If you’re reading this, you’re either new to the game Alba: A Wildlife Adventure or you’ve already started playing and need some tips. Whether you’re a beginner or not, this guide will help you, providing you with advice on how to not only find animals but how to successfully photograph and identify them. This guide isn’t just about helping you with the animals. It will also give you some gameplay tips to help you get the most out of your experience playing the game.
If you’re a beginner and about to embark on this game, this is what it’s all about. In Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, you’ll get to explore a beautiful Mediterranean island full of interesting and exotic wildlife. One of the core features of the game is going around the island and snapping and identifying animals using Alba’s phone camera, which has an app that can identify animals. This process is very straightforward, but there are some things that you need to be aware of, especially if you’re a beginner. The game isn’t just about getting photos of animals and then identifying them. It’s also about learning about conservation, teaching people how to look after their planet, and how every little helps.
Below is a list of advice for players, not just for beginners, but if you’ve already started playing and just want some extra tips. Note that this guide may contain spoilers.
1. USE THE WILDLIFE GUIDE BOOK TO HELP YOU
The wildlife guidebook that Alba’s grandparents gift you at the beginning of the game is extremely useful. You should use it as you play the game, especially if you want to get all 62 animals. It keeps track of which animals you’ve found and identified so far and which ones you have yet to find and identify.
The wildlife guide book is extremely handy for tracking the animals you’ve found (or yet to find).
The guidebook is divided up into 8 categories, one for each type of area on the island: Beach, Farmland, Forest, Marshland, Mountains, Ricefields, Terraces, and Town. Each area contains a certain number of animals (either 7 or 8 or, in the case of the town, 9), which are listed by name in the categories.
Each animal has its own page, which includes information such as its English name as well as its scientific name, the rarity of the animal, the type of area it can be found in, the sound it makes, and whether or not it has been found and identified. Of course, there will also be a picture of what the animal looks like, so you know what exactly you’re looking for.
As you find the animals throughout the game, they will be checked off in the book. On the Home page, where you can see all the categories, it’ll tell you how many animals you have found in each category so far. If you find all the animals in one category, it’ll have a check mark against it. The Home page also informs you of how many animals have been found and identified so far. There are a total of 62 animals in the game.
You can learn more about an animal by looking it up in the wildlife guidebook.
2. LOOK OUT FOR THE “UNIDENTIFIED” MESSAGE WHEN USING YOUR CAMERA
It’s one thing to find an animal, but to identify it and check it off in the wildlife guidebook, you also need to take a photo of it. This is where your camera comes in handy. Alba’s grandma will give you her old phone at the start of the second day (Tuesday), which contains a wildlife companion app. This means that not only can you photograph animals, but you can also identify them, and it’s very simple.
Focus on an animal and it’ll tell you whether or not it’s been identified.
You can photograph any animal, whether you’ve already identified it or not, but your phone will show a different message depending on what it’s focused on. If you focus the camera on an animal that has yet to be identified, a yellow box with a question mark will appear, with the word “Unidentified”. On the other hand, if you focus on an animal that you’ve already identified, a white message box will appear, telling you what the animal is and that it’s already identified with a checkmark.
If you’re looking to photograph animals that you haven’t checked off in your guidebook yet, when focusing on the animals, look out for the yellow “Unidentified” box. If you focus on the animal and it gives you its name in a white box, you’ve already got that animal.
3. LOOK FOR FLYING BIRDS IN THE AIR
Struggling to find a particular bird? Alba: A Wildlife Adventure contains all kinds of birds. Half the wildlife guidebook is probably birds alone. You’ll find birds all over the island. Some are very easy to find; others are trickier, being rarer and only being found in certain areas or by completing a task or part of the story. However, most birds can be quite easy to photograph because they land somewhere, such as on the ground, or on a wall or rock, or sit in a tree or on a post. Other birds, though, can be even trickier to find, mainly because they seem to be constantly flying in the air.
Can’t find a bird? Look to the skies!
If you’re searching for a particular bird and you can’t find it anywhere, look to the skies. You’ll see birds flying up in the air above you, and if you pull your camera out and zoom in on them, you might discover that it’s the missing yet-to-be-identified bird that you’re looking for.
