works related to Plants vs. Zombies, as well as thrilling and engaging exclusive background music from the Chinese version of Plants vs. Zombies 2 for international players to enjoy!
I would be extremely grateful for your support and approval if you would like to leave a like or vote. Even if you don’t support it, that’s completely fine—please feel free to read my feedback or other players’ feedback as you wish. 😊😊😊🌹🌹🌹
【We really, really need these optimizations! It should be appropriately centered on users. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my feedback. I look forward to continuous improvements in the future to bring a more excellent experience to users. Thank you!】
Priority Potential Issues & Bugs
- Unable to Make Purchases for Chinese Players
Players logged in with a Chinese mainland Apple Account cannot complete purchases with RMB, and the price of all in-app purchase items always displays ￥0.00.
【If you cannot understand this description clearly, please watch the video in the attachment!】
- Unavailable Ad Viewing for Chinese Players
Players logged in with a Chinese mainland Apple Account sometimes cannot claim corresponding rewards by watching in-game ads with an error prompt popping up. They usually need to wait for a period of time before they can watch ads and claim rewards normally.
【If you cannot understand this description clearly, please watch the video in the attachment!】
- Failure to Interact with the 4th Flower Pot in Zen Garden
Players logged in with a Chinese mainland Apple Account may unlock the permission to plant favorite plants in the 4th flower pot of the Zen Garden by watching ads, but even after unlocking, they still cannot plant plants in or interact with the 4th flower pot normally.
【If you cannot understand this description clearly, please watch the video in the attachment!】
Suggestions & Feedback
I. Functional & Interaction Logic Optimization
- Proposal for Promoting Full-Platform Ecosystem Layout
At present, Huawei HarmonyOS Next boasts huge market potential. It is recommended to promote the full-platform ecosystem layout in the following directions:
Build a cross-platform cloud data interconnection system to fully cover the mainstream operating systems and devices below, and achieve global launch on corresponding application markets:
Apple Ecosystem: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, tvOS — launched in all regions on the Apple App Store;
Huawei Ecosystem: HarmonyOS PC, HarmonyOS Mobile — launched in all regions on Huawei AppGallery;
Android Ecosystem: Android, Android TV — launched in all regions on Google Play, Amazon App Store and other Android application markets;
Microsoft Ecosystem: Windows x86, Windows x64, Windows Arm — launched on Microsoft Store, Steam and other platforms (including but not limited to the above channels).
Core Value: By realizing real-time synchronization of game progress, save files, personalized settings and other data, the barrier of device switching is eliminated, creating a seamless gaming experience for users and further improving user retention rate and brand competitiveness.
- Account Management Optimization
Accounts created via Apple Account or mobile phone number can be mutually associated, and can also be bound to other accounts at the same time.
【Support mutual binding: Apple Account & Huawei Account & Phone Number & WeChat & QQ...】
- Lawn Mower Mechanic Enhancement
It is recommended to set 6 default uses for the lawn mower. When zombies are about to break into the house, the lawn mower will priority move to the most dangerous lane and trigger automatically. Players can replenish lawn mower uses for each lane by watching ads. The lawn mower will only be activated after zombies make contact with it, instead of triggering directly in the lane before zombies approach.
【Refer to Plants vs. Zombies 3 International Version for this feature】
No new zombies will be deployed in the lane cleared by the lawn mower; remaining zombies will be assigned to other lanes. If zombies in all 5 lanes are cleared, the remaining zombies will all spawn in the middle Lane 3.
【Refer to the original Plants vs. Zombies 1 for this feature】
When zombies are close to the player's house, nearby zombies will have a flashing red warning visual effect, the speed-up button will automatically turn off, while retaining the interface animation and audio effects of the international server.
【Refer to Plants vs. Zombies 2 International Version for this feature】
- Sun Value Adjustment & Bonus Mechanism
It is recommended to add Small Sun and Large Sun with fixed sun values as follows:
Small Sun: 25
Medium Sun (Existing): 50
Large Sun: 75
【Refer to Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese & International Version】
- In-Level Sun Supply Mechanism
Watch 1 ad: Gain 500 sun, with a maximum limit of 10 ad views per level.
3,000 Coins → 3,000 Sun
1,000 Coins → 12,000 Sun
2,000 Coins → 39,000 Sun
3,000 Coins → 60,000 Sun
- In-Level Menu Function Optimization
After tapping Exit Level in the in-level menu and the prompt "Zombies have broken into your house!" pops up, the game should automatically jump to the world selection interface without needing players to tap Continue manually. Avoid repeated pop-ups of Exit Level and Try Again options.
II. Interface, Visual & Audio Comprehensive Experience Optimization
- New Perspective Options
It is recommended to provide three visual perspective options for all game interfaces: Ultra-High Perspective, High Perspective, Low Perspective. Different players have different demands for game screen display: High Perspective allows players to obtain comprehensive battlefield information, while Low Perspective focuses more on local combat, meeting diverse strategic planning and visual preferences.
- Dynamic Welcome Interface Optimization Proposal
When entering the game, the "EA PopCap" logo shall be presented with gorgeous and exquisite dynamic animations matched with background music in sync with the animation rhythm, instead of the current simple static display. Meanwhile, the dynamic themed artwork of Plants vs. Zombies shall maintain continuous dynamic effects during loading, rather than only playing animations after the green progress bar finishes loading. In addition, upgrade the static green loading progress bar to the dynamic style of the international server.
