Transparency before entry
Competition Rules & Scoring
These rules define the shared conditions for official Ranking Games and Scholar Tournaments so every player enters under the same framework, understands how points are awarded, and knows how results become final.
Effective date: Pending publication review · Version: Draft for implementation review
1. Official-attempt conditions
- An official puzzle opens only through the Enter action on the correct event lobby. Visiting the lobby or signing in does not create an attempt.
- The server records the official start time. No client-reported timestamp changes the attempt clock.
- Each player receives exactly one attempt per event, enforced by the server.
- A completed, abandoned, or expired attempt cannot be restarted.
- If a network interruption occurs after entering, the player may reconnect and resume from the server-recorded state — no extra attempt is created.
- Tools and client behaviour permitted for that event are published before the window opens.
- Every submission receives a durable receipt that is visible on the account Submissions page.
2. Ranking Points
Official competition uses Ranking Points (RP), not personal Puzzle Score. RP accumulate across events and determine position on daily, weekly, monthly, annual, and all-time leaderboards.
| Component | Principle |
|---|---|
| Base RP | Reflects eligible completion and accuracy. Errors reduce base RP according to a published schedule. |
| Clean-solve bonus | Limited time-based bonus for an error-free solve. A clean solve is necessary but not sufficient for top rank. |
| Penalty or invalidation | Applied only as defined in the event or tournament rules — never retroactively without notice, appeal opportunity, or published documentation. |
| Final standing | Published after verification and any appeal window. Provisional results are labelled and may change. |
3. Provisional and final results
Submission receipt confirms delivery, not final eligibility or rank. After the event window closes, every submission undergoes integrity checks. Provisional results are labelled as such and may include pending items, verification status indicators, and applicable review deadlines. Finalized results supersede provisional standings.
When a result changes after verification, the account submission record shows the reason, effective date, and any applicable appeal reference.
4. Appeals and corrections
Players may appeal a finalized result through the appeals workflow on the account Submissions page. An appeal must reference a specific completed event and describe the issue clearly. The review window and response timeline are published with each event. An upheld appeal may adjust standing; a denied appeal includes a brief reason.