Keep in mind that photographing birds in flight can be finnicky, as they’re always on the move. Try not to be right under the flying bird. Move to a position where you’re still near it, but you can see it in sight without the camera, then zoom in on the bird as much as you can. Try to keep the camera steady and follow the bird’s movement, and then quickly snap the photo when the “Unidentified” box appears. If you miss the shot, you can try again as many times as you want.
4. LISTEN OUT FOR THE SOUNDS THE ANIMALS MAKE
As you play the game and explore the island, you’ll notice that the animals make a lot of noise. Each animal has its own distinctive sound that it makes, and if you’re struggling to find certain animals, then you should try listening out for the animals rather than just looking for them.
If you’re struggling to find an animal, then listen out for it.
If you want to find out what noise a particular animal makes, open up your wildlife guidebook and find the page of the animal you’re looking for. Amongst the information included, you can listen to the sound the animal makes simply by pressing the Interact button, which will play the animal’s sound for you. You can play it as many times as you like so that you can memorize it, or if you need to open up the book and remind yourself. If you listen out carefully whilst exploring, you might hear that animal’s sound.
5. WAIT FOR THE ANIMAL TO BE IN FOCUS BEFORE YOU PHOTOGRAPH IT
Photographing and identifying an animal sounds straightforward, and it is, but you need to make sure you do it correctly. You can’t just have the animal you want to identify in the frame of your photo; that’s not enough. In order to identify an animal, you must have it in focus when you snap the photo of it. What “focused” means is that the animal is in the centre of the frame, with the camera reticle in the middle of the animal. You might notice that when the reticle is on the animal, the image of the animal becomes sharper compared to when the reticle isn’t.
There’s another way to tell you that the animal is correctly in focus. When the reticle is on the animal you’re trying to get, it’ll tell you if the animal has already been identified or not. This will only appear when the animal is properly in focus, so when this appears, you know you’ve got the right shot and can snap the photo.
This animal is correctly in focus, so it can be identified.
If you photograph an animal and it isn’t properly in focus, you’ll get a photo of the animal, but if you’re trying to identify it, you won’t get the “New Animal Found!” and “Identify” prompt. You’ll just see the photo you’ve taken with the word “Done” underneath, and you’ll have to try again. Don’t panic if you don’t get the right shot the first time. You can try again as many times as you want until you get the shot you need.
This animal wasn’t properly in focus when the photo was taken, so it can’t be identified.
Another thing to note when photographing and identifying animals: the photo you take doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t matter if the animal has its back to you or it’s partially obscured for some reason (such as by tall grass). As long as the “Unidentified” box appears when you take the photo, that’s all that matters.
This rabbit is half-hidden by tall grass, but a photo could still be taken of it.
6. FIX UP BIRDHOUSES AND FILL UP BIRD FEEDERS TO ATTRACT SMALL BIRDS
Birdhouses and bird feeders are a magnet for the smaller birds that you see flitting around the island. Fortunately, these are located around the island. Unfortunately, when you first start playing the game, the birdhouses are in disrepair and the birdfeeders are empty. Luckily though, you can fix that, literally.
Birds love it when you fill up bird feeders.
At the start of the second day (Tuesday), Alba’s grandad will give her a bag of birdfeed, which you can use to fill empty birdfeeders around the island. You can find these hanging from the branches on trees, mainly in the forest area. As soon as you fill these birdfeeders up, little birds will come flocking to them, giving you a great opportunity to snap a photo of them.
You can also fix birdhouses, but you’ll have to wait until the third day (Wednesday) to unlock this ability. You’ll get a message from Alba’s best friend Inés, who tells you to go to the town square and then speak to the carpenter María, who will give you her toolkit. You can now use this toolkit to fix any birdhouses you find. Birdhouses can usually be found on walls or up in trees. Once you fix them, just like with the birdfeeders you fill, small birds will flock to them, granting you the opportunity to photograph them if you haven’t yet.
Fix up any birdhouses you find, and birds will constantly flit to them.
7. BE CAUTIOUS AND KEEP YOUR DISTANCE
When photographing animals, you’ll want to get a good photo, making sure that the animal is properly in the frame, but you’ll need to be cautious when approaching animals. It’s understandable that you’ll want to get close enough for a good shot, but you should approach the animals with care. If you go running right up to them, there’s a good chance that you’ll scare them away. This is particularly the case with animals like birds, who will go flying off in fright if you charge right up to them. The last thing you want to do is scare off an animal that you’re trying to photograph and identify.
You don’t have to get too close to an animal to get a good photo.