The dynamic welcome interface supports free position adjustment of all character sprites, and character animations are no longer limited to simple left-right swaying. This design can bring players a fresher and more vibrant visual experience and even attract more new players to join the game.
【Innovative Dynamic Visual Solution: running, flying, being knocked airborne, eye opening and closing, rich real-time changing facial expressions, etc. Character animations shall not be limited to simple swaying】
- Level Camera Movement Optimization Proposal
The current camera switching logic of all levels is to pan directly from the left lawn to the zombie camp on the right. Although the movement has a smooth transition curve, the overall performance is relatively single and fails to bring an immersive visual experience to players.
It is recommended to retain the original basic camera path in subsequent versions. After the camera pans from the left lawn to the zombie camp on the right, it shall extend a certain distance to the right to briefly display a wider scene view and strengthen the spatial sense of the level.
At the moment when the camera finishes moving right and starts panning back to the left, the plant selection interface shall pop up synchronously immediately. Connect the card selection phase with dynamic camera transition, which makes the interface pop-up more natural and smooth, and improves players' operational immersion. The smooth transition curve of the current optimal camera movement shall be retained. Avoid the slow rhythm of waiting for the camera to stop completely before popping up the plant selection interface.
- Plant & Zombie Shadow Form Optimization
The shadows of plants and zombies shall no longer be single oval shapes. Instead, they shall be displayed in silhouette form and support real-time dynamic shadow changes.
- Sun Falling Speed & Visual Appearance Optimization
At present, sunlight falls at a constant speed in all custom levels with monotonous visual performance. It is recommended to optimize the falling movement of Regular Sun and Far Future Explosive Sun to a non-linear decelerating trajectory — fast at first and then slow down, enriching the hierarchical sense of animation effects.
Logically, luminous sunlight should not cast ordinary solid shadows when landing, which is unrealistic and artificially designed. Instead, soft glowing halos should appear at the landing position of sunlight.
It is better if nearby plants produce light reflection effects corresponding to the sun halo, which is more realistic, immersive and interactive. If this causes high performance consumption, it can be launched in subsequent updates.
After players collect sunlight into the sun meter, the sun meter will play a subtle flashing animation.
【Refer to Plants vs. Zombies 3 Chinese & International Server】
- Element Appearance & Naming Optimization
Rename the in-game "Diamond" to "Sapphire".
Unify the texture appearance of Sapphire with the official Sapphire asset style of Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolution International Version.
- Level BGM Expansion for Different Worlds
Currently, each world only has standard level background music, lacking exclusive music for special levels and mini-games. It is recommended to match exclusive background music for special levels and mini levels respectively.
- In-Level Speed-Up Button Expansion & Optimization
It is recommended that the in-level speed-up button can be toggled on and off even when the game is paused for better humanized operation experience.
- Obstacle Visual Optimization
Make all tombstones spawn simultaneously upon entering a level for unified and coordinated visual effect. Replace the harsh white flickering damage effect of tombstones and other obstacles with smooth fade-in and fade-out animation, and optimize the time sequence connection of tombstone spawning.
- Level Victory Special Effects
Upon winning any level, all obstacles (tombstones, arcade machines, ice blocks, etc.) will automatically shatter and disappear, making the game interface cleaner and bringing players a sense of accomplishment and visual satisfaction.
At the moment of winning a normal level, all plants on the battlefield will trigger synchronized cheering animations with vivid gestures to convey the joy of victory, allowing players to integrate into the scene and generate emotional resonance.
This effect is adapted accordingly in versus modes: plants on the winning side cheer enthusiastically, while plants on the losing side show dejected and droopy postures. The distinct emotional contrast greatly enhances battle immersion.
- Plant Selection Interface Function Expansion
The "Choose Your Plants" interface is divided into two major tabs: Plants and Lineups.
Plants Tab: Support normal plant selection, automatically reuse the lineup of the previous round with one click, and clear all selected plant slots with one click.
Lineups Tab: Support custom saving of plant lineups and editable custom lineup names.
【Refer to Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese Version】
III. Plant & Zombie Mechanism Optimization
- Expansion of Threepeater's functional range
When the Threepeater is placed on a tile at the edge of the lawn, it will fire two bullets at the middle lane within its range, and one bullet at either the first or third lane. This optimization effectively reduces resource waste.
- Gatling Pea: Element Fusion & Performance Enhancement
Gatling Pea can permanently fuse with other elemental pea plants via stacked planting, with no restrictions on planting order (it works whether you plant Gatling Pea first or the elemental pea first).
Fusable pea types: Fire Pea, Ice Pea, Electric Pea, Poison Pea, Shadow Pea, Primal Pea, Snap Pea, Triple Pea.
The game design team can expand fusion compatibility later by introducing new elemental pea variants. Players can repeatedly stack different elemental peas to switch Gatling Pea’s elemental form.
Stacking two Gatling Peas together will fuse them into an Ultimate Gatling Pea, which boasts drastically higher tactical value than a regular unfused Gatling Pea. Players may also re-stack various elemental peas to alter the Gatling Pea’s elemental form as needed.
When Gatling Pea activates its Ultimate Ability, it fires a massive fan-shaped volley of peas. Unlike its original Ultimate, the number of peas covering its lane will not drop, significantly raising its tactical effectiveness!
