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| 4 | [[quoteright:256:[[VideoGame/MarioBros https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/high_scores.gif]]]] |
| 5 | |
| 6 | In the earliest days of video gaming, the designers needed to display some sort of gauge for objective achievement or progress. The easiest way to do so is a scoring system. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | When games were [[EndlessGame impossible to "win"]] and had to be played on a quarter-by-quarter basis in the arcade, people wanted proof they played well. That proof usually was putting their initials ([[VideogamePerversityPotential or a dirty word]]) in the coveted high score table. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | But, as games began to develop plot, even the [[ExcusePlot excuse kind]], gamers changed. They became more interested in things like the ending {{c|utscene}}inematic, new areas and [[PowerCopying powers]], SkillScoresAndPerks, and OneHundredPercentCompletion; most games nowadays use "[[CosmeticAward achievements]]" to track these kinds of things. Those things are also sometimes measured in "points", but of the permanent kind; this trope is about a score counter that resets itself after each GameOver. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | As games moved from the arcades to the home consoles and home computers, initially many games still had points there, even the ones that had endings, but as said above, players didn't care and went for the ending. It helps that in the home version, you couldn't show your high scores to everyone until the days of the internet, and also, many games that came in cartridges couldn't even save your high scores after you turned off your console unless the cart had a save battery.[[note]]The same happened in arcades when the cabinet was turned off, except later on when it was possible to save high scores.[[/note]] |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Opinion varies from gamer to gamer, even in the early days of arcades. On one hand, for example, many ''VideoGame/PacMan'' players were more interested in what the new fruit in each level was, and those who play most video games couldn't care less about high scores since they generally dismiss them as mere bragging rights. On the other hand, "high scores" ''can'' be SeriousBusiness and there are huge communities of people competing for who gets the better score in some games. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Nowadays, this is an UndeadHorseTrope. Most games stripped score out entirely except if scoring is relevant -- such as games with short, replayable levels, most commonly {{Shoot Em Up}}s and {{Rhythm Game}}s, where beating another's high score or getting a good rank/grade is a big part of the game. Then there were the [[EndlessGame endlessly repeating games]] where score was the only practical way to measure success: Creator/{{Activision}}'s Platform/{{Atari 2600}} games always would have specific guidelines in their manuals for what score you should aim to attain to get their special patches or t-shirts for having become a pro at it if you could send them proof. {{Pinball}} is a good example that has survived (somewhat) into the modern age. {{Casual Video Game}}s are also very score-heavy; you'd be hard-pressed to find a ''VideoGame/{{Bejeweled}}'' or ''Videogame/{{Peggle}}'' player who isn't trying to beat their best scores. {{Roguelike}}s, also, interestingly enough, often have a score system of some sort; since {{permadeath}} often make players want to keep track of their best runs, though often [[MinimalistRun low scores are sought after here]]. Points also make up a common win condition in BoardGames even if some gamers find it boring. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | '''Points ''about'' scoring:''' |
| 19 | * Most games with points will give you a tally of the points and other bonuses you earned in the level via a ScoreScreen. |
| 20 | * There is [[PinballScoring some sort of inflation]] related to points. For example, killing the weakest mook in most games (e.g. ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'') gets you a hundred points. You can't get less. Even from a technical standpoint, the extra zeroes are often phoned-in to save on memory; the goomba is technically worth one point, but there are two static zeroes after the score to give the illusion of more points. |
| 21 | ** On some games, points are scored in multiples of 100, leaving the tens and ones for a different reason: a continue counter. Each time you continue, either your game-over score goes up by one point, or your score resets all the way down to one point per continue you've used. |
| 22 | * Points might, sometimes, add to something useful, [[Every10000Points like extra lives]]. But, as soon as ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'', these were often replaced by another variable, like "coins", "rings", or "crystals", [[LawOfOneHundred which usually give you an extra life for every 100 you collect]]. |
| 23 | * On Xbox Live and PSN, online leaderboards add a PlayerVersusPlayer aspect to single-player games. |
| 24 | ** Some fansites are dedicated to recording scores manually, usually either when official leaderboards or internet ranking are not available or as an intra-community leaderboard. |
| 25 | * Some games have GameplayGrading, which often revolves around points (unless it's based on time or damage instead). One can say "I got an A!" rather than "I scored 7,278,100 points!" |
| 26 | * All scores have a {{Cap}} and this cap can be reached in many games. Usually, reaching the cap will keep it from increasing any more (this behavior is known as "counter stop"), but depending on the game, it might instead reset the score to zero, or cause problems with the game. |
| 27 | * Racing games often have a variant of this, a "Best times" or "Time attack" function, this is when the game counts how much time you took to finish the race, and of course, the lowest, the better, sometimes there's even a TimeTrial mode, where you race alone so other cars won't disturb you, even other genres like plataformers have Time Attack modes and sometimes the game counts how much time you took to clear the whole thing. Some games have huge communities [[{{Speedrun}} focused on getting best times]]. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | If a scoring system is implemented outside of a gaming context, this is referred to as "Gamification". It's more common than you may think. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | PinballScoring is when scores achieve ridiculous amounts. ScoreMilking refers to ways to easily crank up your score. SubTrope of StatusLine, a display element showing the current disposition of the player, e.g. score, health, ammo, etc. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Also see PacManFever, UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000, JustOneMoreLevel. |
| 34 | ---- |
| 35 | !!Examples |
| 36 | |
| 37 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 38 | |
| 39 | [[folder:Action Games]] |
| 40 | * The game ''VideoGame/{{Dodge}}'' awards you one point per destroyed enemy. Two enemies colliding into each other gives only one point. |
| 41 | [[/folder]] |
| 42 | |
| 43 | [[folder:Action-Adventure Games]] |
| 44 | * Each main game in the ''Franchise/BatmanArkhamSeries'' features challenge maps where you can fight a couple waves of enemy (generally four) and get points based on what your highest combo was and the variety of moves you used. If you get high enough points, you can also earn up to three medals, which you need for 100% completion. Of all the bonuses to your points, the biggest is the Flawless Freeflow bonus, which you get for completing a round in a single combo without taking damage. |
| 45 | * Many of the short side-quests in ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'' and ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'' give players a score based on how quickly they beat it, how many enemies they beat, and other factors relevant to the challenge. These side-quests include the enemy bases you have to clear out of {{Mook}}s and the fights and races enemies like Taskmaster and Screball set up for Spider-Man to defeat. The higher your score, the more tokens you get, which you can use to buy upgrades and new costumes. |
| 46 | [[/folder]] |
| 47 | |
| 48 | [[folder:Adventure Games]] |
| 49 | * Creator/{{Sierra}} had an age-old tradition of giving out points whenever the player did something positive, often for completely arbitrary reasons to inspire players to come back to the game later to try and [[HundredPercentCompletion get all the points]]. For their more comedic games, the developers would deliberately give goofy, arbitrary scores for some actions, most JustForFun/{{egregious}}ly; in Al Lowe's ''VideoGame/FreddyPharkasFrontierPharmacist'', which has a maximum score of 1,000 points, and you get 500 points for [[MundaneMadeAwesome opening a locked door at the very start of the game]]. Congratulations, you're already halfway done! There were also points for picking up some items that would do nothing but kill you if you hung onto them, such as the spinach dip in ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry 2'' and the unstable ordnance in ''VideoGame/SpaceQuest 4''. |
