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The lowdown on the Buffet.


How do I get more icons?

You’ll get one free delivery a month just for being a member at IconBuffet. When you see a message like this on your “My Icons” page:

just click “Accept Delivery” and the delivery will be yours. This kind of delivery comes directly from an IconBuffet chef. It’s also possible to collect deliveries from other IconBuffet members, but these will cost you tokens to receive. You can see how many tokens you have by checking your Bank.

Initially you’ll be granted 10 tokens every month, and they’ll refill on the date shown. This date is related to when you signed up at the ’Buffet and is different for every member. Tokens can’t be carried over from month to month, so use ’em or lose ’em!

If you want more tokens per month, you can upgrade to IconBuffet VIP and get 30 tokens a month along with other nifty benefits.

If you’d like someone to send you a delivery they have, just ask! Post a note on their profile page or post a new blog in the Blog Forum. IconBuffet members love to give!

How do I send icons to someone else?

You can send a set a couple different ways. If you’re on a friend’s Profile page, click the Send Delivery button at the top. If you’re on your own Profile page, looking at your friends list, you can click the gift package icon next to the person’s name.

Sending a set will cost you stamps. You can see how many stamps you have by checking your Bank.

You’ll get new stamps for every delivery you receive (5 stamps) and for every friend you refer (15 stamps). it’s your choice whether you want to save them up or spend them right away. You can accumulate as many stamps as you like; there’s no limit.

If you see that someone needs a set you have but you aren’t able to pick that set to send to him, it probably just means someone else has already offered the same set. Try sending a different one, or look for someone else who needs what you’ve got.

If your delivery is accepted, you’ll earn points for making the delivery! If it’s declined, you’ll get your stamps back and can spend them on someone else. If the delivery isn’t accepted or declined in 7 days, it’ll expire and you’ll get your stamps back anyway.

What are points for?

You may have noticed that every user profile has a score attached. That score is your claim to IconBuffet fame, your pixel-passing cred. Sending deliveries is one of the main ways to get that score up in a hurry. You’ll get points for any set you deliver, but some sets will net you more points than others.

There’s another important way in which you can earn a whole lotta points, and that’s by inviting your friends to come join in the pandemonium. Hit the “Invite friends” link on your profile and send somebody a note about the fun you’re having trading Taipei Monkey and Manhattan Metroplex. If they accept your invitation and set up an account of their own, you’ll net a chunk of points -- plus extra stamps you can use to send your friend some sets (and thus, get even more points).

If you build up enough points, good things can start to happen. You’ll unlock extra features on the ’Buffet and might even earn some bonus tokens. So get delivering and get referring!

What are badges?

You’ll earn badges as you send and receive sets, make friends, and invite others. Pick up 5 Gold sets? That’s a badge. Showing up on dozens of friends lists? Another badge. Rack up a metric boatload of points? You get the idea. We’re not going to tell you about every badge; part of the fun is figuring out what they are and what you’ll have to do to earn them.

Some badges will earn you big points, so it’s definitely worth your while to work badges into your scoring strategy.

Can I earn more tokens?

On top of the easy, surefire VIP method, there are a couple ways to earn extra tokens. You’ll get them for referring your friends to IconBuffet and for hitting certain point thresholds. But the requirements aren’t easy -- only certain referrals will earn you tokens, and the point thresholds are seriously steep.

Every friend you get to sign up via your referral link earns you 50 points and 15 stamps. But if said friend also upgrades to VIP at any time, you’ll earn a permanent, recurring token for that referral. If you’re a non-VIP and you refer a friend who goes VIP, your monthly token allotment will go up to 11. Get two friends to go VIP and you’ve got 12; and so on, up to a max of 10 referral-earned tokens.

But it works the same way if you’re a VIP yourself -- the tokens are added right on top of your 30-token monthly allotment. Refer one VIP for 31 tokens, two for 32, and so on up to a max of 10 additional tokens. VIPs can thus earn up to 40 tokens a month through referrals alone.

And that’s not all, because your points figure in too. If you can hit 10,000 points, you’ll get 2 permanent, recurring tokens every month just for hitting that score.

It doesn’t stop there. Every additional 10,000 points you earn will net you another 2 tokens. So hit 20,000 points as a non-VIP and you’ll be seeing 14 tokens every month. Hit that as a VIP and it’s 34. Once again, the tokens are just added on top of your standard allotment.

As with referrals, the maximum additional tokens you can earn in this way is 10.

Of course, this isn’t an either-or proposition. You can earn tokens through both VIP referrals and points simultaneously. Get two friends to go VIP and nail 10,000 points? Say hello to 4 bonus tokens every month. Get three friends to upgrade and hit 20,000 points? 7 bonus tokens. It just goes on and on.

All told, a non-VIP has the capability to earn up to 30 tokens every month, and a VIP can earn up to a whopping 50!

What are the reasons to go VIP?

Upgrading to IconBuffet VIP is a fantastic way to receive more icons each month, get a generous store discount, and support the IconBuffet community. Your VIP membership helps make IconBuffet a raging success and keeps the Chefs warm at night.

Here’s what you’ll get:

  • 30 Free Delivery Tokens (instead of 10)
  • $25 off every stock icon collection in our store
  • An occasional IconBuffet VIP exclusive surprise
  • The joy that comes with supporting our work

The subscription is $6 per month, charged automatically to your credit card. You may cancel at any time. Sorry, there are no refunds once you subscribe.