【This mechanic references Super Gatling Pea from Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese Version】
IV. New Game Modes & Content Addition
- Cumulative Login Days Reward Mechanism
It is recommended to add a permanent cumulative login reward mechanism to the game, realizing a win-win situation of entertainment and reward benefits.
Examples:
100 total login days: 20,000 Coins + 20 Chocolates + 50 Insecticides
200 total login days: 50,000 Coins + 30 Chocolates + 60 Insecticides
300 total login days: 80,000 Coins + 40 Chocolates + 70 Insecticides
500 total login days: 100,000 Coins + 50 Chocolates + 80 Insecticides
1000 total login days: 500,000 Coins + 100 Chocolates + 180 Insecticides...
【Independent of the existing daily check-in mechanism in the current version】
- Return of Chlorophyll Ultimate & Auto Mini-Ultimate Mechanics
Definition of Chlorophyll Ultimate
Upgrade a designated plant slot to Gold Tier within the Zen Garden. Planting the plant from this slot in battle triggers its Ultimate Ability every time.
Feed Chlorophyll to a plant already placed on the battlefield to activate its Ultimate.
Drag Chlorophyll onto a plant slot: the slot gains one Ultimate charge, and its cooldown is fully reset instantly.
【This mechanic applies to both Plant and Zombie factions in 1v1 Duels and 2v2 Duels. Reference: Plants vs. Zombies 2 International Version】
Definition of Auto Mini-Ultimate
Once a plant slot is upgraded to Mastery Tier, the plant will automatically cast a Mini-Ultimate at fixed intervals during combat. This system is separate from the Chlorophyll Ultimate featured in Plants vs. Zombies 2.
Examples:
Mastery Sunflower: Generates 100 Sun at regular intervals
Mastery Peashooter: Fires a burst of six peas at regular intervals
Mastery Wall-nut: Restores 10% of its maximum health at regular intervals
Mastery Bonk Choy: Deals moderate damage to all targets within its 3×3 radius at regular intervals
Mastery Laser Bean: Deals moderate damage across its entire lane at regular intervals
Mastery Snapdragon: Deals moderate damage to the 3×3 area directly in front of it at regular intervals
Mastery Ghost Pepper: Deals moderate damage within its own 3×3 radius at regular intervals
Mastery Oak Archer (China-Exclusive Plant): Launches upward attacks periodically, dealing moderate damage to all zombies and obstacles across the map
【This mechanic works for Plant and Zombie sides in 1v1 Duels and 2v2 Duels. Reference sources: discontinued Plants vs. Zombies Mini Program Edition, Endless Edition, and polished fan-made mods. None of these builds feature paywalled plant progression, which is our target design. We must strictly avoid the overpriced, grind-heavy plant upgrade system from Plants vs. Zombies 2 International Version.】
- Introduction of In-Game Menu Preference Settings and Next Wave Button
When players tap the Pause button during a level, the in-game preference settings menu will pop up. The available options include Single-Run Auto Next Wave, Full-Run Auto Next Wave, Skip Result Animations,Skip Speed-Up Flash Effects, and Off-Screen Zombie Acceleration.
The Next Wave button features an exclusive custom visual design. It displays a cheerful, grinning basic zombie head with slightly upturned eyes, set against a semi-transparent pure white background. The button adopts an octagonal shape with a liquid glass texture. A non-linear countdown progress bar runs along the octagonal border; once the progress bar finishes counting down, the next zombie wave is triggered automatically, delivering a more striking, vivid and intuitive visual experience.
By quickly tapping or long-pressing the Next Wave button while plants activate theirPlant Food abilities, players can efficiently eliminate large numbers of zombies both on and off-screen. The interface also displays the number of refreshed waves in real time. This mechanism eliminates the tedious repetitive tapping required in traditional gameplay and reduces operational fatigue, allowing for faster level completion. It provides players with an exciting gaming experience and a strong sense of accomplishment. Officially verified as a legitimate native gameplay mechanic, it does not disrupt game balance. Since its launch, this feature has received widespread praise and high recognition from Chinese players.
The Auto Next Wave feature fully adapts to the game’s fast-clear system. Detailed sub-settings are placed directly below the main toggle, with specific rules as follows:
Single-Run Auto Next Wave: Players only need to manually trigger the first Next Wave button at the start of the level and tap Next Wave before each flag wave to activate the staged fast-clear system.
Full-Run Auto Next Wave: When enabled, the manual Next Wave button will no longer appear throughout the level. The system automatically refreshes all zombie waves for the entire stage, enabling an extreme fast-clear gameplay experience.
If players prefer not to use fast-clear mechanics including quick taps, long presses, single-run auto refresh and full-run auto refresh to eliminate massive zombies during Plant Food activation, they can disable the Fast-Clear System option in the pause menu. This restores the original casual tower-defense experience and preserves the core gameplay essence.
This mechanic greatly enhances gameplay fun and strategic diversity. Therefore, it is highly recommended to introduce this exclusive feature set to Plants vs. Zombies 2 International Version. The addition of these functions will bring brand-new gameplay enjoyment to international players, improve overall game attractiveness and global player activity, and further enrich the diversified in-game ecosystem of Plants vs. Zombies 2.
Skip Result Animations: After collecting all level rewards upon stage completion, the system automatically skips all ending animations, including lawnmower coin conversion, coin pickup and other closing sequences, enabling instant level settlement.
