Ooh, can't wait to try this out! :)

$20? No thank you. BigFish has set the bar at $7. This price point is not going to work.

Actually, BigFish has the previous three games for such prices. They do not have this new one yet. And when they do, it will most likely be twenty dollars.

I already purchased VV4, and am really impressed with how much it has evolved over time. Just for fun, I decided to throw this "screenshot" together of the Villagers latest discovery.
http://jayisgames.com/images/vv4_dogdave_lost_village.jpg

We've completed a Virtual Villagers 4 Walkthrough strategy guide to help you through...

http://jayisgames.com/vv4_walkthrough

You do understand that LDW is a really small company, the game costed a lot to make (sounds, voice-overs, hand-drawn graphics, music) and LDW can't really feed themself at $7

As soon as I got the email from LDW saying the game was out, I got the trial to make sure it would work on my computer and immediately bought the game. $20 is the usual fare for most games (not talking about BFG), so I didn't mind. Plus, it's the Developer's Edition, so for once I didn't have to wait for someone to make a walkthrough.

The only minor complaint I have with the game is some of the voices for the kids. There's one specific voice that's so high-pitched, I always loath to pick up a child with that voice. Also, when you're building a new hut, I like that you can pick where it is, but I think there should have been an option asking you if that's where you want it. I sometimes end up moving around the screen using the mouse and moving the hut as well, right when my little villagers are trying to work on it. :/

I've purchased and played the previous V.V. games and they just keep getting better. So I'm excited to try out the demo of this new one. I'm hoping they'll make an i-pod touch version.

I'd love to try the contest, but I'm an old grandma that's not too techie-minded and I don't know how to post a link to a screen shot, or do any other of the "fancy" things. Would this be something like having a blog, putting the screen shot on the blog, and posting a link to that?

I just like to play good games in my spare time instead of knitting or baking cookies. And I'm always looking for age-appropriate games for my grandchildren.

Grandma C

A steady supply of tech points with just CHILDREN, after the completion of the 16th puzzle:

Just thought I wanted to share this :)

Grandma C - there are tons of free image hosting services out there: Imageshack, Photobucket, Tinypic, to name a few. You can also send us the screenshot if you like, send it to our contact address (link in the site footer) and then add a comment referencing it (we'll edit the comment and put a link to the image in there for you).

You can also just download the demo and play for a while, then think up a tip to share here by drawing off your experience with the VV series as a whole. :)

Grandma C,

You do not need to post a screenshot or any of the fancy things. Just write about tips and hints about how to get the most out of the game :)

As for a screenshot,
1. Press the Prnt Scrn button on your keyboard while playing the game.
2. Ctrl + V (paste) it onto Paint (or any other software like Paint)
3. Save it after you have cropped it.
4. Upload it. (I use imagehost.org)
5. Post the link here.

Congratulations to dogdave and RandomGuy, the first 2 winners in our weekend long Virtual Villagers 4 giveaway! Please send an email to our contact address with your full name and a statement that you're at least 13 years of age (if you're not 13, please get your parents to send an email instead).

I have been waiting for VV4 since like forever. LDW did such an amazing job with VV series and VV4 is even better, in my opinion. I tend not to look at the walkthrough until I'm really stuck though. I knew JIG would come up with review and walkthrough real soon and you did it! That is fast!
http://jayisgames.com/images/vv4_excellentgal_the_tree_of_life.jpg
Here's the screenshot I made. Hope you enjoy it.^^

I love the first three Virtual Villagers installments. Just discovered today that the new one is out, and jumped at the chance to download the demo. Haven't bought it yet, but had great fun with the hour that I did get. Now, I bring you a little screenshot I took.

I found it funny in my game that a) the Tutorial wanted you to build the loveshack in order to continue, and b) that all my male villagers seemed perfectly content to build it, while my female one worried about food constantly and wouldn't get to work.

Please enjoy!

http://jayisgames.com/images/vv4_februarymarch.jpg

Can you still use the system time cheat in VV4?

Hi Everyone,

Thanks, as always, for all the kind words about VV4!! We kind of took our time making it...even more than usual. So far everyone seems to be enjoying it.

Very cute screenshots you guys are making, btw! :)

Just dropping in also to say, yes, it is coming to iPhone and iPod Touch (and iPad). It will be a couple months still...we owe everyone some fixes and updates on our current iTunes games first, and Plant Tycoon is in testing and coming out (to iPods etc) next.

Best,
Arthur

Arthur Humphrey and the whole LDW staff makes a great sequel for the virtual Villagers Series.

Kudos!

P.S. Your baby is sOOOOO cute!

Hello,

I'm probably a quarter through the game, and it is as enjoyable as ever. The only problem so far is to get a villager to acquire healing skills. There is no bench as in VV3, and no means of studying herbs as in VV2.