| 50 | * If you use the cheat code to win in ''VideoGame/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'', the game tells you you scored 800 out of 800 points. This is the only reference ''ever'' the game makes to your score. |
| 51 | * ''VideoGame/ToejamAndEarl'' gave the player 1 point for every tile on the map that's flipped over and 2 points for every present opened. The score actually served a practical purpose, though, acting as ExperiencePoints to let the player level up and increase their maximum health. ''Panic on Funkotron'' retained a practical scoring system, though this time it awarded the player extra lives Every10000Points. |
| 52 | * Despite being modeled much closer to a game like ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', both ''VideoGame/StarTropics'' and its sequel ''Zoda's Revenge'' have score counters which grade your performance in the various dungeon areas. They never impact anything. |
| 53 | [[/folder]] |
| 54 | |
| 55 | [[folder:Beat 'Em Ups]] |
| 56 | * ''VideoGame/MadWorld'' uses points to determine your progress in a level. At certain score plateaus, new areas or power-ups will be opened in the level. You need a minimum score to face the level's boss. The score itself is justified as being the scoring system of the ShowWithinAShow lethal game, ''Deathwatch''. |
| 57 | * The port of ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime'' [[EmbeddedPrecursor included in]] ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare'' removes the score counter, reflecting how useless it was. |
| 58 | ** Like the NES port of ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame'' as well as ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheManhattanProject'', the Super Nintendo port had the points actually be useful, giving you extra lives at certain multiples. This certainly encouraged you to do the "throw the enemy at the screen" move as much as possible, as it was the highest-scoring method of defeating them. |
| 59 | *** There is a vitality bonus in the SNES ''Turtles in Time'' and the Sega Genesis ''Hyperstone Heist'' at the end of each stage after defeating a boss. So that certainly helped in grabbing for extra lives. |
| 60 | * Cash bags and gold bars exist to grant bonus points, and a high enough score earns you an extra life. In ''VideoGame/StreetsofRage 3'', earning 40,000 points on a single life grants you a star, which upgrades your blitz attack. The harder the difficulty, more points you get at the end of each round. This applies to all of the games. |
| 61 | * ''VideoGame/TheWarriors'' had points you could earn for just about anything you do. Punched someone in the face? Points. Smashed a window? Score. Mugged someone? Even more points. Smashed a bottle on the ground? [[OverlyLongGag You get the picture]]. However, high scores are needed to unlock bonus content in the game. Luckily, if you happen to die and restart from a checkpoint, you still retain your score from that point. |
| 62 | * ''VideoGame/FightingForce'' has you get points for killing enemies, breaking things, picking up items, etc. basically for kicking ass! |
| 63 | [[/folder]] |
| 64 | |
| 65 | [[folder:Driving Games]] |
| 66 | * ''VideoGame/CrazyTaxi'''s central (really only) objective is to pick up fares and deliver them to destinations before they get impatient and jump out of the cab. The more money you earn in a session (either a flexible time limit that changes every time you pick up a fare or a fixed time limit where you race to see how many fares you can squeeze into the allotted time) the better your rank. |
| 67 | [[/folder]] |
| 68 | |
| 69 | [[folder:Fighting Games]] |
| 70 | * ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' had a completely arbitrary score in the main mode. This system is in Classic Mode in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' and Adventure Mode in ''Melee''. ''Melee'', notoriously, had a laundry list of modifiers to the score that awarded a trophy if all were earned... which was nigh-impossible. In modes other than Classic, the score disappears and is replaced with something meaningful (such as kills or time in the Multi-Man Melee or distance in Home-Run Contest). |
| 71 | ** There was also an optional mode in Melee called "Bonus Mode" which decided the winners based off, you guessed it, score. |
| 72 | ** What made the scoring in Melee's Classic mode really arbitrary was that if a computer opponent accidentally [=KOed=] itself 2 seconds into the fight, it would result in a long string of bonuses awarded for, e.g., not hitting the opponent, not moving, not getting hit, etc. |
| 73 | * ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' has a scoring algorithm that can lead to [[PinballScoring scores ranging in the trillions]]. It's very easy to score a billion points before the end of the ''first round'' of your first battle. |
| 74 | * Parodied in ''VideoGame/SkullGirls''. One of the fighters, Cerebella, has a move that if used to kill or on a defeated opponent, will score her 2000 points. The game doesn't have a score system, but that's the amount of points you get for killing an enemy with the same move in ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}''. |
| 75 | * ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1992'' is the only game in [[Franchise/MortalKombat its series]] to have a scoring system. Bonuses could be earned by such (future) series staples as a FlawlessVictory, a [[FinishingMove Fatality]], or finding and beating the GuideDangIt secret character. |
| 76 | [[/folder]] |
| 77 | |
| 78 | [[folder:First Person Shooter]] |
| 79 | * ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', the TropeCodifier for the FirstPersonShooter, had ScoringPoints and a [[VideoGameLives Lives]] system as baggage from earlier video games. Later FPS games, starting with ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', removed these. |
| 80 | * Return of scoring points in first-person-shooters appeared in ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'' series. In Serious Sam XBOX and Serious Sam II and in certain co-op modes in ''III'', score actually provides the player extra lives. |
| 81 | * Points are used to determine the winning and losing team in VS mode in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead''. The infected team also gains points as they attack the survivors, but in the first game they contribute nothing to the competition, thus they are mostly for show. |
| 82 | ** In the second game, it's a bit different. As it is much easier for both teams to get the exact same score on a level (if both teams make it to the end with everyone alive), the game gives an extra 25 points to the team that did more damage as Infected. |
| 83 | * ''VideoGame/{{Bulletstorm}}'' awards scores for crazy kills. You get points for any kill scenario you can contrive, with the more interesting and complex scenarios getting you more. |
| 84 | * Points in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' are used to determine who the most valuable players in a particular round are and otherwise don't do anything unless the server settings are such that it determines the winning side based on points under certain circumstances. Other servers have a separate ranking system that's just there for the bragging rights. |
| 85 | * ''VideoGame/AlienVsPredator'' on the Jaguar kept score in all three scenarios, but in the Predator's scenario they double as ExperiencePoints. You gain new weapons when you reach set scores. |
| 86 | * ''VideoGame/{{SWAT4}}'' scores each mission on a 100 point scale, with points awarded for minimizing casualties - officers ''and'' suspects - and following proper procedures in making arrests and collecting evidence. Major penalties are incurred for violating the rules of engagement. Depending on the difficulty level, a certain minimum score is required to progress to the next mission. |
| 87 | [[/folder]] |
| 88 | |
| 89 | [[folder:Four X]] |
| 90 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' games keep score, based on factors such as difficulty level, land area controlled, technologies researched and (eventually) year of victory/defeat. While generally pointless, they did give you an approximate idea of how your civilization compared to others. Also, if no other win condition was met, the game would determine the winner based on score after a set number of turns. |
| 91 | * ''VideoGame/EndlessSpace'', SpiritualSuccessor to ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'', keeps score too. The points are even more meaningless than in ''Civ'', because while a Points Victory is possible, the AI is quite competent and will win by other means unless those means are explicitly disabled. |
| 92 | ** They return in ''Videogame/EndlessLegend'' and are ''even more'' meaningless, as they seemingly only correspond to an empire's progress towards one specific victory condition out of half a dozen victory types. |
| 93 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Humankind}}'', victory is determined solely by who had the most Fame when the game reaches an End Condition. You get Fame by earning Era Stars, building Wonders, and completing other events and objectives. By default, the game usually ends after the hard turn limit, but some other conditions like someone completing every technology, conquering all other nations, or [[DownerEnding rendering the planet uninhabitable from all the pollution]] can also trigger it. Therefore, it's very possible not only for the person to have triggered an End Condition to ''not'' be the winner, but for a player who's already been ''eliminated'' be the winner. |