Skip Speed-Up Flash Effects: Tapping the speed-up button in-level removes harsh flash visual effects while retaining the original speed-up sound effects. This eliminates unnecessary visual distractions and optimizes long-session gaming experience.
Off-Screen Zombie Acceleration: This feature increases the movement speed of off-screen incoming zombies, shortens their entry waiting time, further reduces level completion duration and assists players with fast clears.
【This exclusive mechanic originates from the official fast-clear system of Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese Version. It serves as a core mainstream method for players to maintain high rankings and obtain rewards in competitive leaderboard modes such as Endless Challenge, Z-League, and Penny’s Pursuit. Officially confirmed, this fast-clear system is a built-in native game mechanic that requires no third-party tools such as cheats or auto-clickers. It is fully compliant and does not impair game balance. Players may refer to the attached demonstration video for further clarification on the mechanism.】
- Chinese Version Exclusive Feature: Relics
In the Chinese Version of Plants vs. Zombies 2, the Relics system provides abundant tactical choices and greatly changes battlefield situations. Higher-level Relics deliver more powerful effects. We suggest adding the Relics system to the International Version.
Please provide all players with tutorials on how to use Relics, as well as guides on using Relics to perform Fast Rush. Refer to the attached video for more details if needed.
- All Level Mechanic Optimizations & Feature Expansions
In Pick Your Own Plants levels and Use Selected Plants levels, Twin Sunflower and Primal Wall-nut? No, correct terms: Twin Sunflower and Gold Bloom can be used instantly with no cooldown at the start of the level, just like Sun-shroom and Sunflower.
In Endless Toughness levels, players may plant plenty of sun-producing plants (e.g. Sun-shroom, Gold Bloom, Sunflower, Sun Sage) and Power Lily for sun and Plant Food before tapping Start Battle. After starting the battle: planted Gold Bloom will generate massive sun instantly; Sun-shroom, Sunflower and Twin Sunflower will produce sun right away. Sun-shroom will fully mature immediately after generating sun with no waiting time. Power Lilies will generate Plant Food, and there is no planting limit for Power Lily. (This feature is well-received by numerous players of the Chinese server.)
Gold-tier plants raised in the Zen Garden have exclusive effects when placed in Endless Toughness levels, triggering their Plant Food abilities under the following three scenarios:
Pre-set plants cast their Plant Food abilities automatically before Start Battle to clear obstacles.
Pre-set plants unleash their Plant Food abilities instantly right after Start Battle, clearing obstacles and the first wave of incoming zombies for fast farming. These plants are surrounded by a silver aura before the battle starts, and the aura fades once the ability is activated.
Pre-set plants can be manually activated by tapping them at the optimal timing after Start Battle to clear sudden obstacles and incoming zombies for fast farming, without consuming any Plant Food. These plants are surrounded by a golden aura before the battle starts, and the aura fades once the ability is activated.
【This gameplay is referenced from the Chinese Version of Plants vs. Zombies 2. Please check the attached video for further details.】
- Limited-Time Secret Realm & Stalemate Escape Gameplay
The international server features time travel and diverse level themes. It is recommended to introduce exclusive permanent and limited-time secret realms adapted to its own gameplay by referencing the design logic of Time-Space Secret Realm and Stalemate Escape from the Chinese server.
Permanent Secret Realm: Refer to the Company Z mode of the Chinese server, design exclusive mechanisms for different timelines and reward plant upgrade materials.
Limited-Time Secret Realm: Adopt themed designs such as Fairy Tale Secret Realm and Time-Space Secret Realm, control event cycles and task volume to fit the international server plant energy system. Absorb interesting mechanisms from other Chinese server secret realms and Stalemate Escape to perfectly enrich gameplay and boost player activity.
【Refer to Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese Version】
- Official Channel Payment Service Launch
It is recommended to launch official payment services via official web pages and mini-programs in subsequent updates. This can avoid unnecessary commission fees generated by payment such as Apple Tax. It can not only further stimulate players' willingness to purchase props and in-game currency, reduce players' consumption cost, but also increase official revenue, achieving a triple win for players, platform and official team.
- Resource Collection Function Expansion
Similar to the permanent free speed-up button open unconditionally to free players, add an independent toggle switch for the following auto-collection functions:
Regular Sun can be automatically collected right after spawning before landing, no need to wait for landing.
Far Future Explosive Sun will be collected instantly upon landing.
Auto collect Plant Food automatically.
Auto collect coins, silver coins, diamonds, plant fragments and other virtual currencies.
- 2v2 Showdown Mode Added to Arena
Launch a brand-new independent 2v2 Showdown mode in the Arena, focusing on two-way offensive and defensive strategic gameplay. The traditional faction confrontation mode is retained, with independent entry entrances for the two modes to avoid player confusion.
Battle Rules
Two players each deploy plant defenses and can send zombies to attack the opponent’s base. The first player to break the opponent’s 20-point core defense line wins; if no winner within 15 minutes, the match ends in a draw.
