Puzzle Mode/Strategy guide

This page is a guide with tips on how to complete Vasebreaker, Last Stand and I, Zombie.

Instructions
Stages in Puzzle Mode can be broken into three groups: Last Stand, Vasebreaker and I, Zombie.

In Vasebreaker mode, you have to break vases. Each vase will either have a plant or a zombie. Green vases will always contain plants. Like many of the game's other modes, you have to stop zombies approaching your house. Once you break all vases and killed all the zombies, that level ends. Note that you are not given Lawn Mowers in this mode.

In I, Zombie mode, you use sun (obtained from having Zombies eat Sunflowers) to plant Zombies. The objective is to eat the brain in every row.

In Last Stand (exclusive to the iOS and Android versions) you have selected plants and a limited amount of sun, and you must stop the horde of zombies attacking you.

All stages in Puzzle Mode take place in the front yard at night, meaning mushroom plants will be awake, and Sun will not fall from the sky. Each time you beat a Puzzle level, the next level is unlocked and you'll get a trophy.

Overview
In Vasebreaker, you have to break vases and stop zombies approaching your house in order to protect your brain. When you get plants, keep breaking vases until you find zombies. Don't break the vases too fast or you may end up too much zombies to handle, or disappearing seed packets.

You will get two green vases each level. They are plants, so save them for emergency. When a seed packet begins flashing, it will disappear soon. Plant it before it disappears. Break vases starting from the far right, one row at a time.

Vasebreaker
Zombies: 3x Buckethead Zombie, 6x Zombie, 1x Jack-in-the-Box Zombie

Plants: 5x Peashooters, 5x Snow Pea, 5x Squash

Vases per row: Five

This is the first level in the Vasebreaker Mode. When you find plants, keep breaking vases until you find zombies. Use Squashes for the Buckethead Zombies, but try to save at least three of them, rather than immediately using them on normal Zombies. Plant a Snow Pea in each row, with Peashooters as support. Beware if the Jack-in-the-Box Zombie - its explosion will break open other vases.

To the Left
Zombies: 1x Jack-in-the-Box Zombie, 3x Buckethead Zombie, 6x Zombie

Plants: 7x Reverse Repeater, 3x Snow Pea, 3x Wall-nut, 2x Potato Mine

Vases per row: Five

This is the second level in the Vasebreaker Mode, which doesn't make much difference with the first one. You will get some Repeaters, but they will be facing the other way. Use them in conjunction with Wall-nuts to kill the Buckethead Zombies. You can also use Potato Mines for them, but use Wall-nuts to stall long enough to arm them. Again, watch out for the Jack-in-the-Box.

Third Vase
Zombies: 8x Zombie, 2x Buckethead Zombie, 1x Jack-in-the-Box Zombie, 1x Dancing Zombie, X Backup Dancers

Plants: 3x Hypno-shroom, 2x Squash, 6x Reverse Repeater, 3x Wall-nut, 4x Snow Pea

Vases per row: Six

Use a Hypno-shroom on the Dancing Zombie the moment it appears, and either Hypno-shroom or Squash the Bucketheads. Stall any troublesome rows with Snow Peas, Wall-nuts, and Reverse Repeaters. Plant Wall-nuts in the second column from the house to leave room for Snow Peas.

Chain Reaction
Zombies: 8x Jack-in-the-Box Zombie, 1x Football Zombie, 7x Zombie

Plants: 4x Hypno-shroom, 4x Reverse Repeater, 11x Puff-shroom

Vases per row: Seven

Hypnotise the Football Zombie with the Hypno-shroom, first and foremost. Try not to plant anything near unbroken vases if there are unfound Jack-in-the-Boxes, as they will explode. Two Puff-shrooms are enough to defeat a normal Zombie.

M is for Metal
Zombies: 3x Football Zombie, 4x Buckethead Zombie, 7x Zombie, 1x Jack-in-the-Box Zombie

Plants: 3x Magnet-shroom, 3x Pumpkin, 6x Reverse Repeater, 2x Snow Pea, 4x Squash, 2x Hypno-shroom

Vases per row: Seven

Although you will need a Magnet-shroom for at least one of them, it's a lot easier use a Squash or Hypno-shroom on the Football and Buckethead Zombies as soon as they appear. Pumpkin your Snow Peas if the Zombies get too close. Note that you can take away the Jack-in-the-Box using the Magnet-shroom.

Scary Potter
Zombies: 2x Football Zombie, 5x Pole Vaulting Zombie, 1x Jack-in-the-Box Zombie, 7x Zombie

Plants: 5x Tall-nut, 4x Torchwood, 7x Reverse Repeater, 2x Threepeater, 2x Squash

Vases per row: Seven

Plant a Tall-nut in each row to stave off the Pole Vaulters, and plant Threepeaters behind them. Use Squash on the Football Zombies, and put the Reverse Repeaters in back, with the Torchwood.

Hokey Pokey
Zombies: 10x Zombie, 1x Buckethead Zombie

Plants: 13x Spikeweed, 3x Squash, 3x Wall-nut

Vases per row: Six

Stall with the Wall-nuts while Spikeweeds whittle away at the Zombie's health. Use a Squash on the Buckethead Zombie, as it will break through your Wall-nut defense without dying, even if a Spikeweed is under it.

Another Chain Reaction
Zombies: 8x Jack-in-the-Box Zombie, 4x Pogo Zombie, 4x Zombie

Plants: 4x Reverse Repeater, 7x Puff-shroom, 5x Squash, 3x Tall-nut

Vases per row: Seven

Break open every vase as soon as possible to get rid of the Jack-in-the-Box Zombies, so they don't destroy your plants later. Plant Tall-nuts to stop Pogo Zombies long enough to Squash them. Use Reverse Repeaters and Puff-shrooms for normal Zombies.