Happy gaming,

Ewa

Ewa, once you upgrade Medicine to level 3, there will be a structure you can build to study Healing.

Ducky -

If you mean resetting the computer clock, it is not recommended. Not only can it mess up other programs on your computer it can cause odd things to happen within the game, like affecting the food supply.

I don't generally use the spoilers, except when there is no food. I just need to know if they are going to be able to fish or what? The blackberries are gone. Not sure what to do before they all die on me. I need 40000 for the last tech for food. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Kris

Kris, there are numerous food sources on the island, but if you haven't discovered any alternatives yet, then keep an eye out for mushrooms until you can get something else available. That should tide you over with enough food so nobody starves. The island is generous with mushrooms when you need them. :)

Here are two things you can try:

Big yellow fruit

Fishing

Congratulations to excellentgal and FebruaryMarch, the next 2 winners in our weekend long Virtual Villagers 4 giveaway! Please send an email to our contact address with your full name and a statement that you're at least 13 years of age (if you're not 13, please get your parents to send an email instead).

Hi Jay, thanks so much! I'm so excited to play the full version soon! =)

Now...I'm sorry if I'm being a bit stupid, but which (contact) email address do you mean?

[Find a link to our contact email address in the site footer (on every page). -Jay]

I'm kind of disappointed that we didn't get more participation for our little giveaway, since we still had a few more free copies of the game.

But thanks to everyone who participated, you're awesome and thanks for your visits! :D

:( So we can't participate in the contest anymore? Or submit screenshots since the weekend is over?

If you have a screenshot to share, then please post a link to it!

But what took you so long? We announced our giveaway on Friday, and now it's already Monday. You have to keep up with the goings on at JIG or you're likely to miss out(!) ;)

Kris -

Your food supply is not dictated by farming technology, that only determines how much food points you will get from each source. To get the yellow fruit you need construction level 2 to open the pit where they can cook. To get fishing you need a clothing hut, the ability to make cloth, and at least construction level 2.

Hi, I know it's late, can I still enter the contest? If not, I understand.
Here's my link:
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f352/siichan/VV_screenshot.png

When do the ghosts appear - I have three dead villagers but no ghosts!

bev2222 -

The ghosts won't appear until you complete the mausoleum collection. Once it is complete they will start showing up.

i have unlocked the cutting tool but wen i put my villagers over to the pulpy vines they say their confused wat else do i need to do to make a cloth and nets

i have unlocked the cutting tool but i cant make a cloth ive put villagers to the pulp vines but they say their cofused wat else do i need to do to make cloth and nets to fish with

Jess -

You need to have the clothing hut built. You can't make cloth without it, and you need the cloth to repair the fishing nets. You get the foundation for the hut after purchasing level 2 science.

thank you for replying quite quick

i'm not sure if the phrase 'call of nature' means the same in the US as it does in the UK.. here it's a polite way of saying you need the bathroom.. so whenever i see 'nature is calling..' i think of that!

[That's exactly what it means! :) -Jay]

I've never seen a crab even though I've got tons of fish, and I can't figure out how to fill the pool. I've tried the adept builder/scientist, but he doesn't know what to do either.

Broken link: Gives only an error message: http://jayisgames.com/vv4_walkthrough

[That's weird, the link works just fine for me. Try this one instead: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2010/02/virtual_villagers_4_the_tree_of_life_walkthrough.php It's also available from the Walkthroughs menu in the main site menu. -Jay]

lpames -

On the north end of the beach, near where the cliffs are, is where the crabs appear. They pop up and disappear quickly, so just keep an eye on the area for a while and see what happens.

As for the pool, is the blockage cleared? What is the message when you drop the builder/scientist on the keystone?

Any tips on completing collections? I have been stuck at 11/12 on mausoleum, 10/12 on flutes, 11/12 on lab equipment and 4/12 on scales for the past 3 days. I got all of those on the first day I played, then nothing new since then. I know about the fog and the wind flutes bringing more collectables, but I just keep getting the same ones over and over.
Thanks,
Cassi

Well I am probably late for the contest, but here is my "family" enjoying a meal together in the fog. Sadly I think there is also a glitch going on because they could not all eat at once, so they would all start over and I had to pour out the stew to make them stop after about 6 trips back to the pot. Maybe they were just REALLY hungry!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/tahoetumbaga/Familymealfog.jpg

And my tip is this: Teach and teach often, using a Scholar if possible. In this way your children will grow up and be ready to work, so if they come of working age while you are away they can start right in on their new job without any additional training.

I'm having trouble getting the feast stew to work. I though it was because I took too long to get everything but I keep trying. Is it still boiling if there is smoke coming off of it? When I try to put an adult on the pot, it just says an unfinished stew cooking.