Sun Mechanic
Sunlight is independent for each player. Sunflowers adopt an automatic charging mechanism similar to the old beta of Plants vs. Zombies 3 and can be upgraded by consuming sunlight:
Lv. 0: 650 initial sun; +100 sun every 10s; upgrade cost 300 sun
Lv. 1: +200 sun every 10s; upgrade cost 500 sun
Lv. 2: +300 sun every 10s; upgrade cost 1000 sun
Lv. 3: +400 sun every 10s; upgrade cost 2400 sun
Lv. 4: +500 sun every 10s; upgrade cost 3000 sun
Lv. 5: +700 sun every 10s; upgrade cost 4000 sun
Lv. 6 (Max): +1200 sun every 10s; no further upgrade
Planting plants and spawning zombies both consume sunlight, requiring reasonable resource balance. Example: Tall-nut costs 125 sun; Gargantuar costs 300 sun.
Plant Enhancement Rules
Unused plants in slots and all planted plants of the same type on the battlefield can be enhanced and upgraded. Each enhancement effect can be stacked twice, and plant slot levels can also be upgraded.
Consume 500 Sun: Reduce plant slot cooldown by 20%
Consume 500 Sun: Increase plant attack speed by 20% (animation speed unchanged)
Consume 500 Sun: Increase plant health by 30%
Consume 500 Sun: Offensive plants gain bonus effects such as Knockback, Stun, Venom (animation unchanged)
Level Upgrade Path:
Lv.1 → Lv.3: 500 Sun
Lv.3 → Lv.6: 1000 Sun
Lv.6 → Lv.10: 2000 Sun
Lv.10 → Mastery 200: 200 Sun
Consume Plant Food to trigger plant ultimate abilities.
Zombie Enhancement Rules
Consume 500 Brains per enhancement: 20% cooldown reduction / 20% attack speed boost / 30% health increase. All zombies can gain Attack Boost, Health Boost, Control Immunity bonuses; each enhancement stackable twice, slot upgradable 3 tiers.
Players can deploy Spike Traps and Slow Mucus to interfere with opponents.
Zombie Level Upgrade Path
Lv.1 → Lv.3: 500 Brains
Lv.3 → Lv.6: 1000 Brains
Lv.6 → Lv.10: 2000 Brains
Lv.10 → Mastery 200: 200 Brains
Consume special items similar to Plant Food to trigger zombie ultimate skills.
Matchmaking & Social Features
Matchmaking: Create Room (room code/privacy setting) & Quick Match; Quick Match only matches players with a rank difference of ±1 level to ensure fairness.
Social: Players can send friend requests to each other after matches; friends can invite each other to battle with one click, view battle records and team up for gameplay. In-room text chat with sensitive word filtering is available.
Reconnection: 30-second reconnection window after disconnection; failure to reconnect results in loss. Winners get full rewards; losers lose no items or rank points.
【Refer to Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese Server; support online multiplayer and friend system. If there is any doubt about the gameplay description, please refer to the attached video, with slight differences between the feedback content and video details】
- 1v1 Duel Mode Upgrade in Arena
Upgrade the original 1v1 Duel mode to break the limit of "plants vs zombies only". Add three core confrontation dimensions: Plant vs Plant, Zombie vs Zombie, Plant vs Zombie to enrich strategic diversity and gameplay richness.
Plant vs Plant
Core Mechanism
Two players both control plant factions, competing for core battlefield resource points and destroying 2~5 opponent defense lines. The number of defense lines can be customized by both players with a unified winning standard.
Plant Positioning & Gameplay
Plants are divided into three types: Offensive, Defensive and Functional.
Offensive Plants (Peashooter, Kernel-pult, etc.): Break through opponent defense lines.
Defensive Plants (Tall-nut, Pumpkin): Defend own lineup and defense lines.
Functional Plants (Magnet-shroom, Coffee Bean): Interfere with opponents and strengthen own lineup.
Resource & Enhancement Rules
Sun Mechanic: Independent sunlight allocation; players can choose either planting Sunflowers to increase sun production or adopting the automatic charging mechanism of Sunflowers from the old PVZ3 Beta version.
Random Buffs: The battlefield randomly spawns buff props such as temporary attack speed boost, double sun output and slot cooldown reduction. Players can obtain buffs by seizing resources or consuming extra sun; buff effects cannot be stacked.
Level Upgrade Path:
Lv.1 → Lv.3: 500 Sun
Lv.3 → Lv.6: 1000 Sun
Lv.6 → Lv.10: 2000 Sun
Lv.10 → Mastery 200: 200 Sun
Consume Plant Food to trigger plant ultimate abilities.
Zombie vs Zombie
Core Mechanism
Two players both control zombie factions with frontal confrontation as the core gameplay. Both sides select zombie combinations of different genres, and the first side to let zombies reach the opponent's base endpoint wins.
Resource & Enhancement Rules
Brain Mechanic: Independent brain allocation; players can choose either planting tombstones to increase brain production or adopting the automatic charging mechanism from the old PVZ3 Beta version.
Random Buffs: Random battlefield buffs including movement speed boost, health increase and control immunity, obtainable by seizing resources or consuming extra brains; buffs cannot be stacked.
Obstacle Traps: Players can deploy Spike Traps, Slow Mucus and other obstacles on the opponent's battlefield; opponents need to adjust zombie routes flexibly to avoid risks.
Level Upgrade Path:
Lv.1 → Lv.3: 500 Brains
Lv.3 → Lv.6: 1000 Brains
Lv.6 → Lv.10: 2000 Brains
Consume special items similar to Plant Food to trigger zombie ultimate skills.
Plant vs Zombie
Core Mechanism
Player A controls the plant faction with the goal of seizing core resource points and destroying 3 opponent defense lines.
