🧩 Cryptogram Scoring Guide

This guide explains how scores are calculated in Cryptogram games and how you can maximize your score.

🏆 Score Components

Component	Description	Min	Max
Base Score	Points awarded for completing a puzzle based on its difficulty	Easy: 1000 Medium: 2000 Hard: 3000	Same as Min
Time Bonus	Earned for solving the puzzle quickly. Calculated as: `base_score - time_elapsed` (in seconds)	0	Easy: 1000 Medium: 2000 Hard: 3000
Hint Penalty	-100 points per hint used	0	Depends on # of hints (no fixed max)
Check Penalty	-200 points per check used	0	Depends on # of checks (no fixed max)
Streak Bonus	Extra points for solving puzzles without hints/checks and maintaining a win streak:	0	Up to 1000

The final score is calculated as:

total_score = base_score + time_bonus - hint_penalty - check_penalty + streak_bonus

You are eligible for streak bonus only if:

If you consistently complete puzzles without using any hints or checks, you build a win streak. Higher streaks grant bigger bonus scores:

Streak Count	Bonus Points	Description
5 - 9	+50	You're heating up! Small bonus for consistency.
10 - 24	+100	Double digits! A bigger reward for staying clean.
25 - 49	+250	Quarter-century streak — you’re a pro!
50 - 99	+500	Master level. Few make it this far!
100+	+1000	Legendary Streak! Maximum bonus awarded.

Note: If you use a hint or check, or fail to complete a puzzle, your streak resets to zero.

Let's say you completed a Medium puzzle in 350 seconds, used 1 hint, 0 checks, and had a streak of 10:

Total: 2000 + 1650 - 100 + 0 + 100 = 3650

Tip: Solve puzzles quickly and without using hints/checks to maximize your score!