| 94 | [[/folder]] |
| 95 | |
| 96 | [[folder:[=MMORPGs=]]] |
| 97 | * Late in 2008, ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' introduced the Achievement system. Certain activities will give your character special achievement points. The score itself has no effect, though some of them have cosmetic rewards, usually in the form of a title, a tabard, a pet, or a mount. |
| 98 | [[/folder]] |
| 99 | |
| 100 | [[folder:Minigames]] |
| 101 | * Minigames usually have a scorekeeping system. That's usually because they are meant to evoke a vintage, arcade feel to a current game. Like ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' 's racing minigame. |
| 102 | * The entire goal of the ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' series once you've beaten the story mode is trying to get as many points as possible, with 1 point being gained for every microgame completed (or in some, survived with at least one life left afterward). |
| 103 | [[/folder]] |
| 104 | |
| 105 | [[folder:Miscellaneous Games]] |
| 106 | * In ''VideoGame/SixTwoFiveSandwichStacker'', players can get more points in each level by getting more ingredients on [[Franchise/LiloAndStitch Reuben's]] sandwich. However, points are only awarded when the sandwich gets topped off with bread to finish a level. |
| 107 | * In ''VideoGame/AntarcticAdventure'', you could score points by jumping over obstacles, capturing flags or fish, and completing levels. These points didn't really do anything; you didn't get an extra life Every10000Points because VideoGameLives didn't exist here. The sequel ''Penguin Adventure'' did away with points. |
| 108 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Overcooked}}'', you score points on every level, which are tallied up on the ScoreScreen. They're justified in-universe as being the money you make from cooking: Each dish is worth a flat number of points (its cost), and you get bonus points for making it quickly (tips for speedy service). |
| 109 | * ''VideoGame/{{Targ}}'': You earn 10*level points for shooting a Targ, 100-500 points for shooting a siren when it pops up, and 1000*level points for completing it. |
| 110 | [[/folder]] |
| 111 | |
| 112 | [[folder:Platform Games]] |
| 113 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan1'' has a score counter, which is completely useless. Aside from the fact that getting a Game Over wipes your score, the game also has enemies that respawn when put offscreen and no time limit, so getting points is as simple as just killing the same Metool over and over until you get bored. It even has power-ups that do nothing but add points at the end of the level. And when dying resets your score in a fairly difficult game, why bother? For obvious reasons, later games in the franchise dropped the score counter entirely. |
| 114 | * ''Mega Man''[='=]s own spiritual successors, ''VideoGame/MightyNo9'' and ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'', feature score attack elements. |
| 115 | ** In ''Mighty No. 9'', players earn points for defeating enemies by using the [[DashAttack AcXelerate Dash]] (less if they're defeated by other means), and performing feats during stages (e.g. defeating an arena of enemies quickly, clearing platforming sections quickly), but getting some of these bonuses can be problematic due to the [[SchizophrenicDifficulty schizophrenic nature]] of some of the stages. Absorbing multiple enemies at once in mid-air rewards a score multiplier bonuses that increases up to 3x until the player lands. At the end of a stage, players are given bonus points based on their performance during the stage in these categories: how quickly the stage was beaten, how much damage was taken, enemies defeated, Xel absorption average, and 100% absorption chains, and graded from D to S. |
| 116 | ** In ''Azure Striker Gunvolt'', players earn points for defeating enemies, however players can earn extra points through the Kudos system. A counter appears that increases as players deal damage to enemies, quickly clear platforming sections, finishing a boss with an offensive skill, defeating a mid-boss quickly, and defeating multiple tagged enemies at once with Gunvolt's flashfield. However, if the player is hit, regardless if they take damage or prevade the attack, then their Kudos drops to 0. Players can cash in their Kudos by passing a checkpoint or using an offensive skill such as Astrasphere. It's sequel implements a difficulty system for Kudos; Gutless, which prevents Kudos from being lost from taking a hit until banked, but rewards less points; Cautious, which retains Kudos until banked or taking 3 hits; and Fearless, which plays similarly to its predecessor but [[HardModePerks earns much more Kudos in return]]. Based on how quickly you clear the stage, you're given a multiplier bonus (or penalty) to your final score and graded D to S+, which affects how much items you can receive at the stage's end. |
| 117 | * ''VideoGame/SkunnySaveOurPizzas'': You get points for destroying enemies and getting items like helmets and harps. |
| 118 | * In ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', the score defines the rating, from E to A. What gives the score some sense is that the very last emblems require the player to get an A rating on [[LastLousyPoint EVERY FREAKING MISSION]]. |
| 119 | ** Later 3-D Sonic games would also use the points as the basis for their ranking system (though there were often some cases, and even a few entire games, where the ''only'' thing affecting your rank is how fast you are - this ''is'' [[SuperSpeed the Sonic series]] we're talking about!) 2-D Sonic games up until ''Sonic Advance 2'' [[Every10000Points gave you lives for every so many points instead]], until ''Sonic Advance 3'' did away with them entirely, then ''Sonic Rush'' brought them back and used them for a ranking system. |
| 120 | ** ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' has a unique end-level scoring system based on its [[MoralityGauge morality system]]: in addition to a regular score counter for defeating enemies and collecting rings, there are "Hero" and "Dark" scores, which are earned based on which enemies you defeat. If you complete a "Hero" mission in a stage, your "Hero" points are added to your score, while your "Dark" points deduct your score. The inverse is true if you complete a "Dark" mission. Completing the neutral mission will only factor in your regular score and a time bonus. And just like the previous console games, there are rankings. |
| 121 | ** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' rewarded players who got high scores in stages by giving them a continue after a certain number of points at the end of the Act. It would change in ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' by rewarding them after getting a perfect in Special Stages. |
| 122 | ** In ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', scores of six digits per stage are not uncommon, and are used for grades. Collecting rings, killing enemies, grinding rails, using Wisps, and the end-of-stage ring and time bonuses are ways to raise your score. However, each stage has a time limit. If you exceed the time limit, [[StalkedByTheBell a red "TIME'S UP" alert will appear under your score and any and all points you earn from that point on will be nullified]], so don't take too long trying to [[ScoreMilking milk points]]. |
| 123 | * ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' games award points for squashing enemies, for collecting items, and for time remaining on the clock at the end of a level. |
| 124 | ** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', points actually did something. The "N spade" memory MiniGame was activated [[Every10000Points Every Eighty Thousand Points]]. |
| 125 | ** The last Mario game for a long time to feature points was ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', which was nothing but an artifact. However, they were revived in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' (where they doubled as ExperiencePoints), the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' games (again as an artifact), and ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' (whichever player gets the most points in a level gets to wear a CoolCrown). |
| 126 | * While later ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' games featured gems that were actually used as currency, in the first game, they served no purpose outside of a point counter. The only times your gem count affected gameplay were as PlotCoupons- you needed a certain number to advance to some of the homeworlds, and also to access the bonus level- which contained nothing but more gems, and a few trick enemies you had to kill to get even more gems. Essentially, they were worthless unless you were striving for HundredPercentCompletion. |
| 127 | * ''[[VideoGame/{{Claw}} Captain Claw]]'' is an odd game. One interesting quirk is that its score, represented by the treasure you collected, aside from giving extra lives, was there to incite the player to find the secrets of the game since at the end of each stage the game specifically told you the treasures that you missed. The game was more than a tad harder if you went for the secrets, as each required equal parts non-human reflexes and calculations of non-intuitive reflexes to be reached. |