Ace of Vase
Zombies: 1x Jack-in-the-Box Zombie, 1x Gargantuar (with Imp), 5x Buckethead Zombie, 8x Zombie

Plants: 5x Squash, 1x Plantern, 2x Threepeater, 6x Reverse Repeater, 2x Snow Pea, 1x Wall-nut, 1x Potato Mine, 2x Peashooter

Vases per row: Seven

Use two Squash to kill the Gargantuar, and stall Bucketheads behind a Wall-nut as the Repeaters, Threepeaters or Snow Peas shoot them along with the normal zombies. Use the other Squash and the Potato Mine if urgently needed.

Overview
In I, Zombie, you have to plant different types of zombies to get the brains at the back of each lane. Usually, you have to eat every plant in a lane in order to get the brains. However, you may not always need to eat, squash or downgrade all plants in certain conditions (e.g. using Pole Vaulting Zombies or Ladder Zombies, or the plants can't be eaten or eaten wholly; e.g.Spikeweed, Garlic). The game takes place at night, so you can only get sun by eating Sunflowers.



I, Zombie
Zombies: Zombie (50 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun), Football Zombie (175 sun)

This is the first level in the I, Zombie mode so it is quite easy. Just use cheap Zombies to get sun by eating Sunflowers. Then, use Buckethead Zombies and Football Zombies in lanes with lots of offensive plants. Just make sure that you have enough sun. However, don't use them in lanes with Squashes or they'll be wasted. Use normal Zombies to get rid of them.

I, Zombie Too
Zombies: Zombie (50 sun), Screen Door Zombie (100 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun)

On this level, just put Screen Door Zombies on lanes with two Sunflowers but never on lanes with two Spikeweeds because they will be killed there. As the Screen Door Zombies eat the Sunflowers, you get enough sun to use a Buckethead Zombie on the lane with two Spikeweeds. Normal Zombies are not so commonly used here.

Can You Dig It?
Zombies: Zombie (50 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun), Digger Zombie (125 sun)

Place a Buckethead Zombie in the lane with the Split Pea. Use normal Zombies to deal with Potato Mines. Use the Digger Zombies on the lanes with the Peashooters and Torchwood near the back. If they are near the front, use Bucketheads instead.

Totally Nuts
Zombies: Zombie (50 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun), Ladder Zombie (150 sun)

Look for the lane you think is the weakest and put your first Ladder Zombie there. As you get enough sun, use a Ladder Zombie on the second weakest lane and if the Ladder Zombie dies, put a Buckethead Zombie on the lane. After that, you have plenty sun to back-up your Ladder Zombies when they die on the lanes with more risk and you can make the zombies eat the brains.

Dead Zeppelin
Zombies: Zombie (50 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun), Bungee Zombie (125 sun), Balloon Zombie (150 sun)

Take two Sunflowers using the Bungee Zombies. Then use another Bungee Zombie to take the Magnet-shroom. Now look for the weakest lane with Sunflowers and put there a Buckethead Zombie. Use another Buckethead Zombie on the second weakest lanewith Sunflowers. After that, use the Bungee Zombie again to take the two Cacti. Finally, use the Balloon Zombies on the three remaining lanes.

Me Smash!
Zombies: Zombie (50 sun), Pole Vaulting Zombie (75 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun), Gargantuar (300 sun)

Use two Pole Vaulting Zombies on the two lanes with Garlic. If you think one of them will die, use another one as back-up after you get enough sun. If a lane has two Squash, use a Buckethead Zombie first to deal with one of them (after all you have lots of sun) or if possible a normal Zombie. Then use The Gargantuars on the remaining three lanes.

ZomBoogie
Zombies: Zombie (50 sun), Pole Vaulting Zombie (75 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun), Dancing Zombie (350 sun)

Start the level by placing normal Zombies until the Chompers are vulnerable. Then use them to deal with Potato Mines. It would be good if you can put a Dancing Zombie because they eat faster and he summons unlimited Backup Dancers, but if the positioning of the Sunflowers are not that good, then you must depend on normal zombies.

Three Hit Wonder
Zombies: Imp (50 sun), Conehead Zombie (75 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun), Bungee Zombie (125 sun), Digger Zombie (125 sun), Ladder Zombie (150 sun)

Use the Bungee Zombie twice on two Sunflowers to gain a profit of 150 sun. If any Squash are on the first closest column, use an Imp to remove them. Then Bungee on all Magnet-Shrooms to clear the way for Digger Zombies. If you, to Bungee on a Magnet-shroom, you will have no Sun, bungee on a Sunflower first. When all Magnet-Shrooms are out of the way, send in the Digger Zombies to where you find most suitable. When the Digger Zombies clear one lane, send an Imp to collect the brain. If one lane only has, say, a Peashooter, send in a Conehead Zombie, saving you time and sun.

All your brainz r belong to us
Zombies: Imp (50 sun), Conehead Zombie (75 sun), Pole Vaulting Zombie (75 sun), Buckethead Zombie (125 sun), Bungee Zombie (125 sun), Digger Zombie (125 sun), Ladder Zombie (150 sun), Football Zombie (175 sun)

Bungee two Sunflowers first. Place two Ladder Zombies on lane 2 or bungee Magnet-shroom then Place a Football Zombie on lane 5. Place Digger Zombies on lane 4 then Imp when there no peashooter. Use Imp for lane 1 and 3.