A collection of questions that come up constantly in the community — from basics to edge cases. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, check the relevant guide page or drop your question in the comments.
Getting Started
Which shell should I buy?
All three original shells (Blue Water, Pink Land, Purple Sky) have access to the same characters eventually — you just start in different fields and have different exclusive secret characters. Blue Water starts in the Water Field, Pink Land in the Land Field, Purple Sky in the Sky Field. The Jade Forest shell is a separate release that replaces the Sky Field with an all-new Forest Field and has 15+ exclusive characters. If you want dragons, tigers, and red pandas, get Jade Forest. If you want the classic franchise characters like Mametchi and Kuchipatchi right away, get Pink Land. If you own your shell already, you made the right choice.
How much does it cost to run?
Two AAA batteries. Expect to replace them roughly every 4–6 weeks depending on play frequency and screen brightness. Rechargeable batteries work fine and save money over time.
Do I need to read the instruction manual?
The physical Nurturing Guide that ships with the device is worth keeping — it contains shop codes not available anywhere online, and a basic evolution chart. Don’t throw it away before checking it.
Can I play Tamagotchi Paradise if I only have one shell?
Yes — you can raise every character available on your shell without connecting to others. The only things requiring a second device are secret characters (need two connections to different shell colors) and cross-device breeding. Everything else is fully solo.
Evolution and Raising
Why do I keep getting the same characters?
Almost certainly a food type issue. The food you feed during the Kid stage determines which Young species you get, and many players accidentally feed a mixed diet and always end up with the default Young (Float, Sprout, Rocky, or Forest Sprout). Feed a specific food type consistently during the Kid stage to break out of the pattern. See the Food Guide and Evolution Chart.
Do care mistakes reset between stages?
No — this is one of the most important things to know about Paradise. Care mistakes carry over from the Kid stage into the Young stage and stack. Two mistakes as a Kid plus one as a Young equals three total, which puts you in the 2–5 range. See the Care Mistake Guide for full details.
I got zero care mistakes but didn’t get the perfect care character. Why?
Zero mistakes alone isn’t enough. You also need to have maxed out both the Hunger meter AND the Happiness meter at least five times each during the Young stage. Check your Tama Cell for rice ball icons (hunger maxed) and sun icons (happy maxed) — you need 5+ of each. If you’re short, there’s still time to max them before the Young stage ends.
How do I know how many care mistakes I have?
Zoom all the way into Cell View using the dial. Each spiral/squiggly icon in your Tama Cell represents one care mistake. Count them.
My Tamagotchi evolved into something I wasn’t expecting. What happened?
Three possible causes: wrong food type during Kid stage, wrong mistake count, or you accidentally switched fields during the Kid stage (which clears food icons). Check the Evolution Chart against your actual food and mistake count to figure out what went wrong.
Can I change what my Tamagotchi will evolve into after it’s already a Young?
No — once your Tamagotchi is a Young, its species is locked. The only thing you can influence at that point is the care mistake count to determine which of the four adults within that species you get.
What’s the maximum number of care mistakes?
Six. The display maxes out at 6 spirals in the Tama Cell. Once you hit 6, you’re guaranteed the heavy neglect adult.
Bbmarutchi and Planet Leveling
What is Bbmarutchi and why is everyone talking about it?
Bbmarutchi is a special character obtained by preventing your Babymarutchi from evolving normally. It counts as an adult for planet leveling but only takes 4 hours to raise instead of several days. It’s the standard method for getting from Planet Level 6 to 10 quickly. See the Bbmarutchi Speed Run Guide.
Does Bbmarutchi count toward my planet level?
Yes — that’s the whole point of using it.
Can Bbmarutchi breed?
No. Bbmarutchi cannot breed with anyone. To get a new egg after raising Bbmarutchi, go to Lab Mode → Help → New Egg.
I accidentally let my Baby evolve into a Kid. Can I still get Bbmarutchi?
No — once your Tamagotchi becomes a Kid, the Bbmarutchi window is closed for that generation. You’ll need to wait until your current Tamagotchi’s life cycle ends and start fresh.
Care and Daily Routine
Can I play mini-games while my Tamagotchi is asleep?
Yes — but only Lab Mode games. The Tama Field games (UFO, Flags, Arrow/Matching) require your Tamagotchi to be awake. Lab Mode games (Feeding Baby Milk, Delivering Vitamin, etc.) can be played any time, including during sleep.
What time does my Tamagotchi wake up and go to sleep?
You can wake it up any time between 6:00 AM and 9:59 AM — after 10 AM it wakes up on its own. You can put it to sleep any time between 7:00 PM and 9:59 PM — after 10 PM it goes to sleep on its own. There’s no fixed schedule, just a window of control.
Can I turn my Tamagotchi Paradise off?
There’s no power off button. Let it idle until the screen turns off on its own, or remove the batteries. To wake it back up, turn it back on, return to Tamagotchi View, and press A.
What is the Tama Sitter and when should I use it?
The Tama Sitter is a paid service (Gotchi Points) in the Lab Mode Help menu that watches over your Tamagotchi when you can’t. It prevents care mistakes from accumulating during a busy stretch. If you’re going for perfect care and have a day where you can’t check in regularly, the Tama Sitter is worth every point. See the Mini-Game Guide for the fastest ways to earn Gotchi Points.