Whenever you approach an animal, you want to photograph and identify, keep your distance (but don’t be too far away either, or you won’t be able to photograph it). If you want to get closer to an animal, when you’re near it, you can creep instead of run by moving more slowly so that you don’t spook the animal.
If you do accidentally spook an animal and it runs away, don’t panic. Usually, it only goes off a little distance, so you should be able to find it again, having settled in its new spot. Note that animals will not attack you if you accidentally scare them; they’ll just run or fly off.
8. TOO SMALL? ZOOM IN OR TRY TO GET CLOSER
When photographing animals, it’s generally a good idea to keep your distance so that you don’t scare off the animal you’re trying to photograph. However, you don’t want to be too far away from the animal either. If you’re too far away and you’re trying to snap a photo, a message will appear letting you know that the subject in your frame is too small, and you won’t be able to identify it. If you get this message, you’ll need to get closer to the animal.
This bird is quite far away, but it’s close enough to register for a photo.
Also, remember that your camera has a zoom feature. You can zoom in quite far to get a better picture of an animal, which means that you can get a good photo even from a distance. However, if you zoom in as much as you can and it’s still too small, you’ll need to move nearer. Alternatively, you can wait and see if the animal moves nearer to you, rather than you having to move nearer to the animal. This is usually the case for birds, particularly when they fly around.
9. USE INFORMATION BOARDS AROUND THE ISLAND TO HELP YOU
As you play the game and explore the island, you’ll notice that one interesting feature are the information boards found in certain places around the island. These can be located in scenic places such as the forest, nature reserve, and the castle. If you inspect the information boards, you’ll see a few animals with their pictures on them. There are usually 4 animals for every information board. The animals included on the board depends on the area it’s located in. This is very useful for you if you’re looking for animals in a certain area. Although the boards will be dilapidated and need fixing up when you first find them, you can still see which animals you can find in that area.
Information boards such as this can help you find animals in certain areas.
Be aware that while the boards are useful, in their broken, neglected state, parts of the information might be missing, such as the animal’s name or a part of the picture. Fortunately, you’ve got your wildlife guide book, so you can match up the name or the picture of the animal, so you can fill in the rest of the details.
10. HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
If you’re playing through the story (which you’ll need to do if you want to find all 62 animals), certain events will happen. One of these events is when animals are in distress and need your help. You may come across animals that have become entangled in the rubbish or have been poisoned by a toxic substance, among others. Fortunately, thanks to a first aid kit the vet gives you on the second day (Tuesday), you can help these poor animals.
Healing animals is, of course, rewarding in itself, but there is another benefit to helping animals in need. You may discover that an animal that needs your help is one that you have not yet identified, which gives you a good opportunity to photograph and identify it. First though, help the animal, as you cannot photograph it when it’s in distress. Once you’ve helped it, you are free to photograph it. If it’s an animal you haven’t yet identified, make sure you grab a photo of it while it’s still hanging around.
Helping sick or injured animals comes with many rewards.
11. USE YOUR MAP IF YOU EVER GET LOST
The beautiful Mediterranean island, Pinar del Mar, is a wonderful place for you to explore and discover, with lots of wildlife to find and photograph and lots of interesting people to speak to. While the island isn’t too enormous, it can be easy to get lost, especially if you’re new to the game. Fortunately, on the second day (Tuesday), Alba’s grandma will give you a map that will help you find your way around.
You can open up the map anytime you’re not sure where you are, or you want to find a location. The map is very simple and well designed, telling you where all the most important places are, such as Alba’s grandparents’ house and the nature reserve, as well as places such as the town and castle. The map also tells you where to go for important events or if you need to talk to someone. It also shows you your current location.
Use the map if you ever get lost on the island or want to find a certain place.
12. CHECK YOUR TO-DO LIST TO SEE WHICH TASKS YOU NEED TO DO
Throughout the game, you’ll find yourself juggling a number of tasks. Thankfully, you can track your current tasks using your trusty To-Do List, which you can access right from the very beginning of the game. Your To-Do List keeps track of which tasks you currently have to do. Next to the task, if it requires more than one step to complete, it’ll keep track. For example, if you have to photograph and scan 5 different animals, it’ll track how many animals you have photographed and identified so far. Once you have photographed and scanned 5 animals, the task will be taken off your To-Do List. Any new tasks you received will have “New” next to them.