| 128 | * ''VideoGame/PacManWorld 2'' had points -- mostly on account of tradition. You ''did'' get an extra life for a certain amount of points, however, though the total was so high you actually had to do very, ''very'' well on any individual level to get it. |
| 129 | * ''VideoGame/{{Purple}}'' keeps highscores for each individual stage as well as a highscore table for overall scores. |
| 130 | * ''VideoGame/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' has a score that counts ''down'' from 99999999. |
| 131 | * ''VideoGame/AtlantisNoNazo'' had a wealth of points hidden in InexplicableTreasureChests, though they did nothing for players not trying for a high score. Powerups included one that [[ScoreMultiplier doubled these points]] and another that gave 3 points for every press of Up on the D-pad. |
| 132 | * ''Kula World'' (Also known as ''VideoGame/RollAway'') has an interesting variation. Your total amount of points not only serves as a high score, but also as a "life meter" of sorts. Losing a level merely causes you to lose however many points you earned in the level, plus a penalty based on the level number. If your total score drops below zero, it's game over. |
| 133 | * ''VideoGame/Rayman3HoodlumHavoc'' spoofs this in the manual, which claims the Pick-Ups (points gems) were scattered throughout the game by the developers "for purely aesthetic reasons". The points themselves can, however, be used to unlock bonus content such as video clips and minigames. |
| 134 | * You can do this by collecting Score Bubbles (or other collectibles) in ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet''. |
| 135 | * The PC-98 game ''VideoGame/{{Rusty}}'' features a scoring system similar to the early side-scrolling entries of the ''Castlevania'' series where players score points from defeating enemies, and can pick-up items that rewards extra points towards the player's score. Clearing a stage also rewards bonus points for time remaining and how much MP the player has left over. |
| 136 | * Points are prevalent in the first two ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'' games, and a collection of items do nothing but give points. Outside of being featured in the high score board when you GameOver or complete an episode, they're worthless. |
| 137 | [[/folder]] |
| 138 | |
| 139 | [[folder:Puzzle Games]] |
| 140 | * ''VideoGame/{{Boppin}}'' uses this unusually. Long story short, the goal of the game is to clear the screen tossing alike blocks together, but with points you can exchange unwanted pieces without losing lives, and kill [[BigBad Hunnybunz]] faster (more points, {{more da|kka}}maging [[BuffySpeak spike thingies]], less exposure-to-death time). Still, being able to save the game anywhere just makes the task less daunting. Also more fun, if you are competing with someone: |
| 141 | -->If you were able to solve all the screens before the final battle without ever having to continue, you could theoretically beat the boss in a ''couple of seconds''. Good luck. |
| 142 | --->–[[http://www.jenniverse.com/boppin%20instructions.html How to play Boppin', complete instructions]] |
| 143 | * ''VideoGame/{{Eversion}}'' has a score counter, and is [[ThePointsMeanNothing pretty up-front about the fact that a high score doesn't benefit you in any way]] (That way, everyone's a winner!), and further shows its meaninglessness in an unnerving way. [[spoiler:After diving a couple eversions deep, the score counter begins to appear in unusual places, then constantly fluctuates between random numbers, before finally disappearing as you enter existential hell.]] |
| 144 | * ''VideoGame/IntelligentQube'' gives points based on how well you stick to the set's par score (shown in the corner of the screen). Capturing the cubes required in the par number of moves gets you a "Brilliant!" and 5,000 points. Getting ''under'' par gives you a "True Genius!" and ''10,000'' points. Going over par but not missing any blocks (or capturing any Forbidden Blocks) gets you a mere "Perfect!" and 1,000 points. |
| 145 | * ''VideoGame/IrisuSyndrome'' gives you either the bad ending or the good ending depending on how many points you scored. After you get the good ending, getting even higher scores will cause text files and a secret picture to appear in your game folder. |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/{{Klax}}'' has special "Points Waves," where the goal is to score a certain number of points. Overrunning the goal ''x'' means that every point beyond ''x'' is ''doubled''; taking too long usually results in a face full of tiles coming at you so quickly that you can hardly think. Beyond that, though, and a few tricks for getting unbelievably high scores, the points don't really matter. |
| 147 | * ''VideoGame/PanelDePon'' (''Puzzle League'') has a scoring system that awards 10 points per panel cleared, 1 point per row added manually, plus much larger bonuses for [[{{Combos}} chains and combos]] based on size. The original ''Panel de Pon'' and ''Tetris Attack'', however, had a bug where the 14th and subsequent hits in a chain would not yield any additional bonuses, instead of the 1,800 per hit that was supposed to be awarded starting from the 13th hit; this was fixed in later versions. The original has a {{Cap}} on the score counter at 99,999 while sequels have 6-digit counters to max out at 999,999 instead. |
| 148 | * The ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' series gives you picarats for completing puzzles; getting a wrong answer makes a given puzzle worth fewer picarats the next time you attempt it. This carries over into ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' and also adds Phoenix Wright's trial segments being worth picarats for a successful completion, with bonus picarats awarded for each unused penalty. |
| 149 | * ''VideoGame/{{Revolution 1986}}'' gives you points for solving puzzles. In fact, the amount of time you have left remaining will be added to the score once you beat the level. |
| 150 | * The VideoGame/RoboticOperatingBuddy was compatible with two games: ''Gyromite'' and ''Stack-Up''. The former had what would be considered a more traditional gameplay loop with levels and lives to lose, but you still earned score for meeting the goals and doing so quickly. ''Stack-Up'', meanwhile, couldn't really be lost, so it was all about building up a high score by making R.O.B. accomplish his tasks as fast as possible. |
| 151 | * ''VideoGame/TetrisTheGrandMaster'' uses points as the basis for its grade system. [=TGM2=], however, only takes points into consideration in its Normal mode; its Master mode (the ''de facto'' main mode of the game) use a hidden "grade points" system to determine your grade, and the other modes use completion and/or how many levels you complete to determine your ranking. In [=TGM3=], score is just outright useless, being shown only at the end of the game and even then it does nothing to your grade. It's even useless in Easy mode as well, where the game sets off fireworks when you clear lines and the object is not to score points but instead score as many fireworks as possible. |
| 152 | * ''VideoGame/WesleyanTetris'', among its many tricks, will change your score to something ludicrous for a moment just to see if it can take your eyes off the game. |
| 153 | [[/folder]] |
| 154 | |
| 155 | [[folder:Rail Shooters]] |
| 156 | * The ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis'' series went the opposite direction of the ''Mega Man'' example. Originally a game in which the goal was to [[{{Speedrun}} beat it as fast as possible]], ''2'' introduced a point system that put much emphasis on accuracy and combos and less on time. Although you get time bonuses, they typically don't amount to a whole lot. |
| 157 | ** GaidenGame ''Crisis Zone'' inflates the time bonus such that it makes up a large amount of points, so while the game still rewards combos, you also need to be speedrunning the game for a good score. |
| 158 | * In the LightGunGame ''Police Trainer'', most of the MiniGame-like stages have point quotas. Meet the quota and the stage will be marked cleared. If you don't, you'll lose one life. |
| 159 | [[/folder]] |
| 160 | |
| 161 | [[folder:Real Time Strategy]] |
| 162 | * Many [=RTSs=], among them ''VideoGame/{{StarCraft}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'', and ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'', award points at the end of the match. ''VideoGame/{{StarCraft}}'', for instance, bases them on units killed versus units lost, buildings destroyed versus buildings lost, and resources mined and consumed. The scores are purely cosmetic and don't really affect anything. |
| 163 | [[/folder]] |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[folder:Rhythm Games]] |
| 166 | * Rhythm games are generally the exception to the rule. While the old ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution''s had a weird scoring system, all the new [=DDRs=], as well ''Guitar Hero'', ''Rock Band'', ''In The Groove'', etc have logical ones. These games usually have a grade (or star rating) that is based directly on the score (e.g. x range of points results in x grade), which is more memorable than a bunch of numbers and is usually specific enough for non-competitive play. The fact remains that points are important in these games since they solely determine the grade. |
