Scoring
How points work
Two inputs decide every score: how rare the place is and how fast you played it.
Rarity bands
Every place in the atlas sits in one of five rarity bands, driven mostly by population and prominence. The rarer the band, the higher the base points.
| Band | Base points | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 10 | Tokyo, France, the Nile |
| Known | 20 | Kathmandu, Uruguay, Lake Como |
| Neat | 35 | Tbilisi, Eswatini, the Zambezi |
| Rare | 55 | Ushuaia, Palau, Lake Ohrid |
| Legendary | 80 | Tsetserleg, Zhemgang, Lake Poopo |
Speed bonus
Answering instantly adds up to half the base points again, decaying to zero as your turn clock runs down. A Legendary answer played at once is worth 120 points; the same answer at the buzzer is worth 80. Slow certainty beats a timeout, but speed separates equals.
Winning
In sudden death, the last player standing wins. In timed matches, the highest score when the clock ends wins. Points always count toward the result, so even an eliminated player's rare finds matter in multiplayer standings.
Ratings
Ranked matches move a rating that starts at 1000, in the spirit of chess Elo. Beating a higher rated player pays more than beating a lower rated one, and each arena tracks its own rating with its own world ranking. Your overall rating shifts with every arena you play.