How scoring works: Pinpoint
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
Pinpoint scores you on how few clue words you needed to guess the category -- fewer guesses is better: 1 guess is perfect (1.0), 5 guesses is the worst solved score (0.2). 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
- Try to identify the category from the very first clue word for a perfect score of 1.0.
- Each additional clue word you need lowers your score down the 1.0-to-0.2 scale, so guessing early is rewarded.
- Even solving on the 5th clue scores 0.2 — still better than an unsolved puzzle at 0.0, so always take your best guess.
How ranking works in parties
- Fewer guesses rank higher within the party; unsolved entries earn 0 points for the day.
- Tied guess counts share the same competition rank (1, 1, 3).
Example
In a 3-player party on Pinpoint #650: Alice solves in 1 guess (score 1.0) and earns 3 points (1st), Bob solves in 2 guesses (0.8) for 2 points (2nd), Carol solves in 4 guesses (0.4) for 1 point (3rd).
How to submit your score
On iOS, tap Share → PuzzleParty after solving. On Android/web, tap the share button, copy the result, and paste it into PuzzleParty.
Technical scoring data
{
"ranking": {
"tie_algorithm": {
"key": "competition_ranking",
"display_name": "Competition ranking"
}
},
"examples": [
"1 guess (perfect): normalized score = 1.0 -- identified the category from a single clue word.",
"2 guesses: normalized score = 0.8 -- needed one extra clue before guessing correctly.",
"3 guesses: normalized score = 0.6 -- average performance, used three of five clues.",
"4 guesses: normalized score = 0.4 -- below average, needed four clues.",
"5 guesses: normalized score = 0.2 -- used all available clues, the worst solved score (still beats an unsolved puzzle)."
],
"rule_text": "Guess the category connecting the clue words. Fewer guesses earn a better game score on the lower_better scale between 1 and 5 guesses: 1 guess = 1.0 (perfect), 5 guesses = the 0.2 solved floor. A solved puzzle never scores below 0.2 \u2014 only an unsolved puzzle scores 0.0.",
"edge_cases": [
"Solving on the 5th guess scores 0.2 (the solved floor), which still beats an unsolved puzzle at 0.0.",
"If the share text does not match the expected format (no guess count detected), the puzzle is treated as unsolved with a score of 0.0.",
"Badge or streak lines in the share text (e.g., '12-day win streak!') are ignored and do not affect scoring."
],
"measurement": {
"metric_key": "guess_count",
"metric_label": "Guesses",
"scoring_type": "lower_better"
},
"human_review": {
"checklist": [
"Verify rule_text accurately describes the lower_better 1-to-5 scale, the 0.2 solved floor, and the 5-guess maximum.",
"Verify examples cover all guess counts from 1 through 5 with correct normalized scores (1.0/0.8/0.6/0.4/0.2).",
"Verify edge_cases address the 5-guess = 0.2 solved floor (vs 0.0 unsolved) and unrecognized share text handling."
],
"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",
"ranking.tie_algorithm.key",
"party_ranking.normalization_summary"
]
},
"party_ranking": {
"normalization_summary": "Within a party, players are ranked on Pinpoint by fewer guesses 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": {
"range": {
"best": 1,
"worst_solved": 0.2
},
"method": "lower_better",
"scoring_type": "lower_better",
"solved_floor": 0.2,
"unsolved_score": 0
}
}