Player B controls the zombie faction with the goal of sending zombies to reach the plant base endpoint first.
Player A (Plant Side) Rules
Plant positioning follows Offensive, Defensive and Functional classification with clear division of labor.
Sun Mechanic: Choose between planting Sunflowers or automatic charging mechanism.
Random Buffs: Obtainable by resource seizure or sun consumption; non-stackable.
Enhancement & Upgrade Rules:
Consume 500 Sun: 20% cooldown reduction / 20% attack speed boost / 15% health increase. Offensive plants gain extra Knockback, Stun or Venom effects. Each enhancement can be stacked 3 times; plant slots can be upgraded 3 tiers.
Level Upgrade Path:
Lv.1 → Lv.3: 500 Sun
Lv.3 → Lv.6: 1000 Sun
Lv.6 → Lv.10: 2000 Sun
Lv.10 → Mastery 200: 200 Sun
Consume Plant Food to trigger plant ultimate abilities.
Player B (Zombie Side) Rules
Brain Mechanic: Choose between planting tombstones or automatic charging mechanism.
Random Buffs: Obtainable by resource seizure or brain consumption; non-stackable.
Enhancement Rules:
Consume 500 Brains: 20% cooldown reduction / 20% attack speed boost / 30% health increase. All zombies gain extra Attack Boost, Health Boost and Control Immunity; each enhancement stackable 3 times, slot upgradable 3 tiers.
Obstacle Traps: Deploy Spike Traps and Slow Mucus to interfere with opponents.
Level Upgrade Path:
Lv.1 → Lv.3: 500 Brains
Lv.3 → Lv.6: 1000 Brains
Lv.6 → Lv.10: 2000 Brains
Consume special items similar to Plant Food to trigger zombie ultimate skills.
New Terrains & Settings
Add two exclusive terrains: Roof Terrain and Right-side Sea Level Terrain, with expanded 8 plant slots. Roof Terrain provides free Flower Pots; Sea Level Terrain provides free Lily Pads, neither occupying plant slots.
Mode Entrance: The three confrontation dimensions can be set as independent battle entrances or unlocked as advanced gameplay of the original 1v1 Duel mode.
Rank & Rewards: Match with exclusive rank system and match rewards to enhance playability and competitiveness.
Matchmaking & Social: Follow the same rules as 2v2 Showdown Mode, supporting custom room creation, quick match (±1 rank), friend system, sensitive-word-filtered text chat and disconnection reconnection mechanism.
【Plant vs Zombie mode refers to Plants vs. Zombies: Reborn Edition; it is expected that the two-player battle mode can support online matching and friend adding functions】
- Co-op Mode Expansion
Introduce the Co-op Mode from the Reborn Edition, breaking the limitation of only local multiplayer. Add online matchmaking function, allowing players to team up with teammates via the internet to complete co-op levels. Players can send friend requests to co-op teammates, and then team up to participate in 1v1, 2v2 offensive and defensive battles, existing versus modes and various upcoming online co-op challenges.
- Addition of Attribute-Bearing Full-Body Plant Costumes, Super Costumes, Regular Charms, Super Charms and Workshop System Elements
Equipping a plant with a full set of exclusive costumes will activate unique bonus attributes for the corresponding plant. Super Charms feature exclusive in-battle visual effects and can be upgraded. The higher the Charm rank, the stronger the practical combat effects.
Detailed costume effects are listed below:
Nightshade Growth Pack Costume: After activating its Plant Food ability, Nightshade recalls the last wave of its projectiles. The recalled projectiles will deal additional damage to any zombies they touch. This costume also reduces plant cooldown by 20% and increases attack speed by 15%.
Sunflower Super Costume: This costume shrinks Sunflower into a mini-sized appearance and boosts its sun production rate by 30%.
Grave Buster Super Costume: This costume restores Grave Buster’s classic original appearance. After successfully consuming a tombstone, Grave Buster produces 50 sun and has a 50% chance to generate an additional coin.
Detailed effects of Regular Charms are listed below:
Rubber Duck Float Charm: Allows the equipped plant to be placed directly on water tiles.
Speed Planter Charm: Reduces the planting cooldown of the equipped plant by 30%.
Energy Saver Charm: Reduces the sun cost of planting the equipped plant by 10 sun.
Hourglass Charm: Grants a 10% chance to fully reset the equipped plant’s planting cooldown, and additionally reduces planting cooldown by 10%.
The game development team will continue to launch new attribute-boosting plant charms in future updates to further enrich tactical diversity and overall gameplay depth.
Detailed effects of Super Charms are listed below:
Hourglass Super Charm (Max Rank 5): At Rank 5, it gains a 25% chance to fully reset the plant’s planting cooldown, increases cooldown reduction to 25%, and refunds 16% of the sun cost upon planting.
Purple Glove Super Charm: When Plant Food is used on a plant equipped with this charm, the plant generates a large amount of extra Plant Food. This is an extremely rare premium charm that delivers an outstanding fast-clear gaming experience. Its combat bonuses become overwhelmingly powerful when upgraded to Rank 5.
The Workshop System provides universal attribute bonuses for all plants. Its complete gameplay and mechanics will be introduced in subsequent content.
