How to Survive the Chaos of YAPYAP (And Fix Your Mic)
There is nothing quite as humbling as screaming "Tempest" at a fictional clown while your real-life neighbors wonder if you are having a mental breakdown.
YAPYAP is not a game you simply play, it is a game you shout at. The central mechanic requires you to enunciate spells clearly into your microphone while terrifying entities chase you down dark hallways. If you stutter, you die. If your mic gain is too low, you die. If you panic and forget the word for "fireball," you definitely die. After wiping more times than I care to admit, I have figured out the rhythm of the castle.
First: Fix Your Damn Microphone
Before you even step into the tower, you need to make sure the game can actually hear you. There is nothing worse than staring at a Goblin, shouting "Aero," and having absolutely nothing happen because Windows decided to mute your input.
Go to your settings immediately and test the recognition. If the bar isn't moving when you speak, check your Windows privacy settings to ensure apps are allowed to access the mic. Also, if you have a heavy accent or background noise, the "Voice Amplifier" wand is forgiving, but you need to practice. I found that speaking with a slightly deeper, authoritative "wizard voice" actually works better than panicked shrieking.
Controls That The Game Doesn't Tell You
Most players figure out WASD and clicking, but the advanced controls are what separate the survivors from the snacks. The tutorial is practically non-existent, so I had to mash keys until I figured this out.
Dual Wielding (F Key): You have two hands for a reason. Press F to swap your active hand. This lets you hold a Torch in your off-hand for light while keeping your Wand in your main hand for combat. Or, if you are rich, you can hold two wands and combo spells.
The Panic Button (E Key): Press E to hide in cabinets. This instantly resets enemy aggro. If the Jester is chasing you, dive into a wardrobe and shut up. He will walk right past.
How to Revive: This is the number one question I see. When your teammate inevitably dies, run to their body. You have to hold Right-Click and actually say the word "Revive" into your mic. It does not work if you just click. You have to ask for it.
The "Infinite Flight" Glitch
I am not sure if the devs intended this, but I am going to abuse it until they patch it. You can essentially fly forever if you have the right loadout.
You need two specific wands: The Storm Wand and the Astral Wand (or the starter Wind Wand).
The Combo:
Look down.
Cast "Up-Dog" (Astral/Wind) to launch yourself into the air.
Immediately swap hands (F).
Cast "Tempest" (Storm) underneath you.
The tornado lifts you higher. Rinse and repeat.
You can skip entire puzzle sections or extract safely by just floating over the map. It is cheese, pure and simple, and I love it.
The Monster Bestiary
The enemies in YAPYAP require specific vocal counters. You cannot just shoot them all, sometimes you have to outsmart them.
Scoring: Burn Everything
You are essentially a magical hooligan. Your job is to break stuff to hit the "Chaos Quota."
Smashing: Melee attacks give base points.
Burning: This is the money maker. Grab a torch and light everything on fire. Burning objects yields 2x points compared to just smashing them.
Meme Spells: Using the Grotesque Wand to pee on things or turn enemies into fish gives a massive "Vandalism Bonus."
Do not get greedy chasing a shiny object if the timer is under 60 seconds. Get in, cause property damage, and get out.