| 167 | * The scoring in ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' and ''VideoGame/RockBand'' is ruined by the fact that comboing notes will multiply the point value of each additional note you hit; a screwup in mid-song will do more damage to your score than if it were at the beginning or end of the song. The aforementioned ''In The Groove'', as well as the DDR series from ''[=SuperNOVA=]'' onwards, ''DJMAX Portable'', among some other Rhythm Games use percentage-based scoring systems that don't care where in the song you did your best (and worst). |
| 168 | ** In case you don't realize how wrong the comboing system is: ''audiences'' tend to notice mistakes ''more'' at the beginning and end than in the middle. |
| 169 | ** This is made slightly less offensive in ''Guitar Hero''/''Rock Band'', as the combo system maxes out at a 4x score multiplier (6x in the case of Rock Band's bass guitar). Missing a note at max multiplier in ''Rock Band'', for example, tends not to cost you any more than 2000-3000 points in songs worth about 150,000 on average in solo play. |
| 170 | * Earlier incarnations of ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' assigned you a [[strike:somewhat]] totally arbitrary number of points for your performance. Hardcore players and tournaments usually ignored this number, preferring instead to measure performance by the number of "perfects" one scored overall. |
| 171 | ** ''DDR 1st Mix'', ''2nd Mix'' and ''4th Mix'' used combo-based scoring. The first two multiplied in a factor based on the ''square'' of your combo, making it even more punishing to break a combo than in most such systems. |
| 172 | ** ''3rd Mix'' and ''5th Mix'' through ''DDR Extreme'', outside of Oni Mode (a.k.a. Challenge Mode), would increase the multiplier by 1 with every step. This meant that the 300th step of a song is worth 300 times the first step. In addition, it would salami-slice a couple points off each step, which accumulate into a bonus that only gets added to your score as a bonus if you get a Perfect on the last step to make a perfect score come out to a round number. This gets increasingly worse as the step count of a song goes up; [=MaxX=] Unlimited, for example, has 611 steps. This means a Perfect on the first step is worth 540 points, a Perfect on the final jump is worth 329,400 points, and holding the Freeze Arrow on that jump until you get the OK gives you another 1,231,850 points (329,940 base + 908,020 added back from salami-sliced points). |
| 173 | ** ''[=DDRMAX2=]'''s Oni Mode was the first to break the trend and use a less arbitrary scoring system, with a "dance point" system (2 points for a Perfect, 1 point for a Great, 2 points for an OK on a Freeze Arrow), that was nearly identical to the "EX Score" in ''Beatmania IIDX'' (described below), but displaying your score as a percentage rounded down to the nearest tenth of a percent. DDR Extreme took it a step further and just displayed the raw score (as well as adding the Marvelous judgment, worth 3 points, and making an OK worth 3 points as well). |
| 174 | ** ''DDR [=SuperNOVA=]'' then threw out the old, arbitrary point system altogether, sticking with the Oni system in all modes (''[=MAX2=]'' scoring in normal play, ''Extreme'' scoring in Nonstop and Oni modes). Your score in ''DDR [=SuperNOVA=]'' is just your dance point percentage multiplied by 10,000 and rounded down to the nearest integer. Starting with ''DDR [=SuperNOVA=] 2'', it's your dance point percentage multiplied by 1,000 and rounded down to the nearest 10, minus 10 points for every Perfect or Great (thus making the Marvelous count a tiebreaker). |
| 175 | * ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' has two different scoring systems. The more visible one (known to fans as the "money score", since it actually was presented as a cash value -- the DJ's "pay" -- in early 5-key games) maxes out at 200,000 points per song and has a small combo factor that maxes out after 10 notes. Even though songs commonly have significantly more than 1000 notes, this is still enough to render the money score unsuitable for comparison. On top of that, there are several bonuses that may be awarded, including one for a full combo and one for completing the song with the '''minimum''' lifebar needed to pass. (Due to the mechanics of this game, it '''is''' possible to achieve both, and doing so while hitting the best judgment on every note would in theory net a money score somewhat over 210,000.) The other score (known as the "EX score") is based solely on judgments (2 points per Just Great, 1 point per Great) and determines the grade awarded. All rankings, official and non, use this score. Since difficulty in this game is largely about weathering a sudden spike of notes at the end, EX score is usually taken more seriously than whether or not you actually pass the song. |
| 176 | * ''VideoGame/PopNMusic''[='=]s scoring acts similar to that of current ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' games. The maximum score on a song is 100,000 points, and each worth is worth a fixed amount of points. Getting a COOL gets you 100% of the note value, GREAT gets you 70%, GOOD gets you 40%, and BAD gets you nothing.[[note]]In older games, the ratio is 100:50:10:0 instead. If [=COOLs=] are not enabled, in these games, GREAT gives you 100% of the note value, GOOD 20%, and BAD 0%.[[/note]] |
| 177 | ** Then there's the Extra Point system. Fulfilling specific criteria--things like reaching score or combo milestones, as well as comboing "Highlight Zones", will get you Extra Points. Get enough of these points over three stages and you'll obtain an extra stage; if you don't, your Extra Points will carry over to your next game, if you are using an e-Amusement Pass. |
| 178 | * ''VideoGame/ReflecBeat'' has two scoring systems at work: |
| 179 | ** One is used to determine win/loss status, as the game is a head-to-head game. You get 3 points for hitting a note with a JUST judgement, 2 points for a GREAT, 1 point for a GOOD, and -3 points for a MISS. In addition, when you perform a JUST REFLEC attack, you'll get 10 points, although since a JUST REFLEC can be done if and only if you get a JUST, this means you get 13 points total for the attack. On the other hand, miss a note that was JUST REFLEC'd at you, and you'll lose 10 extra points. This was adjusted in ''Reflec Beat: Yuukyuu no Reflesia'', to accomomdate the new KEEP judgement (obtained repeatedly from maintaining a long note): JUST is now 6 points, GREAT is now 4 points, GOOD is now 2 points, and KEEP is worth 1 point. |
| 180 | ** Then there's the Achievement Rate percentage system, which is still influenced by note judgements, but does not go down, and is used to determine pass/fail status instead. You need 70% or higher to clear the song. |
| 181 | * ''VideoGame/{{Audiosurf}}'' is entirely based on maximizing your score and trying to beat the scores of everyone else who's played a given song. The problem there comes in when you learn that you can generally only win in certain modes, while others (particularly Mono) are limited in how many points they can score, so they can never show up on the scoreboards. |
| 182 | ** ''VideoGame/{{Audiosurf}}'' has many other problems. As ALL tracks except the radio tracks are user generated, and it's based entirely on the tag of the track, you may be competing against others in a totally different track, or even just slightly different because one person uses a better quality sound file. Not to mention, the ridiculousness of a 10% penalty upon overfilling -- so a mistake 30 seconds in may cost very little, while one after 6 minutes of a fast track may cost 50K points just because you messed up there. |
| 183 | ** If you overfill in Ironmode, it's game over. But the game's not done punishing you yet; it docks ''99999'' points from your score just to drive the point home. |
| 184 | * ''VideoGame/RockBand'' has fans. Do well, get more fans. Do bad, lose some fans. While you'll need a few to access certain areas, you [[DoubleUnlock also need stars]], and the chances of having enough stars but not enough fans are next to nil (it has good old-fashioned points too, but being a rhythm game, they're important. (They're converted to stars at the end of a song.) |
| 185 | ** It is possible: Get enough unskilled virtual-musicians to play setlists and put no fail mode on: Bam. You're earning 1-2 stars per song (generally without no fail mode on, you have to try '''really''' hard to get less than three stars without trying), and probably losing fans (if you have any at all. But if your unskilled virtual-musicians get better, the problem will basically solve itself. |
| 186 | * The ''VideoGame/{{O|suTatakaeOuendan}}uendan'' series (including, by extension, ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents'') uses a weird segregated system for its scoring and ranking. While normal gameplay uses a standard scoring system (which uses a difficulty-based formula that can lead to PinballScoring on higher difficulties, ''especially'' if you factor in the Invisible modifier in ''Ouendan 2''), your rank is determined not by your score but on the percentage of 300-point hits you scored in the song. The max rank you can normally get is an A rank with 90% or higher 300-point hits; however, your rank is bumped up a grade if you don't miss any notes, making the true maximum rank an S rank. Because of the incongruity between points and rank, it's possible to get an S-rank, then get a higher scoring A-rank, which will replace the S. |