【The Workshop System is referenced from the Chinese Version of Plants vs. Zombies 3; all other exclusive mechanics are referenced from the Chinese Version of Plants vs. Zombies 2】
- Creative Courtyard Custom Level Mode
Launch Creative Courtyard, a highly free custom level creation and sharing gameplay. It supports creating multiple level types including I, Zombie, Conveyor Belt, Plant Selection, Boss Challenge and Vase Breaking.
Players can freely match custom levels with terrain styles of any world, and deeply customize scene elements with no placement quantity limits: mold tiles, Plant Food tiles, movable minecarts, bounce pads, zombie enhancement potions, giant metal ball mechanisms exclusive to Lost City, row flame clearing devices, ice floes and sliding tiles that change zombie movement routes.
It also allows customizing plant and zombie grades, setting special zombies carrying Plant Food, and adding sandstorm and other level events. Players must clear their own custom levels before publishing online. Other players who play a custom level for more than 30 seconds can automatically earn gameplay coins, and they will not lose rewards even if they fail the level.
【Refer to Plants vs. Zombies 2 Chinese Server】
- Plant Slot Expansion & Classification
The current maximum limit of 9 plant slots is insufficient for some players. It is recommended to unlock the 10th purchasable plant slot through in-game upgrade.
- Lawn Mower Resupply via Ad Viewing
After watching the dedicated lawn mower resupply ad, the lawn mower will be restored to its original position in the corresponding lane. It only activates when zombies make contact, instead of triggering directly in the lane in advance.
- Classic Mini-Game: I, Zombie Return
Revive the classic I, Zombie mode with adjusted rules:
Victory condition is changed from collecting brains to eliminating all plants. Destroying any plant rewards 150 sun, which is applicable to all plants (even disappearing small mushrooms after failure can also reward 150 sun).
Zombies gain special abilities similar to Plant Food effects:
Football Zombie throws footballs to destroy plants and deal massive damage to nut plants.
Gargantuar Prime is upgraded to the classic red-eyed giant zombie with increased laser firing frequency.
- Classic Mini-Game: Wall-nut Bowling Return
Introduce Wall-nut Bowling into Plants vs. Zombies 3. Expand bowling types beyond basic Wall-nut, Giant Wall-nut and Explode-O-Nut, adding more types:
Primal Wall-nut: Rolls through the whole lane, splits into two small Primal Wall-nuts after hitting 2 zombies, attacking other lanes in two directions.
Jackfruit (Chinese Server Exclusive): Rolls through all zombies in the lane, leaving pulp that slows zombie movement.
Frosted White Hair Peach (Chinese Server Exclusive): Reserved for future mechanism design.
Gluttonous Dragon Grass (Chinese Server Exclusive): Reserved for future mechanism design.
The international development team can design more original bowling types in the future.
【If you cannot understand the description clearly, please refer to the attached video!】
- Traitor Plant Mode
Add Traitor Plant Mode: Traitor Plants are villain plants with high health that spawn on specific grid tiles. Defeating a Traitor Plant rewards double its sun cost and allows players to plant their own plants on the empty tile.
Traitor Peashooter: Attacks your own plant team.
Traitor Squash: Crushes and damages your own plants.
Traitor Sunflower: Deducts collected sun; defeating it refunds all deducted sun.
Character dynamic visual upgrade: Add running, flying, being knocked airborne, eye opening and closing, rich real-time facial expressions; character animations shall no longer be limited to simple back-and-forth swaying.
- Element 1+1 Fusion Mode
Add the original Element 1+1 fusion mini-game: fuse two plants with the same elemental attribute (Frost, Fire, Electric, Venom, etc.) to generate a new plant with exclusive appearance and skills.
Examples:
Melon-pult + Jalapeno → Fire Melon-pult with upgraded attack performance.
Cherry Bomb + Wall-nut → Explode-O-Nut with explosion effect on death or shoveling.
E.M.Peach + Wall-nut → Infi-nut with auto-heal and self-revive ability.
Peashooter + Chomper → Snap Pea with adjusted devour and damage mechanics.
Launch the brand-new Element 1+1 mini-game! These powerful combinations make zombies terrified!
- Seed Packet Acquisition Optimization
Stop dropping duplicate seed packets for plants that have reached maximum tier. Also stop dropping duplicates if the owned seed quantity is enough to max out the plant, even if not yet fully upgraded.
- Conveyor Belt Level Mechanism Expansion
The plant slots in Conveyor Belt levels shall no longer be limited to fixed default selections. Allow players to choose custom plant lineups for Conveyor Belt levels.
- Introduce Chinese Server Exclusive Plants & Zombies
Add a large number of China-exclusive plants and zombies to enrich international server content, promote cross-version gameplay communication and enrich the overall gaming ecosystem.
- Plant Food Usage & Effect Expansion
When placing Plant Food on any plant slot, the selected plant slot will immediately gain cooldown elimination effect. Meanwhile, the plant slot with Plant Food attached gains a one-time Gold Card effect: planting the Gold Card plant will trigger its ultimate skill instantly (valid for one time only), which is also applicable to one-time plants.
Plant Food can be obtained by watching ads or spending coins to purchase.
【Provide tutorials for all players on Plant Food usage and effect expansion】
- One-Time Use Plant Function Expansion
Allow one-time plants to trigger Plant Food effects normally. Fully mature one-time plants grown in the Zen Garden become Gold Card plants, triggering their ultimate instantly when planted.
