See every participation point and boost
Check amounts, opening times, one-time limits and why an action may earn fewer points.
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Participation points rank individual players and family teams. They are separate from a home's community rating and the Halloween game level. The site confirms the actual award after an eligible action. All times below are Arlington local time.
Check the full point values#
| Action | Full value | Limit and requirement |
|---|---|---|
| First scored rating of a new decorated home | 10, plus 5 when confirmed in person | Once per physical home, with time and early-voting reductions below. |
| Mark a new home visited | 3, plus 3 with checked location | Once per home, Halloween 5 to 9 PM. New visits require location within 500 feet. |
| Complete a walking ghost round | 8 | Once per named ghost in each area north or south of Harris. |
| Complete a seated ghost round | 2 | Once per named garden ghost, six ghosts. |
| Complete the golden walking ghost round | 8 | Once, with about 800 meters of checked Start Walk distance. |
| Complete a Pumpkin Peek round | 4 | First six eligible rounds: 24 total. |
| Complete a Candy Match round | 4 | First six eligible rounds: 24 total. |
| Find a map discovery | 3 | Once for each of five objects: 15 total. |
| Walk a checked 0.2 mile | 5 | After Start Walk, inside Twin Hills. No total ceiling. |
| Host an approved decorating-contest home | 10 | Once per home, to its linked organizer. |
| Host an approved treat stop | 8 | Once per home, to its linked organizer. |
| Host an approved haunted attraction | 8 | Once per home, to its linked organizer. |
| Host an approved kids activity | 8 | Once per home, to its linked organizer. |
Eligible hosting types can combine, up to 34 points for all four. Extra shows, photos, registrations for the same home, or a change of organizer do not create another hosting award. A home must remain eligible; a removed activity can reverse its award. There is no overall points ceiling across eligible activities.
Know when points count#
| When | What can earn points |
|---|---|
| Before October 31 at 6 AM | Early home ratings: first five at 50%, next five at 25%, later early ratings at 0%. |
| October 30 at 6 AM through October 31 before 9 PM | Eligible ghost rounds and the first six rounds of each quick game earn full points. |
| October 31 from 6 AM to before 9 PM | Every new eligible home rating earns its full time-adjusted amount. |
| October 31 from 5 PM to before 9 PM | New visits, map discoveries and checked walking earn points. |
| Before October 31 at 5 PM | Eligible earned game, hosting and voting points wait as pending; they join the board at 5 PM. |
| October 31 at 9 PM onward | No new participation points. |
Calculate rating points#
Early percentages apply to the whole rating award, including its in-person part. Take time to consider the display: under 4 seconds on the home earns 0 points; 4 to under 10 seconds keeps 75% of the eligible amount; 10 seconds or more keeps the full eligible amount. Fractions round down to a quarter point.
| First rating of a new home | Without in-person confirmation | With in-person confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| One of your first five early homes, full viewing time | 5 | 7.5 |
| One of your next five early homes, full viewing time | 2.5 | 3.75 |
| Halloween from 6 AM, full viewing time | 10 | 15 |
| Halloween from 6 AM, 4 to under 10 seconds | 7.5 | 11.25 |
| Under 4 seconds | 0 | 0 |
Example: a quarter-value early rating made in 4 to under 10 seconds earns 1.75 points without an in-person bonus: 10 x 25% x 75%, rounded down to a quarter point. The score you chose, high or low, does not change the points.
Avoid duplicate-award surprises#
- The first eligible award for a home fixes its amount. Editing, a later phone, another category, later location confirmation or a later visit level does not raise it.
- A rating submitted in under four seconds creates no award. A later eligible, considered submission can still earn the first award.
- Undoing a visit or withdrawing a rating reverses its award. Restoring it restores the same amount.
- Each named ghost round, quick-game point round and discovery pays once. Resetting a collection does not reset awards.
- Game results and point totals can wait for a connection or event-team review. Read the saved result and your My Halloween breakdown.
Recognize actions worth 0 participation points#
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Registering, editing hours, changing candy status, photos, showtimes, markers or passwords | 0 for the action; eligible hosting is awarded separately once. |
| Saving a favorite, saving or sharing My Night, map filters, opening a photo or printing | 0 |
| Wrong puzzle choices, individual card flips and repeat completed point rounds | 0 |
| Extra quick-game rounds, new album friends and Halloween game levels | 0 |
| Hints, changing game mode, joining a team or using recovery controls | 0 |
| Candy shortage reports and a People's Choice runoff ballot | 0 |
| Earning a voting visit level | 0 extra participation points; it increases in-person voting weight. |
Completing the named collection adds no separate points bonus. The golden walking round earns 8 points. Read voting boosts for the separate +0.25 voting-weight rules.