Some tasks take longer to do than others and will monitor your progress. As you play the game’s story, when you have to collect petition signatures, this particular task will be placed at the top of the list and specially highlighted, so you can closely check up on how well you’re doing.
Not sure what to do next? Check your To-Do List.
If you ever get stuck during the game, you can always rely on the To-Do List to help you out.
13. SOME ANIMALS CAN ONLY BE FOUND UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
With 62 animals to find, it’ll certainly keep you busy during the game. Some animals are very common and can be found all over the island, so you should have no trouble with those, but others require a little more work to get. If you look at your wildlife guidebook, you’ll see that some animals are rare (or Ultra Rare, in the case of the lynx). For most of these rare animals, you can’t simply search the island for them like the more common animals. For these special animals, you’ll have to play the story and complete a series of tasks to unlock them, allowing you to photograph and identify them.
This fox will only come out of hiding when you help a man at his farm.
14. CLEAN, HEAL AND FIX AS YOU GO
The core theme of Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is conservation. It’s only natural then that gameplay includes cleaning up the island, healing sick or trapped animals, and fixing broken or dilapidated items. This game rewards you for your efforts towards helping nature, so it’s a good idea to get into the habit of cleaning, healing, and fixing as you go along.
If you find a trash bin with trash on the floor around it, put the trash in the bin. On Thursday (Day 4), Alba’s grandma will give you a recycling bag, which you can use to collect more trash around the island. If you come across any trash, collect it up to bag it.
If you find trash on the ground, put it in the trash bin.
The vet gives you a first aid kit on Tuesday (Day 2) so that you can heal any sick or injured animals. If you come across any whilst exploring, don’t hesitate to help the animal.
On Wednesday (Day 3), the carpenter María gives you a toolkit, which allows you to fix any broken items, including bridges, information boards, picnic tables, and birdhouses. If you come across anything that requires fixing, do it straight away. Also, look out for any animal information boards that need fixing up. The photos on them will need replacing, which you can do. Simply photograph and identify the animal, then interact with the board and place the photo of the animal on the board that matches the old photo.
You can fix the viewpoint and the information board.
Cleaning, healing, and fixing are simple in this game, so don’t hesitate to do it when you’re presented with the opportunity. Doing these tasks is very rewarding for you and the island. It can also help you with progressing in the story, as well as getting signatures for the petition.
15. LOOK OUT FOR WAYS TO GET INTO SEEMINGLY CLOSED-OFF AREAS
There’s a lot to see on the island of Pinar del Mar. You’ll find yourself getting curious and wanting to explore every nook and cranny. You may discover that some areas are fenced off or walled off. You may think that these areas are blocked off to you, but don’t be deterred. If you find that you come across a fenced-off or walled-off area, look for a way to get in. With fences, you may find a gap with a bit of wood blocking it. You can simply remove it and pass through the gap. With walls, look for a gap. Normally, you won’t have to remove any planks of wood. You can just get through if you find a gap.
You can remove these wooden boards to explore beyond the fence.
Don’t be afraid to explore these seemingly off-bounds areas, as you’re likely to find some animals that you have yet to photograph and identify, and they may only appear in these areas.
BONUS TIP – DON’T FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO RUSH THE GAME
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure may not be a long game, but it doesn’t mean that you should rush to finish it and hurry through the story. Don’t be afraid to take your time and explore everything the island has to offer. You are encouraged to take your time and enjoy the game at your leisure. This game was designed to be relaxing. Although the story takes place during the course of a week and you experience the threat of developers and have to gather petition signatures, don’t feel pressured to get a move on. There are no consequences. The game moves at the pace you choose it, so if you want to take a break from the story and explore the island and photograph some more animals, by all means, go ahead.
If you want to take a break from the story and play at your own leisure, you can.
Additionally, at the end of the game, you can play in Free Mode, so if you missed anything, you’re welcome to carry on exploring and playing, checking off any animals that you haven’t found yet.
Hopefully, as a beginner or an already-experienced player, these tips will help you in Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, whether you’re trying to master photographing and identifying animals or you want to get the most out of the game and what it has to offer. Remember to play the game the way you want to. If you’re happy just exploring and finding animals, you may do so. Don’t be afraid to take a break from the story and do your own thing. Give yourself an opportunity to explore the island of Pinar del Mar and appreciate its beauty. This game allows you to play the way you want to, so take advantage of the freedom.
