Temtem has finally hit its official launch as a finished game after a couple of years in early access. Loads of new players will be entering the world for the first time now that it’s complete, and if you’re one of them, you may need a helping hand at the start. When playing these Pokémon-likes, it can be hard to adjust to the subtle difference that a game like Temtem makes and tricky to work out what the best strategies are.
We’ve put together a series of tips to help you orient yourself in the world and explain the major differences between this and Pokémon that might trip you up if you’re not careful. Plus, we’ll point you to some of the most useful items, quests, and Temtem that you can pick up early on, and will be greatly beneficial to your adventure.
1
Learn the type chart
So, you know the Pokémon type chart that you’ve had committed to memory since childhood? Throw it in the garbage, it won’t help you here. Sure, the water, fire, and grass triangle still works, but pretty much everything else is different. On top of that, there are a bunch of completely new types which have no Pokémon equivalent like Crystal or Digital types.
2
Starter Temtem
At the start of the game you’ll be given the choice of three Temtem to start you off, these are:
- Crystle – a Crystal-type Temtem.
- Smazee – a Melee-type Temtem.
- Houchic – a Mental-type Temtem.
Feel free to pick based on which one you think is the cutest, by all means, but if you’re looking for a bit of extra knowledge then you should know that Crystle is better as a defensive Temtem, Houchic thrives as an aggressor and Smazee does a bit of both. Whatever playstyle you prefer, one of these Starter Temtem will cater to your needs.
3
Stamina management
A mechanic unique to Temtem is the stamina system. Rather than limiting the number of uses for each move (called techniques in Temtem), each one pulls from an overall stamina pool, like the mana/magic systems seen in other traditional JRPGs. This pool can be quite limited, especially in the early game, and each Temtem will only be able to pull off a couple of moves before needing a rest. Keep an eye on your stamina at all times, because if your Temtem overexerts themselves, they’ll start hurting themselves and will need to miss turns.
4
Plan around hold techniques
You’ll notice that some of your Temtem’s techniques have an extra bar or two on the battle menu, this indicates that you’ll need to wait a turn or two before you can use them. Balancing this waiting game can be the key between victory and defeat, so always have them in the back of your mind during battle. You’ll want to ensure that your Temtem will have enough stamina when these powerful moves become available, otherwise, you’ll waste their great potential.
5
Pay attention to priority
Along with damage values and stamina costs, each move has its own priority, indicating what order they’ll activate each turn. While a Temtem’s speed can play a big part in determining this too, it’s worth keeping in mind that if you use a status move, for example, it will most likely activate last in the turn, meaning your opponents will have the opportunity to attack first.
6
Stock up on Smoke Bombs
The areas and routes between major towns in Temtem can be very long, usually too long for your team to handle in a single stretch. You’ll likely need to head back to the previous town after a hard battle, or even just a long stretch without any free healing. This makes Smoke Bombs one of the most important items in the game, as they allow you to fast travel. Whenever you head out into a new area, always have at least one on you so you can get back safely if things go pear-shaped.
7
Side quest galore
Talk to every NPC you can see, because a lot of them will have side quests for you, all with their own fun little stories. Most of them are quite easy and some will have you seeking out Temtem you may not even know existed. The rewards of currency and items will keep your team afloat and leave you with an abundance of items you wouldn’t have if you skipped all these tasks.
8
Keep your team evenly levelled
Now, this doesn’t mean your team should always be exactly the same level, but you should be using all six of the Temtem in your party pretty much equally. If you’ve got a couple of really overpowered Temtem, and a few underpowered ones, then you’re not going to have as fun a time, plus you could get in trouble if you come across a strong opponent that only an under-leveled Temtem is effective against.
That said, levels aren’t the be-all and end-all. While Temtem is a harder game than most of the Pokémon games, you can still take on opponents a fair bit stronger than you with good knowledge of type effectiveness.
9
Luma Temtem
If you’re a shiny hunter in Pokémon then we’ve got good news for you, as Luma Temtem work very similarly to Shiny Pokémon. However, instead of just having a unique colour, these special Temtem also come with improved stats and techniques. Each untamed encounter has a one in 6,000 chance of being Luma, making them exceptionally rare, so if you ever find one, prioritize catching it immediately.
10
The Coward’s Cloak makes grinding easy
One of the biggest complaints about modern Pokémon games is the mandatory XP Share, which has every team member benefit from XP gained in battle. Temtem doesn’t have this, but if you don’t fancy grinding the old-fashioned way, then you can grab the Coward’s Cloak item. Give it to a Temtem and only that monster will gain XP when not in the battle. It’s available on the game’s first island once you have access to the surfboard.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
