If you’ve ever dreamed of galloping through shimmering forests, setting out on extraordinary quests, and forging lifelong friendships with unicorns, Nex Playground has just the game for you.
Unicorn Academy: Friendship Adventures is available exclusively on Playground + Play Pass, inviting players into a motion-powered journey where every adventure strengthens the bond between rider and unicorn.
Whether you’re new to Unicorn Academy or open-world games in general, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know for your next adventure (including details on the new Snowy Mountain update).
Welcome to Unicorn Island! This Nex Playground open-world experience gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace. You’ll ride your unicorn, forage materials, and meet Unicorn Academy characters who are ready to send you on mini-adventures.
Before galloping off, be sure to calibrate your movement on the very first screen by standing beneath the designated icon and pushing the center button on your Playground remote for a smooth playing experience.
Your adventure begins with your first rider/unicorn duo, Sophia and Wildstar. Upon arriving on Unicorn Island, Ms. Primrose will guide you through a quick riding tutorial before sending you off to the Academy.
There are four key movements to master in Unicorn Academy: Friendship Adventures.
1. Speed Up: Pull your hands toward your chest and move them up and down as if you’re holding the reins.
Bonus tip: You don’t need to move quickly—finding a steady rhythm will help your unicorn gallop with ease.
2. Turn: There are two ways to steer your unicorn. You can virtually pull the reins left or right, or simply lean your body in the direction you want to go if you prefer a different approach.
3. Jump: Raise both arms above your head to leap into the air. Don’t worry—your unicorns are well-trained. Letting go of the reins won’t send you flying!
4. Brake: Spread both arms out to your sides to bring your unicorn to a stop—perfect for pausing to choose your next destination.
Now that you know how to ride, it’s time to go to the Academy. You’ll run into Ms. Furi along the way, who urges you to hunt all Grim Magic you can find. Then Ms. Primrose greets you in front of the Academy, pointing you towards your very first Unicorn Statue.
Congrats—you’ve now completed the Ride Refresher tutorial quest.
The Unicorn Fountain is your hub for selecting and unlocking rider/unicorn duos. Every time you complete a quest, you’ll earn character-specific materials tied to the duo you’re playing.
To unlock new pairs, you’ll need to collect materials using the previous rider in the list. For example, to unlock Valentina & Cinder, you need to gather 300 Luminesce Gems while playing as Layla & Glacier.
These same materials are also used to unlock cosmetic effects for your riding team. Jump trails, gallop trails, magic markings, horn glows, and hoof glows all require materials to bring them to life. New cosmetic options unlock as your duo’s Bond Level increases, revealing which materials you need for each effect.
All great adventures begin with a quest. Completing quests for Unicorn Island residents strengthens the Bond Level between you and your unicorn, which unlocks Unicorn Magic and the ability to buy new cosmetic effects with your reward materials.
Here are some of the quests you’ll find on Unicorn Island:
Tip: Grim Magic Hunts are marked by a softer purple beam of light, while Grim Magic Encounters appear as a dark, hurricane-like beam shooting into the sky. You won’t be able to enter Encounters unless your riding pair has unlocked Unicorn Magic at Bond Level 5.
Now that you know the basics, these tips will help you adventure with purpose.
The navigation bar at the top of your screen shows icons for nearby landmarks and points of interest. Aim the orange star toward your destination, then dash full speed ahead to get there faster. This tip is especially useful during Fairy Collect and Grim Magic Hunt quests.
Bonus Tip: You may notice glowing boundaries around the Academy and a few other corners of Unicorn Island. These magical boundaries help guide your adventure along the paths designed for this game, while still letting you enjoy a clear view of Unicorn Academy in the distance.
Each Unicorn Academy character offers certain quests. For example, if Ms. Primrose is around, you know a Unicorn Fountain will be nearby. Or if you spot Ms. Furi, you're bound to run into Grim Magic events. Identify these characters at a distance to take on your favorite quests.
Bonus Tip: Caretaking Moments are a special kind of quest where your rider/unicorn duo takes a break from adventuring to simply enjoy each other’s company. These sweet moments are worth one full Bond Level—definitely worth prioritizing when you see them.
Each rider and unicorn pair specializes in gathering certain materials.
If you have a specific cosmetic or character unlock in mind, choose the right duo to collect the required materials.
Bonus Tip: Earn materials outside of quests by chasing the ever-elusive Flutter Bunny. It can be anywhere on the map, so keep an eye out when exploring.
Once you’ve gathered enough materials, visit a Unicorn Fountain to spend your hard-earned items on shiny new cosmetics. Keep your Playground remote nearby—you’ll need it to interact with the fountain. The cosmetics menu lives in the Unicorn Selection screen, where you can unlock effects to make your unicorn extra majestic.
Just remember: cosmetics must be unlocked individually for each unicorn, so choose carefully before spending your materials. Also, spending time with each duo is a smart move—nearly every material type is required to unlock the full set of effects for each rider/unicorn pairing.
Bonus Tip: The Skyberries in the upper-right corner of your screen are consumed when you dash to show off your sparkly gallop trail. If you run out, search nearby bushes to refill your supply.
Prepare for a snowy adventure! In March 2026, we released an update with a whole winter village area to explore.
You can find a portal to the Snowy Mountain gateway just south of Unicorn Academy itself. If you’re having trouble spotting it, look for the brilliant light blue Snowy Mountain icon on the new Mini Map feature (which we’ll get into shortly).
In Snowy Mountain, you can unlock more Unicorn Fountains, discover new map locations, and take on brand-new quests like Snowball Fight, Grimlins Stealing Gifts, and Gift Hunt. There are also three major system upgrades to look forward to:
To make exploration even more accessible, we’re giving riders a Mini Map that fills in as you travel to new locations. You can find this map by pausing the game with the ‘Back’ button on your remote, or underneath the ‘Customize’ option at any trusty Unicorn Fountain.
Once you discover a location, you can instantly fast travel back to it from a Fountain Mini Map—it’s like magic!
Make way for the first male unicorn rider—Rory! He gallops onto the scene with his trusty unicorn friend, Storm. Unlocking this duo requires 500 Luminesce Gems, which you can gather with Layla & Glacier.
Completing quests with Rory earns you Snowflakes, a new winter-themed material used to unlock seasonal cosmetic effects.
Each rider and unicorn duo has two new winter effects, each unlockable for 50 Snowflakes. These frosty upgrades let you show off your seasonal style while exploring Snowy Mountain.
Protecting Unicorn Island is a group effort, and this update introduces character-specific quests to give each rider their moment to shine. These quests appear in both The Village and Snowy Mountain maps. To take one on, you’ll need:
This makes choosing the right rider for the job more important than ever.
Unicorn Academy: Friendship Adventures is a joyful blend of magic, movement, and friendship—playable only on Nex Playground with Play Pass.
If you’re ready to bond with your unicorn, protect Unicorn Island, and experience the world of Unicorn Academy like never before, grab Play Pass today. Ms. Primrose and the rest of the Academy are waiting for you!
