Onsen and Girls beginner's guide - 5 tips to soak up all the fun

Idle RPGs may tell you that you can level up without the hardcore grind, but in reality, there are still plenty of things you actually need to accomplish to progress - and Onsen and Girls is no different. Honestly, with the way everything is laid out, it can be extremely overwhelming to have all these icons fighting for your attention, especially since they almost fill up the entire screen with clutter.

Of course, that only means you're spoiled for choice when it comes to all the things you can do, so you'll never run out of shiny new things to try. Essentially, all you really need to do is follow the handy tutorial - which is why I've decided to make an Onsen and Girls beginner's guide that instead walks you through what the tutorial doesn't show.

Tip #1: Tap everything

Now, it goes without saying that every time you spot a tiny red dot in the corner of any icon, you should tap on it to see what's up. That red dot is just a simple indication that there's something there for you to tinker around with - and that usually means cool new rewards you can claim.

You'll eventually get to a point where you'll be practically buried in all the things you need to tap (it almost becomes a chore, to be honest), but just keep at it, and you'll eventually clear them - and your nice and heavy Inventory will thank you for it.

Tip #2: Make use of the onsen

Let's not pretend you're here for anything else but the onsen - that's the title of the RPG for a reason. And since the onsen is the highlight of the gameplay here, why not make the most of it? It's basically where you can pick your favourite onsen girl and have her bathe at the inn - but apart from being able to marvel at your collection, did you know you can actually boost their combat prowess while you're at it?

First of all, you can get to the Onsen via the Inn tab. Then, you can accumulate rewards depending on how long the Onsen Girl is soaking in the tub - the maximum cap is 8 hours. You can swap girls any time without resetting the soaking duration, and while they're in there, you might even chance upon a special Encounter. You can get 3 Encounters a day and store a maximum of 6, so make sure you don't go beyond that, as your daily Encounters will go to waste.

So, what are Encounters, exactly? You can tap the sake bottle beside the rubber ducky floating in the tub to open the triggered Encounter, which will have a random Onsen Girl asking to do some sort of activity with you. This usually involves a matching mini-game, a trivia question, or a simple rock-paper-scissors match, after which you'll obtain gifts you can give the Onsen Girl to raise your Affection Level.

And here's where it gets interesting - raising your total Affection also adds special Attribute bonuses that apply to ALL Onsen Girls, so giving away those lovely gifts isn't an entirely selfless affair!

Tip #3: Have a Feast

Speaking of the Inn tab, there's a Feast icon in here too that the tutorial doesn't really go in-depth on. It's basically where the lowest level of your top 6 Onsen Girls matters, as this will determine the Feast Level. With that, you can add any Onsen Girl to the Feast, and it'll automatically match that Feast Level. Obviously, you should pick the girls that are at Level 1, as they'll benefit from the instant Feast Level jump the most without you having to spend a single growth resource.

The catch is that you'll need to use premium currency to unlock more slots for the Feast (or invites from AFK rewards, if any). Plus, you can't upgrade an Onsen Girl who's at the Feast manually. And when you do decide to remove them from the Feast, you'll get hit with a 24-hour cooldown penalty before you can add another Onsen Girl to the recently vacated spot.

Still, I think it's worth adding an Onsen Girl to the Feast since you essentially get a free instant level-up - just be sure to think about which one to slot in there very, very carefully if you don't want to wait for the next day when you make a mistake.

Tip #4: Be generous to your Clan

Another icon of note at the Inn is the Clan icon. This is essentially your typical RPG guild content, which the tutorial sadly doesn't even explain much. The most important thing to note here is the Donation icon, where you can offer your Gold, Rank Pin, or Diamond (the premium currency) to your clan. This, in turn, rewards you with Clan Contribution, which you can then use in the Skill Training tab.

And with Skill Training, you can increase permanent attribute bonuses for your Onsen Girls depending on their class (your choice!). You can pick Warrior, Mage, Tank, or Support to boost, and the best part of it all is that the skill effects remain active even after you've (heartlessly) left a Clan.

Now, as for what type of resource you should donate…I'm actually really, really torn here. On one hand, Gold is the most commonly available resource out there, but I've found that it's also the thing I'm always lacking the most, mainly because it's used practically everywhere. Rank Pins aren't used as much, but when you start Ascending your Onsen Girls, you'll find yourself running out of them quite often. So - and this might be the most unpopular opinion ever - donating your Diamonds might actually be the better option here, although you might end up spending real money when you run out!

Tip #5: Join the Fiesta

Okay, it's time to leave the Inn tab and move on to the Outings tab, where you'll find the day-specific Reel Fun content. It's odd that the tutorial never even mentions this, as I think it's one of the best ways you can strengthen your lineup without having to spend much.

So, Reel Fun is basically your obligatory fishing mini-game. It opens every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and you can catch different kinds of fishies (and even some collectibles if you're lucky). The fish you catch can be kept in your Aquarium, where, yes, they once again provide stat bonuses for your beloved Onsen Girls!

For every catch, you'll also have the option to sell them for Fish Coins, which can, in turn, be used to upgrade your Aquarium and its capacity. You can also use your Fish Coins to boost your fishing skills, lures, and rods, as you might expect, so use them wisely.

And that's it for my Onsen and Girls beginner's guide! I've specifically chosen to focus on things you might have overlooked if all you're doing is following the tutorial, so hopefully, that'll help make your journey with your titular Onsen Girls even more satisfying.