Rooster has 12 Zodiac levels. Ten of them award an item that is used in a later puzzle. Follow the levels in order, keep each reward, and use it when the story presents the matching problem. Shan Shan is always the successful match in Tiger’s level, and numbered Cue Cards are always correct in the final apology. For Snake, match the hazard on screen to the shape in the table below; the current fixed sequence may change in an update.
Steam lists the full game as released on September 16, 2026. This walkthrough covers the release route from the prologue through the credits.
The item chain at a glance
Most rewards cannot be used in the level where you receive them. If a scene seems to stop after a problem appears, check the item earned from the previous animal.
| Received from | Item | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | Sticky Tree Sap | Ox’s torn-paper puzzle |
| Ox | Golden Egg | Tiger’s matchmaking scene |
| Tiger | Refreshingly Cold Beverage | Rabbit’s soup scene |
| Rabbit | Frozen Wontons | Dragon’s cooking level |
| Dragon | Jade Feather | Snake’s marketplace escape |
| Snake | Magic Lantern | Horse’s birthday party |
| Horse | Wax and Seal Kit | Goat’s will |
| Goat | Extraordinary Cutting Tool | Monkey’s doorway |
| Monkey | Magical Blanket | Dog’s garden scene |
| Dog | Fireworks | Pig’s 100-day feast |
Prologue and the first four animals
Prologue: find Rat
After Dragon sends Rooster into the past, click the wall Scrolls marked with question marks. Use the arrows at the sides of the screen to reach the remaining Scrolls. Once you have read enough, another Scroll lands on Rooster. Open it, close it after reading, then move to the middle of the area and click Rat beside the couple holding a baby.
Level 1, Rat: build the Apology Basket
When Rat shuts the door, choose Wait, I have an idea! In the pantry, the required foods carry exclamation marks in the toolbar. Search the shelves, then open every cabinet drawer to uncover items outside the main view. The Combo counter rises when you find items quickly.
After the hidden-object section, click the collected foods to place them in the Apology Basket. Finish the conversation with Rat to receive Sticky Tree Sap.
Level 2, Ox: repair the torn paper
Click the hay around Ox, then collect the objects uncovered beneath it. Once the game offers a choice between searching and questioning Ox, pick the interrogation option to continue. The later dialogue answer about Little Dove does not alter the required repair.
Drag each paper piece into place and glue it immediately. Ox occasionally farts, blowing any unglued pieces back toward the edge of the screen, so placing the entire page before gluing creates extra work. Load the brush with Sticky Tree Sap, then click the piece you just fitted. Completing the page earns the Golden Egg.
Level 3, Tiger: choose Shan Shan
The matchmaking game presents 11 suitors. You may pick dialogue during the dates, but the successful match is Shan Shan. Continue trying dates until she appears, then give her the Golden Egg. Tiger rewards Rooster with the Refreshingly Cold Beverage.
Level 4, Rabbit: finish the soup
Select ginger, carrots, onion, goji berries, jujubes, salt, and water in the kitchen. Rabbit reacts badly when tasting the soup, so offer the Refreshingly Cold Beverage from Tiger. The scene then continues, and Rabbit gives you Frozen Wontons.
Dragon, Snake, Horse, and Goat
Level 5, Dragon: control the cooking temperature
Use the hot and cold controls at the top of the screen to keep the stove at the required temperature while each dish cooks. Dialogue can pull your attention away from the food, so return to the controls whenever the heat begins to drift. When the game offers an item choice, hand Dragon the Frozen Wontons. He gives Rooster the Jade Feather.
Level 6, Snake: pick the correct shape
Snake must change shape before the baby reaches each marketplace hazard. Sticky Brain Studios confirmed on September 29, 2026 that the marketplace sequence is fixed in the current version, but plans to randomize it in an update. Match each hazard to the form below. If the order changes, use the hazard on screen rather than the row position:
| Hazard | Choose |
|---|---|
| Baby falls toward the fish | Hammock |
| The ladder falls | Slide |
| A lantern drops | Arch |
| Baby bothers the sculptor | Lasso |
| A bridge puddle blocks the way | Ball |
| Baby tries to ride the turtles | Lasso |
| The teapot breaks | Bridge |
| Baby reaches the hot pan | Lasso |
| The egg hazard appears | Arch |
After the last shape choice, the baby climbs a tree while being chased. Use the Jade Feather when prompted so Rooster can fly everyone away. Snake then hands over the Magic Lantern.
Level 7, Horse: fill the changing requests
The prompt along the lower edge names what Horse wants. Select the matching number and type of entries from the toolbar. These combinations can change between playthroughs, so solve the clue currently on screen. For one example, choose the Tools and Male Carpenter entries.
Complete requests until Horse asks whether you want to continue, then choose to stop. When the lights fail, use the Magic Lantern. Horse gives you the Wax and Seal Kit.
Level 8, Goat: collect the requests and seal the will
Choose to visit Little Dove with Goat. During the timed search, find the object Little Dove names before he falls asleep. If time expires, click Little Dove to wake him, but expect a different request after he wakes.
The next screen is the will. Drag the objects from the right into the blank spaces beneath their matching names. Use the Wax and Seal Kit after every blank is filled. Goat gives Rooster the Extraordinary Cutting Tool.
Monkey, Dog, Pig, and the final apology
Level 9, Monkey: complete the paper offerings
Pick up the Scissors and click the paper to make Joss Paper Offerings. When the game asks whether to continue crafting, say that you want to stop so Monkey takes over.
Let Little Dove walk through the doorway, then use the Extraordinary Cutting Tool to widen the opening. Burn the finished offerings by taking the matchstick to the paper objects. At the following dialogue choice, select I can’t do this anymore, then click the Magical Blanket left with Little Dove.
Level 10, Dog: clear and rebuild the garden
Remove every weed, patch of dirt, and twig from Lin Lin’s garden. If the cleanup does not advance, keep looking for a missed weed, dirt patch, or twig. Once the area is clear, visit Meow Meow’s Plant Shop. Buy flowers and trees there, then arrange them in the empty garden.
Night brings a final problem: Lin Lin becomes cold. Give her the Magical Blanket from Monkey. Dog rewards Rooster with Fireworks.
Level 11, Pig: hold back the party guests
The 100-day feast begins as a tower-defense section. Place Tiger, Horse, Goat, and Ox along the ground route to slow the relatives before they reach the house. Put Monkey, wearing a coat, on a lower floor. Presents inside the building become Gift Traps; collect them and place the traps on the lower floors to create more delays.
Keep the guests away until night. When the lights go out and the party is ready to begin, use the Fireworks from Dog.
Level 12, Rooster: choose the numbered Cue Cards
The final puzzle is Rooster’s apology to Rabbit. Accept a Cue Card when it has a number in its upper-left corner. Reject an unnumbered card with the cross at the bottom of the screen. Continue until Rooster completes the apology and Rabbit calms down. Rabbit’s forgiveness leads into the Lunar New Year’s Eve party and the credits.
Sources and credits
- Rooster on Steam for the release date, developer, official level descriptions, accessibility features, and screenshots.
- Community walkthrough references cover the level route, item chain, puzzle choices, and variable Horse requests.