Hello, "gamer." If you're reading this guide, it should probably be because you're lost on a puzzle and have literally no idea where to start. It's all basic tips, so if you've tried a lot this might not be super useful, it's pretty much for if you're completely out of ideas. This is just to help you remember some basic stuff if you're like me and forget a lot!

If you're just starting a case or just got a lot of new information, literally the first thing you should do is search keywords. This is fairly easy for beginning, but don't forget about the search bar when you're twenty minutes into a case! The search bar is incredibly useful for things like gathering information, connecting dots, finding secrets, or just generally having literally any idea of what to do. Here's a tip to remember: if you find yourself looking up "hint," instead, think of a word you see that could help and search that. I'd strongly recommend avoiding hints! Solving cases on your own is fun and rewarding and feels great.
But let's say you're already far into a case and have tried looking things up, but can't find anything. Well, that means you should probably check either the page tags or the page creator! This rarely trumps a case, but it can often be useful for connecting dots.

While at first most of the passwords are fairly easy to crack if you remember to search, sometimes they can be a little more difficult. If you find you need a password, maybe search for a hacker character or some other thing. This is more late game, but important. Also try checking people close to them- this can sometimes give you some pointers!

This is more for fun, but truthfully, searching for secrets often yields some results. Whenever you get access to something new, experiment with it, and see what you can do! Many late game resources are accessible from the get-go, and you can even use some secrets to bust some more cases and get Hypnocoin! Not only can it be useful, but this game is absolutely packed with stuff. Have some fun!

Hypnocoin, the games virtual currency, may seem like it's primary use is for fun add-ons. And it is! But you should always make sure not to spend too much. While you can never lock yourself (as far as I'm aware) by not having Hypnocoin, having extra never hurts. Don't take this to mean you shouldn't buy things for work, though. Feel free to have some fun! It is a game, after all.
If you're in need of more Hypnocoin, look around for violations you aren't assigned to. Often, if you look for violations related to a current case, you'll find something! Catching more criminals increases your revenue quite a bit and feels really satisfying. Try it out!