- Regular Seed Packet Group Purchase Events
Add periodic seed packet group purchase events inspired by the Chinese server. The more participants, the higher virtual currency refund ratio after the event. Launch the next batch immediately after the previous round’s refund settlement, and display all available seed packets clearly in the event interface for player planning.
【Seed packets are named Plant Shards in the Chinese Server】
- Gift Code Redemption System
Add the popular gift code mechanism from the Chinese Server. Support clipboard one-click paste into the redemption box to claim seed packets, coins and other generous rewards, improving player engagement and retention.
- Endless Mode Rule Optimization
Allow players to restart from the current progress after failing an Endless challenge, instead of restarting from the beginning. Do not save the failed lineup; automatically load the initial lineup of the current progress.
V. Ads & Payment Optimization
- Payment Mechanism Optimization
Coins, diamonds, Power Ups and other resources consumed in a level are only deducted upon level victory; no deduction if failed or exited midway. Batteries spent in Penny's Pursuit, diamonds in Pinata Party, Z Keys in Z League and candies in other modes are only charged after clearing the level. Allow unlimited retry on Penny's Pursuit Boss level for fairer player experience.
- Paywall Plant Acquisition Optimization
Some plants can only be obtained by in-app purchase even with enough seed packets, which is unfriendly to non-paying players. It is recommended that all newly launched plants can be obtained through free gameplay methods such as quest completion or in-game currency redemption in subsequent versions, instead of being permanently locked behind paywalls.
VI. Level & Item Optimization
- Achievement System Expansion
Unlock exclusive rewards by completing and lighting up corresponding achievements, adding ritual sense and accomplishment for players.
- Sun Cap Limit Expansion
Expand the maximum sun cap to 60,000 to allow more sun accumulation and deeper strategic resource management.
- Virtual Currency Deduction Policy Optimization
Coins, diamonds and consumed Power Ups in the level are only deducted upon level victory; no deduction for failure or midway exit. Mark this no-deduction policy clearly on the pause interface to avoid unreasonable player losses, reduce user churn and greatly improve gaming experience. This optimization is highly necessary.
- In-Level Sun Purchase Function
Allow players to reverse battle difficulty by purchasing sun via watching ads or spending coins, with a plus icon next to the sun value:
Watch the 1st ad: +500 Sun
Watch the 2nd ad: +700 additional Sun
Watch the 3rd ad: +1,200 additional Sun
1,000 Coins → 3,000 Sun
2,000 Coins → 7,000 Sun
3,000 Coins → 12,000 Sun
- Power-Ups (Gold Finger) Function Optimization
Obtain extra Power Up uses by watching ads besides coin purchase, with a plus icon next to the Power Up button. Add bulk purchase discount rules and fixed coin prices for each Power Up type in the shop.
One ad view rewards 1 random Power Up use, max 10 ad views per day.
Bulk Purchase Discount:
2 times: 15% off
3 times: 25% off
4 times: 30% off
5 times: 40% off
Duplicate rule reference: 50% off
Fixed Unit Price:
Ice Power-Up: 1150 Coins per use
Levitate Power-Up: 950 Coins per use
Zap Power-Up: 800 Coins per use
Power Up duration is not reduced under game speed-up; all zombies freeze statically during Power Up effect while plants attack normally until the effect ends.
- Endless Mode Mechanism Upgrade
Auto-save plant lineups after each round; plants in ultimate state retain the effect across endless levels. Set each world’s Endless final level to Level 200 with Boss challenges every 5 levels, granting generous stage rewards and ultimate clearance rewards for passing Level 200.
Automatically replenish lost lawn mowers before Boss levels and every 5 rounds. Players can select buffs and enhancements from Penny's Pursuit at the same time; extra buffs can be unlocked with coins at fixed prices for multiple purchases.
Optimize failure restart and lineup reset rules: restart from current progress after failure, without saving the failed lineup and automatically loading the initial lineup.
After clearing Level 200, pop up exclusive prompt: "You have cleared the final level of Endless Mode in this world, well done!"
- Gold Card Mechanism Adjustment
Redefine Gold Card: 100% ultimate trigger on each plant placement, one-time valid only consumed after winning the level; remains effective if exiting or failing midway. Enhance tactical value for critical battle moments.
- Pirate Seas Interface Visual Optimization
Unify the deck height on the right side of Pirate Seas to match the sea level of Big Wave Beach, and standardize sea surface visuals. Allow amphibious, aquatic and flying plants to be planted on seawater while retaining the zombie submergence mechanic.
- Arena Season Mechanism Optimization
In partial Arena seasons, allow all players to place Sun Bloom at the top of plant slots with a unified fixed Level 10. Mass plant Sun Blooms for massive sun generation before battle start to balance fairness and player experience.
- Auto-Resource Collection Item
Add a timed auto-collection item obtainable by watching ads, valid for 60 minutes to auto-gather sunlight, diamonds, coins, silver coins and Zen Garden potted plants. Item duration is only consumed upon level victory, with no consumption on failure or exit.
VII. Core Pain Points
【No suggestions for the time being】
The above is my complete and detailed optimization feedback for Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolution International Version without any omission. I sincerely hope the development team will take all suggestions into careful consideration. With continuous optimization, iteration and content enrichment, the game will become more wonderful, attract more global players and deliver a better gaming experience for all fans.
Thank you for developing such an excellent game. I sincerely look forward to the game getting better and better!
Sincerely,
A Loyal Chinese PVZ Player
