Noillirk scoring, from Grounded to Sky High

The six Noillirk score tiers

These points are game values, not respondent counts or percentages. The nine main answers have a fixed order. Additional accepted answers sit in one of the three lower tiers; an unlisted answer may be refused.

Why two good answers can score differently

Consider this edition's prompt asking for a fruit people put in a lunchbox. Apple is first and scores 100. Banana, Orange and Grapes occupy places two through four, so all three score 64. Strawberries, Pear, Peach, Blueberries and Watermelon take places five through nine and each score 32.

The useful distinction is between a valid answer and the top-ranked answer. Choosing a fruit that fits gets you onto its listed tier; finding the board's first choice produces the largest lift. Going from fourth to second still gives 64 points, while going from second to first adds another 36.

Two worked seven-round scores

Add the seven round values to find a Daily or Classic total. The examples below show tier combinations, rather than results from a claimed player or survey.

Example A has one Sky High answer and scores across five tiers. Example B finds three top answers and keeps its remaining rounds in Jet Stream or Cloud Nine. Its total is 176 points higher. Neither example requires answering faster: position on each board decides the score.

A perfect climb is 700 points

Daily and Classic contain seven rounds. Seven Sky High answers give 7 × 100 = 700 points, the maximum for those modes. The game displays a 14 km perfect climb.

Do not read the tier points as a universal metres-per-point formula. The scenery and altitude readout follow the game's climb map. Points are the clear way to compare two answers; the height shows where your accumulated climb has taken the character.

Refusals, misses and Endless balloons

A refused guess scores nothing and leaves time for another attempt. It does not remove points earned on earlier prompts. If no answer is accepted before the deadline, or you pass, that round finishes at zero.

Endless adds a survival rule. A miss takes one balloon, but any accepted answer keeps your current supply. Sky High restores a missing balloon up to a maximum of three. A four-point Grounded answer can therefore preserve the run even though it gives much less lift than a top answer.

For a first attempt, focus on submitting a fitting answer. Once you know the boards, work toward more Sky High rounds. The play guide covers choosing modes and retrying a refused guess.