| 187 | * ''VideoGame/{{jubeat}}'' uses a mix of flat scoring and a special LifeMeter-esque bonus. The maximum score in a single song is 1 million. Up to 900,000 of these points can be earned by simply accurately hitting notes, with each note having a fixed value. The other 100,000 is part of a bonus that increases as you hit notes (but cannot exceed 100,000), and decreases as you miss notes (but cannot go below 0). Additionally, score is used as the game's sole clear/fail metric, similar to ''Reflect Beat'' mentioned above; you need 700,000 points or higher to clear the song. It is possible to have somewhere between 600,000-699,999 points at the end of the song, only for the "lifebar" bonus to push you into the passing range. |
| 188 | * ''VideoGame/EightBeatStory'' actually scales the scores earned per note so that the scores, skills notwithstanding, are similar across difficulties and the scores are ranked against predetermined checkpoints after a game session is complete. |
| 189 | * ''VideoGame/CrossBeats'' has two scoring systems: |
| 190 | ** The first is the standard scoring system: Flawless is worth 100 points, Super is worth 50 points, Cool is worth 10 points, and everything else is worth nothing. |
| 191 | ** The second is Clear Rate, which is used to determine the amount of Rank Points you get from the song, and is shown only at the end of the song. 80% of your Clear Rate is determined by note judgements (with Flawless and Super both weighing twice as much as Cool), and 20% by max combo. |
| 192 | * ''VideoGame/GrooveCoaster'' has a chain-based scoring system, which combined with the game doubling how much your chain increases with each hit once you hit 10 chain, means that a single mistake can warrant a restart. Its arcade charts and releases are somewhat better about this: you can get up to 850,000 points for hitting notes accurately, up to 100,000 points for your maximum chain, and 50,000 points if you clear the song, resulting in a maximum score of 1,000,000. |
| 193 | * ''VideoGame/{{maimai}}'': |
| 194 | ** The game uses accuracy-based scoring, and weighs each type of note differently: up to 500 points for hitting a Tap note, 1,000 for a Hold note, and 1,500 points for a Slide note. Breaks are weird, in that not only can you get up to 2600 points per note, but each of the combo-incrementing judge ranks has a few "sub-ranks" that have a slight influence on your score (50-150 points). Score is also expressed as an "Achievement" percentage with two decimal places, and you need an Achievement rating of 80% or higher to clear the Song. Achievement can go slightly above 100% depending on how you hit Break notes;[[note]]more specifically, 100% is based off of an all-Perfect run where all the Break notes are hit for 2500 points each[[/note]] it's even possible to get 100% ''without'' getting an "All Perfect" as a result. |
| 195 | ** ''maimai Deluxe'' redoes the Achievement system a little bit. There are now four decimal places (in order to make scoring more like ''Chunithm'' and ''O.N.G.E.K.I.'') and each chart has a fixed maximum Achievement of 101%. [[Over100PercentCompletion The extra 1%]] is obtained by getting [[RankInflation Critical Perfect]]s on Break notes (if you only get regular Perfects on them, you will only go up to 100%). Break notes are the only time Critical/regular Perfect differentiation is used in Achievement score calculations; on all other note types, both types of Perfects are valued the same. |
| 196 | ** ''Deluxe'' also introduces the Deluxe Score system. All note types are weighed the same, and you get 3 points for a Critical Perect, 2 points for a Perfect, 1 point for a Great, and 0 points for a Good or a Miss. |
| 197 | * ''VideoGame/{{Chunithm}}''[='=]s scoring is based strictly on accuracy. Getting a Justice gets you 100% of the note score, [[RankInflation getting a Justice Critical gets you 101%]], Attack gets you 50%, and a Miss gets you nothing. Hold and Slide notes are each counted as multiple notes. The score is based around 1,000,000 being a 100% score, with 1,010,000 as the actual maximum score obtainable. |
| 198 | * In ''VideoGame/{{ONGEKI}}'': |
| 199 | ** First, there is Battle Score, which is based not only on your performance but the amount of damage you do to the enemy. |
| 200 | ** Then there is Technical Score, which omits all the RPGElements. You can gain up to 950,000 points (out of 1,010,000) from hitting notes, with the full amount of that only obtainable by getting all Critical Breaks. The remaining amount is earned from collecting Bell items throughout the chart by moving your team over them. |
| 201 | ** Finally there is Platinum Score, introduced in ''O.N.G.E.K.I. R.E.D.'' You get 2 points for getting [[RankInflation Platinum Breaks]] (but are worth the same amount of Technical Score as a Critical Break), 1 point for non-Platinum Critical Breaks, and 0 points for a Break, Hit, or Miss. And just to make things more NintendoHard, you also lose 2 points for every point of Damage (from hitting the pink bullets) and every Bell you don't collect. |
| 202 | * ''VideoGame/SpinRhythmXD'': The default scoring system applies. However, if you get a perfect full combo, you'll get a bonus for it as well as a bonus for accuracy (beyond the basic "Perfect" range). |
| 203 | * ''VideoGame/{{Arcaea}}''[='=]s scoring is based "out of" 10 million points, with the number of points per note being inversely proportional to how many notes there are in the chart. A PURE gives you 100% of the note's value, a FAR gets you 50%, and a LOST gets you nothing. Additionally, if you get an extra-accurate PURE (in fact, this is the ''only'' judgement you'll get when holding down Hold Notes and Arc Notes, other than a LOST), you'll earn 1 additional point. Thus, an all-Pure run, or a [[CallAHitPointASmeerp Pure Memory]], will almost always have a score of just slightly over 10,000,000. |
| 204 | * ''VideoGame/VibRibbon'': Confusingly, your score is described during play by a series of shapes at the top of the screen, which is converted to a numerical value at the end. It's possible to convert this in your head, but usually you get distracted by the levels. |
| 205 | * ''VideoGame/{{KALPA}}'' awards 100 points on a Perfect, 80 points on a Great, and 50 points on a Good. Score is also expressed as a "Rate" percentage that is simply your score out of the maximum possible total, rounded to two decimal places. While Rate is used to determine [[GameplayGrading letter grades]], Score is more important in Dark Area mode, where the player plays three randomly-picked songs in a row (out of 1-5 packs of their choosing) and tries to earn as high of a raw score as possible. |
| 206 | * The ''VideoGame/StepMania'' fork ''Etterna'' uses what's known as Millisecond Scoring (MSS), or [[https://etternagame.github.io/wiki/Wife.html Wife]] scoring (now in its third version, known as [=Wife3=]). It is similar to the "Dance Point" system used in ''[=StepMania=]''[[note]]2 points for Perfect or Marvelous, 1 point for Great, 0 points for Good, -4 points for Boo, -8 points for Miss[[/note]], but beyond the 2 points earned for a Marvelous, the point reduction is based not on discrete note judgements, but on a parabolic curve and by how many milliseconds the player's timing is off. The motivation behind this is that the developer of this scoring system finds judgement-based scoring to be too punishing over mistakes that are close to borders between two judgements, and so a more granular variant was invented. Wife scoring also {{nerf}}s [=OKs=] freeze notes to be worth 0 points instead of 6, and missing them now takes away 5 points instead of leaving score unaffected, so that the player doesn't get "free" points when playing charts that are dense in freeze notes. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Roguelike]] |
| 210 | * ''VideoGame/AbsentedAgeSquarebound'': Whether the player completes a dungeon, leaves it before completion, or dies, they get a score that gets converted to DP. Each Arcade Mode dungeon records the highest score the player achieved, though Story Mode dungeons don't keep track of the highest score. |
| 211 | * ''VideoGame/NetHack'' has a point-scoring mechanic. There are four mindsets about these: |
| 212 | ** Most expert players value a reasonably low score, indicating efficient play - to these, high scores mean you over-prepared, a mark of inexperience. |
| 213 | ** Certain players go for the highest possible score, to the extreme ends of farming for items and kill-count until their score is at the absolute maximum. |
| 214 | ** Certain other players go for the ''minimum'' possible score (while still ascending) - a SelfImposedChallenge in that deliberately and woefully underpreparing while everything tries to kill you is usually not wise. |
| 215 | ** And the large majority of players don't care about score at all. |
| 216 | [[/folder]] |
| 217 | |
| 218 | [[folder:Role-Playing Games]] |
| 219 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'' has a reference to "respect points". This is completely not gameplay-related, but an obvious parody of point systems. |