Cassi -

Unfortunately, the collectibles are random, so there's no way to predict when you'll get a collection completed.

Kate -

Usually you see black smoke coming off the pot when the stew is complete. Have you tried going to the food bin again after you get everything else?

This game is well worth $20 for the hours of entertainment it provides. I have spent that much on pizza and got less enjoyment. I suggest starting several tribes so that you can go back and forth, trying different tech strategies and tribe selections to see what works best for your playing style.

GrinnyP

Thanks for the help on feast. It worked!!!!

this game is the best, only been playing for 10 minutes, and i cant let go of my netbook XD.

Tip:
Puzzles are not solved in order.
You dont have to finish building the huts at the beginning of the game and if a villager is sick try gettin a child to heal it, and by the the age of 14, they can heal villagers all by themsselves.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48749603@N05/4466874156/

What do you mean by, "Developer Edition??"

What does "Developer's Edition" mean?? Please explain!

Sorry, computer didn't work and at first my comment didn't show up even after refreshing the page. Just meant to post that once. Sorry!

How do you uncover the rocks that the dibree is covering, where the waterfall is supposed to be? I still need to do the second puzzle piece. I started playing this game yesterday.

Tayjay -

The Developer's Edition comes with wallpapers, mp3s of the music, and large strategy guide to help you through the game.

Mishmi -

All you need to do is drop a villager on the debris and they will start moving it away. Make sure the villager is set to building.

I need help with the Grand Feast. I do everything in the order of the spoiler and add all ingredients before water stops boiling and it still says 'Unfinished Stew'. HELP!

I was waiting forever for this game to come out for FOREVER! When it finally did, I kept playing for ages, There was ALOT of differences, the skills move up faster and the food runs out slower... I liked the second one the best though.

MaggieMae -

Once the water starts boiling and you've had an adult add the herbs, start dropping adults immediately on the food bin, the blackberry bush, and the fishing piers. Drop more than one, just in case one gets interrupted. Then drop a kid on a mushroom to complete. The best time to do the feast is when it is raining, as that is the best time to find mushrooms quickly.

I'm trying to fix the stream, I have cleared away all the debris and have tried placing a master builder on the keystone to fix the leak but its not working. Any suggestions?

Meghan -

To move the keystone, you need someone who is both strong enough to carry it, and smart enough to do the placement calculations. That means a villager who is at least an adept builder and an adept scientist, both. That villager can move the stone for you. Cross-train your builder on science, or a scientist on building, until you have the requirements.

I solved nearly everything. But I am finding no more scales for the fish statue. All the scales which show up are for the lab. Also the last mausoleum piece does not appear, so I am getting no ghosts.

Any tips?

Love The game and all the others However, I have run into a snag. I have completed all the puzzles and am working on the trophies and I cant get more than 90 villagers for the population of 100 trophy. It says that I don,t have enough housing for more than that. and I cant build another hut I have them all built. any suggestions what to do?

Mona -

Make sure you search for collectibles when it is foggy, that's when more will show up.

koriann1973 -

In order to get past a population of 90, you must complete some of the collections. Each of the collections you complete adds 5 to the maximum population. Complete all 4 and it adds an additional 5, for a grand total of 115.

Can some one help me how to solve puzzle 5?

I guess I am slow on the uptake...I have 2nd level of everything except Science...how do I get hot rocks?

I have bought all of the VV games and have loved them all. This one is great but one problem that is driving me crazy. My people don't age? So far I have all the levels at the third stage, 25000 tech points to use, 5000 food, all my houses built/fishing done/pit done/ etc and yet my 5 people are still (8, 11, 15, 16, 19). My oldest three are masters in building and science, and almost farming, but they never get any older...must be a glitch in mine, but I have it downloaded on my laptop too and i have a similar problem, they age really really slowly...and yes I have all the games set at a fast pace. I would love to see this fixed. TY

For some reason, whenever I put frogs into the stream the puzzle doesn't complete. I put in the right amount and everything, but nothings changing

how to get the spear?

Hey, does anyone know when this comes out for iTouch? Thanks! :)

Help how can you empty the pot after making the Grand Feast, the stew doesn't seem to end, it's been there for 8 hours plus and Ineed to make some more cloth so I can prune the tree.

JIGuest -

Puzzle 5 is the butterflies, to solve you need to have fixed the stream so that it flows all the way to the bottom of the scene, as well as have sharp cutting tools in the lab. Here's what you need to do:

ellandriel -

You will notice a pile of rocks just to the left of the bridge that leads to the lab. If you hover an adult over this pile, they will see "blackened" rocks. Drop an adult on these rocks and they will take one to the fire. Wait a few minutes, the rock will turn red, and will then be hot.

mommarae23 -

This sounds like a glitch in the game. Your best bet is to contact the vendor where you purchased your copy, their technical support division might have an answer to this particular bug.

