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How scoring works: Mini Crossword

Your game score comes from your own puzzle result. Your party rank compares that score with your party's submissions for the same day.

Quick summary

Faster completion usually improves your game score. Your party rank compares your game score with other party submissions for the same game/day and can change as new submissions arrive.

How to score well

  • Solve accurately while keeping your total time low.
  • Landing in faster time brackets earns a better game score.
  • Unfinished puzzles score lower than completed puzzles.

How ranking works in parties

  • Faster times rank higher within the party.
  • Unsolved entries earn 0 points for the day.
  • Identical times share the same competition rank (1, 1, 3).

Example

In a 3-player party Alice finishes in 45s, Bob in 1:10, Carol in 2:30. Alice earns 3 points, Bob earns 2, Carol earns 1.

Technical scoring data 
{
    "ranking": {
        "tie_algorithm": {
            "key": "competition_ranking",
            "display_name": "Competition ranking"
        }
    },
    "examples": [
        "A solve in 30 seconds or less lands in the fastest time bracket and earns the top game score.",
        "A solve in 5 minutes lands in a slower bracket but still ranks above any unsolved entry.",
        "An unsolved Mini earns the lowest game score."
    ],
    "rule_text": "Faster solve times earn a better game score.",
    "edge_cases": [
        "Bracket boundaries are inclusive of the upper time (e.g. exactly 60 seconds falls in the 60-second bracket).",
        "Two players who finish in times that fall in the same bracket share the same competition rank within their party (e.g. 1, 1, 3)."
    ],
    "measurement": {
        "metric_key": "time_seconds",
        "metric_label": "Solve time",
        "scoring_type": "time_based"
    },
    "human_review": {
        "checklist": [
            "Verify rule_text reflects the scoring behavior without ambiguity.",
            "Verify examples are readable and match expected outcomes.",
            "Verify edge_cases are clear and non-conflicting."
        ],
        "machine_verifiable_scope": [
            "measurement.scoring_type",
            "absolute_scoring.method",
            "absolute_scoring.solved_floor",
            "absolute_scoring.unsolved_score",
            "absolute_scoring.range.best",
            "absolute_scoring.range.worst_solved",
            "absolute_scoring.brackets",
            "ranking.tie_algorithm.key",
            "party_ranking.normalization_summary"
        ]
    },
    "party_ranking": {
        "normalization_summary": "Within a party, players are ranked on this game using faster completion times first, with unsolved entries ranked last. Each player earns one point for every party member they beat, plus one. Players who don't solve the puzzle earn zero points for this game."
    },
    "schema_version": 1,
    "absolute_scoring": {
        "method": "time_based",
        "brackets": {
            "30": 1,
            "60": 0.9,
            "120": 0.8,
            "180": 0.7,
            "300": 0.6,
            "600": 0.5
        },
        "scoring_type": "time_based",
        "solved_floor": 0.2,
        "unsolved_score": 0
    }
}