| 220 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'' had two types of scoring: A numerical score, and a [[GameplayGrading Battle Rank]], denoted by stars. Your numerical score determined what battle rank you got, and was calculated largely by your stat level and time battling during encounters. In the first game, Battle Rank determined the rarity of your drops and how many Technical Points you regenerated at the end of battle, but the sequel reduces their overall importance. |
| 221 | * ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' has a score on your trainer card, not that it matters much. |
| 222 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' has the Battle Institute, which ranks a series of consecutive test battles with a score. In-game, they have yet to serve much of a purpose, but at special events, one can compare their scores to other players on a scoreboard for bragging rights. |
| 223 | * In ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', the points are certainly (generally) given on the magnitude of the early games in the Mario series, as though they were [[{{Pun}} pointless]], but they're actually a stand-in for XP. |
| 224 | * In the multiplayer mode of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', you earn points for killing enemies, assisting others with killing, and completing the wave's specific objective. In the first case, you earn more points the more powerful the enemy (killing an [[BossInMookClothing Atlas]] is far more rewarding than killing a random [[{{Mook}} trooper]]). In the second, you earn more points depending on how much damage you did to the enemy. In the last, the amount of points a player can earn depends on the specific objective in that round. A player can also earn bonus points for certain tasks (''x'' kills, surviving ''x'' waves, ''x'' [[BoomHeadshot headshots]], etc.). At the end of the match ([[TotalPartyKill if you get that far]]), all players earn more points depending on the difficulty level of the match, whether you got a full or partial extraction, and whether you played an "Unknown Location" and/or "Unknown Enemy" match. These points do have a purpose: at the end of the match, every player's point total is added up, and that number of ExperiencePoints is rewarded to their characters. This happens even if your party doesn't make it through to extraction, discouraging {{rage quit}}ting. |
| 225 | * ''Virtual VideoGame/{{Hydlide}}'' has a kill-based point system. These are not ExperiencePoints; you gain stat increases exclusively by defeating bosses. Instead, these points are used as ''money'' at various in-game shops. They are also used as ammunition for various sword special abilities. |
| 226 | [[/folder]] |
| 227 | |
| 228 | [[folder:Shoot 'Em Ups]] |
| 229 | * The whole ShootEmUp genre has a lot of fans fixated on getting the highest possible score, to which end they spend hours upon hours of practice improving their reflexes, dodging skills, and game-specific scoring tactics. Sometimes they go a little too far, and "counterstop" the game, which means the in-game score hits a {{cap}} and literally won't go any higher. |
| 230 | * ''VideoGame/GeometryWars'' is entirely about how far can you crank up your score. No less, no more. Actually addictive thanks to its blazing fast pace. |
| 231 | * Its derivative game ''VideoGame/GridWars'' actually granted powerups and extra lives based on getting to certain score amounts. |
| 232 | * ''VideoGame/GigaWing'' is a shmup in which the scoring system is a major attraction of the game...because the scores get [[PinballScoring freaking huge]]. |
| 233 | * ''VideoGame/{{SALVATOR}}'': Each soul that returns to Earth after being freed from [[SoulJar an asteroid]] is worth 10 points. |
| 234 | * Most all of ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games have fairly robust scoring systems, and they all have in-game scoreboards to encourage players to improve. The fandom, by and large, only begins to care if it's one of the games that gives extra lives for points. |
| 235 | ** Amusingly, ''Undefined Fantastic Object'' had a bug in its initial release, causing the game to crash upon the player reaching one billion points. Until it was patched, players were forced to DoWellButNotPerfect in order to get a high score without hitting the brick wall. |
| 236 | * ''VideoGame/{{Hellsinker}}'' probably has the most complex scoring system of any ShootEmUp to date. There are two other scoring systems that have nothing to do with your primary one: one is based on how many enemies you kill, and another is based on how many of those large purple tokens you collect. |
| 237 | ** There are two ways you can lose points: Time out a boss (your score, kill count, and token count for the stage are halved), or enter the Shrine of Farewell, which begins by having your points confiscated. The amount you can get back at the end of the stage depends on how well you fight the four bosses. |
| 238 | * Later games in the ''VideoGame/StarSoldier'' series have modes that let you test how many points you can score in just 2 or 5 minutes. These are the ''only'' modes that can be played in ''Star Soldier R'' (not counting a 20-second minigame). |
| 239 | * ''Computer Space'', probably the earliest to calculate score. |
| 240 | * If you play ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'', playing for score is ''mandatory.'' Your weapons use your points to level up and become stronger. And the scoring system is tough: You shoot enemies of the same color to build up your chain, and once you start a chain using one color, you can't hit any enemies of other colors or the chain resets, which means leaving roughly 2/3 of enemies intact. Which means if you try to play RSG like a traditional shmup, your weapons will quickly be outclassed by the stamina of later enemies, making the game damn near impossible to finish. |
| 241 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Thwaite}}'', you don't get points for shooting anything. Instead, points for protecting houses and for being efficient with your ammo are awarded on the ScoreScreen at the end of each wave. |
| 242 | * In ''VideoGame/JudgementSilversword'' and its SpiritualSuccessor ''VideoGame/{{Eschatos}}'', the points you earn across playthroughs double as ExperiencePoints. Leveling up will unlock new options such as a sound test, new modes, and cosmetic options. Those who play well and for score will unlock features faster than those who play strictly for survival and/or not as proficiently. |
| 243 | |
| 244 | [[/folder]] |
| 245 | |
| 246 | [[folder:Simulation Games]] |
| 247 | * The ''VideoGame/TraumaCenter'' series uses a point system that determines your rank in every operation. Tasks such as stitching and extracting foreign objects can be done carefully or hastily, and such actions will be ranked either Cool, Good, or Bad with Cools getting the most points. In order to get the highest rank (either an S or XS rank), you must have a high enough score, as well as fulfill certain conditions such as no mistakes, beating the operation in a certain amount of time, having a high chain, etc. |
| 248 | ** That said, ''Trauma Center'' doesn't count the GUILT or Stigma dealing damage to the patient's vitals against the player, meaning sometimes the player needs to actively impede treatment of the patient to get the best score. ''Trauma Team'' fixes hits, however. |
| 249 | * ''VideoGame/RescueOnFractalus'': In addition to hundreds of points for destroying enemies and rescuing allies, you receive one point for every second of flight. |
| 250 | * In ''VideoGame/AirfixDogfighter'', this is how the game measures how well you completed a mission. It's affected by the amount of destroyed enemy vehicles, the amount of collected glue and plot-relevant objects, and how much fuel and health you had at the moment of returning to base. |
| 251 | * In ''VideoGame/SilentHunter'', the equivalent is the tonnage of the ships you send to meet Davy Jones. At base are converted to renown points that you can use to hire better officers and/or improve your boat. |
| 252 | * ''VideoGame/XWing'' and its sequels, ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'' and ''VideoGame/XWingAlliance'' use the cumulative scores of each mission to determine player promotions and other awards. The first two games keep the scoring system largely hidden, only reporting a score during debriefings, while ''X-Wing Alliance'' updates the player's score in real time. All of the games impose a 90% penalty deduction for activating cheats - ''even momentarily''. ''Alliance'' also deducts a lesser amount of points whenever one of the player's wingmates are killed. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | [[folder:Sports Games]] |
| 256 | * One of the earliest examples in video game history is ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}'', with the scores being displayed at the top of the screen. You get one point every time the ball touches the side of the screen opposite your paddle. Get 11 points and you win. |
| 257 | * ''VideoGame/WiiSports'', but mainly because they are based on real sports that are point-based. |
| 258 | * ''VideoGame/BackyardSports''. In most games, the reason is obvious, as they are sports games. But in the minigames and ''Backyard Skateboarding'', the amount of points can unlock new things. |
| 259 | * ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater'' always has a couple of score-based objectives for every level of Career mode. On competition levels, you're graded not only on score but variety and perfection (i.e. no bailing) as well. |
| 260 | [[/folder]] |
| 261 | |