Matty K -

Is your stream flowing all the way through the pool and down to the bottom of the scene, past the blackberry bush? If so, the next time it rains, just keep having adults ferry frogs to the stream until it tells you you've succeeded.

jarle -

If you mean the cutting tool, all you have to do is make sure you have a fire going, then drop an adult on the big fish skeleton near the beach. They will take some fish bones to the fire and make the spears, then take them to the lab.

Robin -

Behind the pot is something that looks like a drain. Drop an adult on that drain and they will empty the pot, allowing you to move on.

how long do you cook the stew for the grand feast. I have heated and dropped over twenty rocks and nothing.

JIGuest -

It sounds like the stew needs more ingredients. Try having your villagers bring one of every ingredient again and see if that finishes it.

How do you clean the tree stump?

Hi i need some help i can't get scholars because of the parenting skill my village is at maximum capacity with 95 and no one is a master at parenting ... i know they gain it with embracing and telling stories but they have been doing that for a few days now and no one is a master ... i was wondering if i can kill off my older villagers to make room for my younger ones to get a master in parenting first before any other skill.. or do you have any ideas help me please
thanks

Anna Banana Grape -

Are you talking about the stump after you've cut off the diseased branch? Drop an adult on the soap and they will use the soap to clean the stump.

chanie93 -

I haven't found a way yet to kill off a villager, sorry. There's a way to "force" parenting skill to the master level, but you can't be at maximum population to do it, and you need to do it with someone who will not actually get pregnant. If you wait until someone dies, then you can quick drop two villagers together over and over again. It is tedious, and can take 300 drops or more, but you will eventually get them to master. This works with the older women who won't get pregnant after the age of 50.

I'm trying to solve the last puzzle. I get two leis completed, but when I'm making the third, EVERY time I drop the first child on the flower to make the lei, I get an error message and the game shuts down. HELP!

Hi how to make a soap? tnx

Check our walkthrough for the answer to this question. -Jay]

How do you make the flowers bloom?!

Beth -

This sounds like a technical glitch. You need to contact the technical support department of the vendor where you purchased the game and see if they can offer a fix.

Anna Banana Grape -

The flowers will bloom if they are pollinated by the hummingbirds. The hummingbirds will only show up if your tree has at least 4 bars of health. To check the tree's health go into the technology page. The tree has 6 health bars, the bottom 4 need to be "active".

Where and WHAT is the KEYSTONE for puzzle #2??

I can not get my grand feast to work. I have tried and tried. I have even watched the mushroom, the fish, the blackberry, the fruit, and the food from the bin go in. So, I known no one got lost on the way. It still stated, unfinished stew cooking. I even put in more of everything and still unfinished.

How do I get the cloths bolts to make the clothes???

Hi, I am trying to solve puzzle #13. I tried to honor the tree by cooking stew w/ 3 yellow herbs and fresh water. It worked once and villagers were bringing the stew to the tree. But tat that point I didnt have 3rd level of dendrology. Now I've obtained 3rd level, but I cant make the stew again. Is there any way to cook it again?

I have a problem...why does the debris keep coming back? How can I make it stop collecting?

E - The debris always comes back so you will constantly have something to train new builders with besides repairing houses, which only works up to a point.

how do you get a 4th hut built? I have built 3 and have a population of 100 but it says I need more housing. Am I able to build a fourth hut? Or do I just have to keep getting my collectibles?

So i finished all the puzzles and i am going for the trophies. The one for crowd control to be exact which ask for 100 people. I HAVE 95 and it says i need more housing? how can i build more houses when there is no foundations!!! HELP PLEASE I AM SO CLOSE

Can someone post a picture of the keystone? I either can't find it or am not putting the right person on it. I have an adept builder/scientist. Help!

how do i save my game?

I have nine villagers, but when I try for more my game freezes.. did I do something wrong? Or is there a glitch with my game?

How can I empty the pot?? I think im making the great feast stew but im only at puzzle 3!!! Help!!

How do I make the water to flow down until the blueberries?

In order to make spears, you need to take one of your adult villagers over to the fish skeleton. They will then take a bone to the fire, then take it up to the lab and create a spear and stack it next to the long lab table.

In order to pick up a crab, you need two children. Take the first child, when you see a crab, drop the child on top of it. Make sure that the comment comes up stating that the child is distracting the crab. Take the second child, drop it on the crab also, making sure that it also states that the child is distracting the crab. You may have to try this a time or time. When this works, take an adult and drop it on the crab. The children are distracting the crab enough to slow it down so that the adult can pick it up. The adult will then take the crab to the pond (I don't know if there needs to be water in the pond or not), the crab will then eat them moss off the rock. You must repeat this until each of the five rocks is clean. After that, any crab you catch, the adult will then take to the food hut.

Update