Secret Shores is a time-limited merge event in Cradle of Empires. Spend Merge Energy, merge items on a special board, complete orders for local residents, and earn valuable rewards.

🎮 How to Play Secret Shores

• Beat Match-3 levels: Earn special Merge Energy by winning Match-3 levels.
• Create items: Tap Generators on the merge board to produce basic items. Each tap costs 1 Merge Energy.
• Merge items: Combine two identical items to create a higher-tier item. Keep merging to discover new items and complete item chains.
• Complete orders: Orders from characters appear on the left side of the screen. When the required item is ready, a green checkmark appears on it. Tap Give to complete the order.

• Earn rewards: Each completed order gives progress tokens. Collect them to advance along the milestone bar and earn rewards, including the Main Prize.

   

⚡ Merge Energy

Merge Energy has no hard cap. You can earn it by winning Match-3 levels, collecting energy chips on the merge board, or through special offers.

Energy chips can also be merged to increase their value.

Note: Merge Energy is separate from the energy used to play Match-3 levels. 

🧩 Obstacles on the Merge Board

Sand

To clear Sand, make any merge in an adjacent cell.

Dune

To unlock a Dune, merge it with an identical item on the open board.

Bubbles

Some items can appear locked inside Bubbles. You can:

• Open the Bubble immediately using crystals or a rewarded ad.
• Wait until the Bubble turns into a crystal chip.

Board Full

If all cells on the merge board are occupied, Generators stop working. To free up space, you can merge items, complete an order, move extra items to your Backpack, or delete items.

⚙️ Generators

Secret Shores includes several types of Generators. Generators create items that can be merged into higher-tier items and used to complete orders.

Standard Generator

Standard Generators, such as Home Fire, produce items in exchange for Merge Energy. They have a limited number of charges and enter cooldown after those charges are used. Cooldown time can be skipped with crystals.

Dual-Output Generator

Dual-output Generators can produce items from two different merge chains.

One-Time Generator

One-time Generators, such as Herbs level 5, produce a fixed number of items and then disappear permanently.

Automatic Generator

Automatic Generators, such as Palm, place items on the board automatically without spending Merge Energy. They pause if there are no free cells around them.

Chargeable Generator

Some Generators must be charged before they can produce items. For example, drag an Elixir onto the Altar to activate it.

💡 Tip: Merge two identical Generators to create one higher-tier, more powerful Generator.

🎒 Storage: Backpack and Stash

Backpack

The Backpack can hold up to 10 items. Three slots are available for free, while additional slots can be unlocked with crystals.

Bubbles and unlocking chests cannot be stored in the Backpack.

Stash

If the merge board is full when you receive a reward, the reward is placed in your Stash. Once space becomes available, tap the Stash to place the items on the board.

🛒 Shop

Free Energy

Don't forget to visit the Shop to claim your daily Merge Energy for watching the video.

Daily Offers

Shop offers update automatically every day. The assortment of items changes and adapts depending on your current progress in the Secret Shores event. If you want new items immediately, you can refresh the Shop's selection as many times as you want by spending crystals.

Purchased Items

Any items you buy from the Shop are sent directly to your Stash. Tap the Stash to place them on your merge board whenever you are ready.

❓ Secret Shores FAQ

I reached level 10, but the Secret Shores event isn't showing up. Why?

Make sure you have the latest version of Cradle of Empires installed. The event may also be unavailable if there is less than 1 hour remaining before it ends or if the event is currently inactive according to the schedule. Check the News tab for upcoming events.

I collected the required item, but the order won't complete. What should I do?

Check whether the required item is stored in your Backpack. To give an item to a character and complete an order, the item must be located on the merge board.

I have two timed chests, but the timer is only running on one. Is this correct?

Yes. The timer can run for only one timed chest at a time. The second chest starts its timer after the first one finishes.

Where did my Generator go?

It may have been a one-time Generator that ran out of charges. You may also have merged it with another identical Generator, upgrading it to a higher tier.

Why isn't my Generator recharging in the Backpack?

Generator cooldown is paused while the Generator is stored in the Backpack. Place it back on the merge board for the cooldown timer to continue.

What level do I need to play Secret Shores?

You need to reach XP level 10 to participate in Secret Shores. If you are above level 10 and the event has not appeared, make sure you are playing the latest version of Cradle of Empires and update the game through your device's app store if necessary.

Where can I see upcoming Cradle of Empires events?

Open the News tab in Settings to see upcoming Cradle of Empires events.