| 262 | [[folder:Third Person Shooter]] |
| 263 | * ''VideoGame/TheClub'' has been unfavorably compared to other more action-focused shooters by some. However, as discussed in a PA podcast (link at the bottom of [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/2008/1/25/ this page]]), the aim of the game is more about finding the right pace, maintaining a combo and trying to get a perfect 'lap' in order to maximize your score, making it more comparable to other games by Bizzarre Creations, such as ''VideoGame/GeometryWars'' and ''VideoGame/ProjectGothamRacing''. |
| 264 | * The first segment in ''[[Franchise/DieHard Die Hard Trilogy]]'', including the other two. |
| 265 | * ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' has score. ''Largely'' cosmetic, though a few treasure hunts require high scores. |
| 266 | [[/folder]] |
| 267 | |
| 268 | [[folder:Tower Defense]] |
| 269 | * ''VideoGame/{{Gemcraft}}'' prior to ''Labyrinth'' has you score points. The highest score for each level is then totaled and counts towards your experience total. Getting the highest level requires you to replay levels, a form of LevelGrinding. |
| 270 | * At the end of a stage in ''Videogame/DefenseGridTheAwakening'', you get points equal to how many resources you have left, the sellback value of all of your towers, and the number of cores you have left x20. The scoring system helps promote efficient use of resources while keeping as many cores intact as possible. |
| 271 | [[/folder]] |
| 272 | |
| 273 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 274 | * ''VisualNovel/PlumbersDontWearTies'' is another example with meaningless scores. How meaningless? [[spoiler:For starters, you can let the CorruptCorporateExecutive [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty ask Jane to take her own clothes off]]. Not only that action would give you ''negative'' score, but the one is in fact ''[[ViolationOfCommonSense required]]'' in the course to get the HappyEnding.]] |
| 275 | ** [[spoiler:In fact, the highest score you can possibly get is in the negatives.]] |
| 276 | * In ''VisualNovel/FleuretBlanc'', the points are worthless and you only even see them at the end of the day, yet upon seeing the obvious gameplay mechanic many players feel an irrational urge to make the numbers go up. Combined with the CentralTheme of obsession and hoarding, [[YouBastard this can lead to some uncomfortable self-reflection.]] |
| 277 | [[/folder]] |
| 278 | |
| 279 | [[folder:Wide Open Sandbox]] |
| 280 | * ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' converted score into currency. |
| 281 | ** ''VideoGame/{{Grand Theft Auto|Classic}}'' and ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto2'' in particular emphasize the need to acquire enough points before the player can move on to a new story arc or city. It even keeps tabs of the five highest scores the player amasses in each level. Note that saving a game also took money. No donation, no salvation. 50,000, which was a lot. And it's only in ''GTA 2'' that you can save. |
| 282 | ** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' completely destroys this by having a save point right next to a casino, resulting in money only being limited by how much time you're willing to spend saving and loading the game instead of actually playing it. |
| 283 | ** Later ''GTA'' games, starting from ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'' ExpansionPack for ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', introduced a scoring system as a bonus objective to give players an incentive for finishing missions skillfully rather than just merely passing it regardless of how badly the player fared with it. Naturally, players are penalised for either failing or skipping a mission or a segment thereof, or using [[WarpWhistle taxi trip skips]] to get to a particular place in an instant. |
| 284 | * In ''VideoGame/TotalOverdose'', kills are scored on quality, style and sheer ballsiness, and multiplied by the killing streak maintained for a period of time. Upgrades are unlocked by reaching high scores, upgrades such as more health, more adrenaline, dual weapons, unlimited ammo and Loco Moves. Global scoring becomes irrelevant early on, but Mission scores remain important to unlocking upgrades for survivability in later missions. |
| 285 | [[/folder]] |
| 286 | |
| 287 | [[folder:Non-Videogame Examples]] |
| 288 | * Parodied in the comedy skit show ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway''. Drew Carey, the host, would randomly hand out various kinds of "points" (like Wonder Points, Low Fat Points, etc) during the show to the comedians on stage, guest comedians and even the audience and the viewers at home because it's "the show where everything's made up and the points don't matter." At the end of the show, the person with the "highest" point total (entirely based on RuleOfFunny[[note]]Everyone "won", and whoever's idea got the funniest result was aired.[[/note]]) would decide the type of skit they would perform for the ending act. |
| 289 | ** It's carried over from the original British version, where the host would explicitly give and take away ludicrous amounts of points for no reason other than humor. |
| 290 | ** Likewise, its spiritual successor ''Series/MockTheWeek''. |
| 291 | ** The UrExample is parody panel game radio show ''Radio/ImSorryIHaventAClue'', which dispensed with the whole tedious bisiness of keeping score almost from the very start, and LampShades this continually. |
| 292 | * In fact, with most [[PanelGame panel games]] the score is irrelevant to some degree or other, however much the contestants may protest. Since the show is recorded over two or three hours, then edited down for the final transmission, whole questions tend to be cut out. That can mean that one team might seem to answer only a few questions correctly but end up winning the game. |
| 293 | ** ''Series/{{QI}}'' is a prime example of this, as the difficulty is compounded by the fact that points (plus or minus) seem to be awarded arbitrarily by both the scorer and Creator/StephenFry. |
| 294 | *** An even better example is "Talking 'Bout Your Generation", where the points awarded for the final round are always 1 point more than the difference between the points of the winning team and the points of the team in third, making it a GoldenSnitch. |
| 295 | * It's mentioned on one episode of the ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''... |
| 296 | --> '''Homer''': I can't believe our luck, ten thousand bottle rockets and [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush George Bush]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext is doing toe-touches by an open window]]! |
| 297 | --> '''Bart''': If you get one up his butt, it's a million points! |
| 298 | * Parodied in ''Webcomic/TheWayOfTheMetagamer'' - the Author hands out [[PinballScoring huge denominations]] of "Awesome Points", which serve no purpose whatsoever. |
| 299 | * The standard rules for [[{{Calvinball}} Nomic]] include rules for winning by scoring points, but they're deliberately boring to encourage the players to change them (changing the rules is the real [[{{Pun}} point]] of Nomic). |
| 300 | * Some online forums track a user's "reputation" by various means. Under this system, a poster who is often "upvoted" or started highly "rated" or popular threads is considered better than a complete newcomer, who in turn is preferable to a troll. |
| 301 | ** Creator/RoosterTeeth tracks Karma, which is reduced by "Lame" or "Flamebait" posts and increased by funny or clever ones. There is also a system of achievements (Awards) for participating in site activities, and sponsors of the site have small yellow stars next to their names. |
| 302 | ** Website/TheEscapist also has achievements (Badges), so that for example watching seven episodes of ''WebVideo/{{Unskippable}}'' awards "Fishy [=McSketcherson=]". Also, forumites are awarded journalism-themed titles from "Anonymous Source" to "Nobel Laureate" (15k posts), albeit paying members of the Publisher's Club can invent their own titles. |
| 303 | * In ''Fanfic/KnowledgeIsPower'' the [[Literature/HarryPotter Death Eaters]] apparently have "Death Eater points" earned from torturing people for the Dark Lord's [[ForTheEvulz amusement]]. What form these take is never made clear. |
| 304 | * The video game soundtracks in WebVideo/ReZonanceSoundtrackReviews are literally graded by this method. There's even a High Score Table at the end of a review. |
| 305 | * The web serial Literature/DreamHighSchool has a points system. Everyone has their own points, but they're also combined into a "Story Bar" that has to be filled in order for the next page to be written. Users get points by helping decide what happens next, reporting site glitches, getting friends to sign up, and more. |
| 306 | * Sports are frequently all about scoring points, usually by getting a ball into a designated area. For example, you can score +2 and +3 in basketball depending on whether you shoot the ball from behind a pre-determined line. Other ways of scoring points exist, like getting the ball to bounce off the opponent's court half inside a set of drawn out lines, like in racket sports and volleyball. It's actually easier to count off sports that ''don't'' use scoring based around points than those that do. |
| 307 | [[/folder]] |
| 308 |
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