In Version 1.6 of Honkai: Star Rail, HoYoVerse introduced a new permanent event, Critter Pick. You can breed your own adorable little cats, with the endgame focusing on creating all the Rare Creations possible.
How to Start the Critter Pick Event in Honkai: Star Rail
To start Critter Pick, you have to first complete the “When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine” Trailblaze Continuance. Once you do so, you can access the Lifeform Oven in the Seclusion Zone on Herta Space Station. This map consists of multiple levels, making it a little annoying to get around. Thankfully, you can also Teleport directly to the Lifeform Oven.
How to Make Rare Creations in Critter Pick
Critter Pick is a fairly straightforward event that requires combining cats to get a new one. You can breed the cats to get them if you want specific traits. If you need a cat with mutant traits to help you get started, you can go grab Shy Honeybean Splashmelon from the weeds near the Lifeform Oven and use it in your breeding. To get a Rare Creation, you’ll also need to feed them an item. Fortunately, the game will provide some hints that will help you to use the right ingredient. Incidentally, if you place three of the same Rare Creation in an area and then talk to them, you can unlock unique dialogue.
1) Trash Cake
Trash Cake is the first Rare Creation you can get in the game, and it’s the tutorial. You simply need to follow the instructions. If you want to make more, you’ll need a gray shell, gray filling, and Trash. You can get Trash in Honkai: Star Rail from destructible objects on Jarilo-VI and from trash cans you can find around that world.
As a note, if you place three Trash Cakes in the same area, you’ll unlock the “Midnight’s Children” Achievement.
2) Rice Dumpling
Rice Dumpling is the Dan Heng cat, though this is not a nickname that Dan Heng seems to like. To create Rice Dumpling, you’ll need a green shell, gray filling, and a Leaf of Imaginary. You can get Leaf of Imaginary as a drop from Flamespawns, or you can just buy it from the grocery stands on the Xianzhou Luofu.
3) Ice Cake
Ice Cake is the March 7th cat, and it’s just as cute as the person it resembles. To create Ice Cake, you’ll need a blue shell, pink filling, and the pattern that kind of looks like middle-parted bangs. You’ll also need to feed it a Core of Ice. You can get Core of Ice from Everwinter Shadewalkers and the Administrative District Shop in Belobog.
4) Lambda’s Friend
Lambda’s Friend is the Ruan Mei cat, though it’s a little nicer than its human counterpart. To create Lambda’s Friend, you’ll need a blue shell, gray filling, and a Siamese cat-like pattern. You’ll also need to feed it a Seed. You can get Seeds randomly from destructible objects on Jarilo-VI and purchase it from the Grocery Stand in Central Starskiff Haven on the Xianzhou Luofu.
5) Sesame Cake
Sesame Cake is the Blade cat, and it looks as haunted and traumatized as the actual guy. To create Sesame Cake, you’ll need an orange shell, gray filling, and the Siamese cat-like pattern. You’ll also need to give it a Vortex of Wind. Vortexes of Wind are available from the Grocery Stand in Central Starskiff Haven on the Xianzhou Luofu and a drop from Mara-Struck Soldiers.
6) Troublemaker
Troublemaker is the Guinaifen cat, and it’s hard to deny that nickname for her after the Version 1.5 update. You’ll need to nurture a new base creation for Troublemaker, but Asta will help you with that. To create Troublemaker, you’ll need an orange shell, orange filling, and the bangs-like pattern. You’ll also need to feed it Phlogiston. You can get Phlogiston from Flamespawn enemies, from destructible objects on Herta Space Station, or from the Administrative District Shop in Belobog.
7) Wisteria Cake
Wisteria Cake is the Herta cat, and it’s as pompous as the real deal. You’ll need a purple shell, brown filling, and the bangs-like pattern. You’ll also need to give it Virtual Particle. You can obtain Virtual Particles from fighting Baryons, from destructible objects on Herta Space Station, or from the Grocery Stand in Central Starskiff Haven on the Xianzhou Luofu.
8) Lucky Snack
Lucky Snack is the Qingque cat, and unfortunately, it’ll never be able to play at a full table of Celestial Jade. You’ll need a green shell, brown filling, and the mustache pattern. You’ll also need to give it a Feather of Flame. You can get Feathers of Flame from Mara-Struck Soldiers, from destructible objects on Jarilo-VI, and from the Administrative District Shop in Belobog.
As a note, if you place three Lucky Snacks in the same area, you’ll unlock the “One Player Short” Achievement.
9) Shader Cat
Shader Cat is the Kafka cat, and it’s as cool as the person it resembles. You’ll need a purple shell, purple filling, and the spotty pattern to nurture this one. You’ll also need Eye of Lightning. To get Eye of Lightning, you’ll need to defeat Everwinter Shadewalkers. They’re also available from the Grocery Stand in Central Starskiff Haven on the Xianzhou Luofu.
How to Unlock Pure Sugar Child
Pure Sugar Child does not appear in the recipes by default. To unlock Pure Sugar Child, you actually need to go and find it first. In the Seclusion Zone, you’ll find two creations discussing another that went missing. Apparently, a Swarm ate it. Go into the room they’re outside of and defeat the Swarm. Once you do so, you’ll rescue Pure Sugar Child from its mandibles. It’ll then return to the other creations, and you’ll unlock its recipe. If you’re missing the Achievement “The Tame-A-Gotcha Is Hungry Again,” then it’s probably because you haven’t gotten and made this one yet.
To make Pure Sugar Child, you’ll need a gray shell, pink filling, and a spotty pattern. You’ll also need Protein Rice. You can get Protein Rice from Voidranger: Reavers, destructible objects on Herta Space Station, or the Grocery Stand in Central Starskiff Haven on the Xianzhou Luofu.
What are the Rewards From Critter Pick?
For a limited time, you can get Tracks of Destiny and Stellar Jades. These rewards will no longer be available after February 5, 2024. Other than that, you can obtain items such as Credits, Traveler’s Guides, and Refined Aethers. You’ll also be able to unlock the Celestial Incubator chatbox window. This will affect your chatbox when messaging in-game characters or your friends.
You’ll also be able to get a recipe for Delicious Bean Cake. This looks like one of the little cushion cats that you can nurture from the Lifeform Oven. When you use this item, you’ll get an Imaginary DMG boost. It only needs Leaves of Imaginary and Human-Height Auspicious Crops, so it’s a fairly easy item to Synthesize if you want to buff your Imaginary team.
Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Though Critter Pick will permanently be available Honkai: Star Rail, you only have until February 5, 2024, to get the limited time rewards.
