Care Guide

Starting Tips:

• Start a new Game and play the tutorial - it will teach you the basics

• Look after the squid's needs (floating statistics window)

• View his brain in real-time with the Brain Tool

• Observe how learning cycles happen every 30 seconds

• Open the Decorations window (press D) to add items for your squid to interact with. - Drag a decoration into the tank. Click to select, Mouse wheel changes size, DEL to delete a decoration item.

• Observe the squid's memories to see how he reacts to the environment

• Double click any neuron to open the Neuron Laboratory

• Press V at any time to toggle the squid's Viewcone

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Care Guide: Nurturing Body and Mind

Caring for your squid is a unique experience that goes beyond simple pet simulation. You are not only responsible for its physical well-being but also for the growth and development of its simulated brain. This guide will walk you through the essentials of caring for your squid's core needs and enriching its environment to foster a healthy, intelligent, and happy companion.

Part 1: Managing Your Squid's Core Needs

Your squid has several fundamental needs that you must monitor and manage. These are handled primarily through the Actions menu in the main application window.

• Feeding Your Squid:
  • How: Select Actions > Feed from the menu to drop food into the tank.
  • Why: Hunger is a primary driver of your squid's behavior. A hungry squid will become anxious and its happiness will decrease. Feeding it not only satisfies hunger but also increases happiness and satisfaction, creating a positive memory.
• Cleaning the Environment:
  • How: As your squid lives in its environment, it will produce poop. Select Actions > Clean or click on a poop and press DEL to delete it.
  • Why: A dirty environment is a major source of stress and anxiety for your squid. Keeping the tank clean is essential for maintaining high happiness and low stress levels.
• Administering Medicine:
  • How: If your squid becomes sick, select Actions > Medicine.
  • Why: Sickness can negatively impact all of your squid's stats. Promptly administering medicine is crucial for its recovery and overall health.

Part 2: Enriching Your Squid's Mind & Stimulating the Brain

A healthy squid needs more than just food and a clean tank; it needs mental stimulation. Your actions directly influence the development of its neural network through learning (strengthening connections) and neurogenesis (creating new neurons).

Fostering Learning (Strengthening Connections)

Your squid's brain learns by associating events. When two of its neurons are active at the same time, the connection between them gets stronger. You can encourage this process through consistent care.

Example: When your squid is hungry, its hunger neuron is highly active. When you feed it, its satisfaction neuron becomes active. The brain sees these two events happen together and strengthens the connection between them. Over time, the squid "learns" that eating leads to satisfaction.

Stimulating Neurogenesis (Creating New Neurons)

Neurogenesis is the birth of new neurons and is the key to enriching your squid's mind. You can trigger this process by providing specific types of stimulation that correspond to the three neurogenesis pathways.

• 1. Provide Novelty:
  • Goal: To create novel neurons that boost curiosity.
  • How-To: The best way to provide novelty is to regularly change the squid's environment. Open the Decorations window (from the View menu) and drag-and-drop new items like plants or different rocks into the tank. Each new object the squid investigates increases the novelty counter, and when it surpasses its threshold, a new neuron can be born.
• 2. Provide Rewards:
  • Goal: To create reward neurons that reinforce happiness and satisfaction.
  • How-To: Positive reinforcement is key. Consistently feeding the squid when it's hungry, keeping its tank clean, and encouraging play (like interacting with rocks) will increase the reward counter. This teaches the squid which behaviors lead to positive outcomes.
• 3. Provide Healthy Challenges:
  • Goal: To create stress neurons that act as coping mechanisms for unpleasant situations.
  • How-To: While chronic stress is harmful, allowing the squid to experience and overcome small, manageable stressors helps it build resilience. For instance, allowing it to get moderately hungry before feeding it can build the stress counter. When a stress neuron is created, it comes pre-wired with an inhibitory connection to the anxiety neuron, effectively making your squid better at managing anxiety in the future.

Cater to Your Squid's Personality

Remember that every squid has a unique personality that affects its needs. Check the Personality Tab in the Brain Tool to understand your squid's specific traits and get tailored advice.

Example: A Timid squid's anxiety will decrease significantly when it is near plants, making them an essential decoration for its well-being. In contrast, an Adventurous squid will thrive on a constantly changing environment with new decorations to investigate, which will be your primary method for providing novelty.

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