My Tamagotchi keeps getting sick. What’s going on?
Two main causes: care mistakes at risky counts (1, 5, or 7 total), or six dark poops left on screen. Dark poops accumulate when your Tamagotchi stays in a field for over an hour without the poop being cleaned. Clean poop regularly and treat illness immediately when it appears in Cell View. See the Care Mistake Guide.
How do I treat illness?
Zoom into Cell View with the dial. You’ll see sick cells (spiky, angry-faced icons). Treat them through the care menu in Cell View.
My Tamagotchi died. Did I lose everything?
You keep all your Gotchi Points, items, and field residents. The Tamagotchi that died is memorialized as a Tama Star. If it lived for 30+ days, its star will have a smiling face and can rescue one future Tamagotchi from the Grim Gotchi.
Breeding and Connections
How do I breed my Tamagotchi?
Lab Mode → Help → Breed. Choose from the four partner options generated for your field. See the Breeding Guide for full details.
Why does breeding keep failing?
Hidden species compatibility and predator/prey rankings affect breeding success. Feed your Tamagotchi Love Love Ice Cream before breeding for a guaranteed 100% success rate regardless of compatibility.
Can two of the same character breed?
Yes — there are no gender restrictions in Tamagotchi Paradise. Any adult can breed with any other adult from the same field, including the same character.
Can I breed across fields?
Not through the in-game breeding menu — that only generates partners from your current field. To mix genes across fields, physically connect two Paradise devices that have raised Tamagotchi in different fields.
How do I get a secret character?
Raise the right Young type, then connect to two different shell colors during the Young stage. Each shell has one exclusive secret character with specific Young type requirements. See the Secret Character Guide for the full breakdown.
Does it matter what happens during the connection?
No — whether the characters get along, fight, or breed doesn’t affect the secret character trigger. The flag is set simply by connecting to two different shell colors while in the Young stage.
Items, Codes, and the Shop
What’s the difference between a Shop Code and a Lab Sticker Code?
Shop Codes (numbers only) unlock items to purchase in the Lab Shop. Lab Sticker Codes (letters and numbers) add a character to your collection compendium and show their Tama Cells as a hint. They’re entered in different places — see the Shop Codes page for instructions.
Do codes expire?
As far as the community has determined, no — codes released at launch still work. However, some codes may be shell-specific or require a certain Planet Level.
Can I gift items exclusive to Jade Forest to other shells?
No — Jade Forest exclusive items cannot be gifted to Blue Water, Pink Land, or Purple Sky devices during connections.
When are sale days?
Food and Snacks: 5th, 15th, 25th. Outside Toys and Deco Items: 10th, 20th, 30th. All 50% off. See the Sale Day Calendar.
Jade Forest Specific
Is the Jade Forest shell worth buying if I already have one of the originals?
If you want the Forest Field characters (tigers, tanuki, deer, water buffalo, red pandas, a dragon) and are interested in the new mini-games and foods, yes. The Forest Field characters are genuinely unique and can’t be raised on any other shell. Tatsutchi (the dragon secret character) is the most visually impressive secret character in the game.
Can Jade Forest and original shells connect?
Yes — all four shells can connect to each other. Jade Forest players can use original shell connections to unlock Tatsutchi.
Does Jade Forest have the Sky Field?
No. The Sky Field is replaced by the Forest Field entirely. Sky Kid cannot be obtained on Jade Forest, and Sky-exclusive characters (except Kuchipatchi and a variant of Horhotchi) are unavailable.
Can I get Jade Forest exclusive items on my original shell?
No — the other shells can’t receive Jade Forest exclusive items through connections.
Miscellaneous
How many characters are there total?
68 across all four shells — 16 per field across Water, Land, Sky, and Forest, plus 4 secret characters and Bbmarutchi. Kuchipatchi appears in both the Sky and Forest fields. Forest Horhotchi is a pink variant of Sky Horhotchi.
What is the Tama File / Lab Log?
The Tama File is your in-game Pokédex — it records every character you’ve ever raised, even after they’re gone. Once a character is in your collection, it stays there permanently even if you never raise it again. Access it through Lab Mode → Lab Log → Microscope.
Can I have more than one Tamagotchi at a time?
No — you can only raise one active Tamagotchi at a time. Up to four previously raised Tamagotchi live in your field as residents and can be seen performing activities, but they can’t be interacted with directly.
What is the Tama Star?
When a Tamagotchi dies, it becomes a memorial Tama Star. If it lived for 30+ days, the star shows a smiling face and has the power to rescue one future Tamagotchi from the Grim Gotchi — the character that appears when death is imminent.
Can I customize my Paradise device’s appearance?
Yes — players have developed methods for swapping the shell faceplate. This voids any warranty and carries a risk of damaging the device. The community has detailed guides for this if you’re interested, including blank faceplate templates for custom designs. Proceed at your own risk.
What is the P-COM?
The P-COM is a third-party fan-made device that simulates a Lab Tama connection at home, allowing players without access to a physical Lab Tama store to receive Lab Tama content. It’s not an official Bandai product.
Still have a question that isn’t answered here? Leave it in the comments and we’ll add it to the FAQ.