Score, measured in points, is a measure of how much a player has achieved in Polytopia. Score is only considered in the Perfection game mode, where the goal is to amass as high of a score as possible in 30 turns, and the Glory game mode, where the win condition is reaching 10,000 points.
Earning Points
There are various ways in which points can be earned.
Army and Territory
- Units: 5 points per star of a unit's cost, e.g. 10 points per Warrior (since each Warrior costs 2 stars)
- Note: Super Units "cost" 10 stars. This is evident when Disbanding them (doing so returns 5 stars) and by the fact that they are worth 50 points.
- Territory: 20 points per tile in your territory
- Explored tiles: 5 points per explored tile
Cities
- New cities: 100 points (excluding the 180 points from territory)
- Upgrading cities: 50 points per level (including the points from gaining population)
- Population (harvesting resources like fruit and game, building buildings like Lumber Huts and Sawmills, etc.): 5 points per population gained
- The remainder between the points from population and the total of 50 points for upgrading the city is gained when the city upgrades.
- Example: upgrading a city to level 2 requires 2 population (which provides 10 points). At the time of the upgrade, another 40 points are gained for the upgrade itself, for a total of 50 points.
- Parks: 250 points each
Monuments and Temples
- Monuments: 400 points each (excluding the 15 points from population)
- Temples:
- Level 1: 100 points
- Level 2: 150 points
- Level 3: 200 points
- Level 4: 250 points
- Level 5: 400 points
Science
- Technology: 100 points per Tier One (T1) technology, 200 points per T2 technology, 300 points per T3 technology
Points can also be lost when the objects providing the points are lost, as follows:
- Losing a city loses however many points the city is worth.
- When unit dies or is disbanded, its point value is also lost.
- When a building is destroyed, the points it provides (from population or from its status as a moument) are lost.
Difficulty Bonus
In the Perfection game mode, a "difficulty bonus" is applied to your score at the end of the game. The base base difficulty bonus is 100% for Easy opponents, 120% for Normal opponents, 140% for Hard opponents, or 180% for Crazy opponents. An additional 10% bonus is added per opponent.
For example, a game with two Easy opponents would have a 120% difficulty bonus. If your score at the end the end of Turn 30 in such a game was 10,000 points, your final score (after the difficulty bonus is applied) would be 12,000 points. (Note that if you had the same score at the end of Turn 30 in a game with 3 Crazy opponents, the final score would be 21,000 points.)
Point Counting
"Point counting" refers to the deduction of which tribes opponents are playing and what actions they are taking by their score.
Starting Point Values by Tribe
- 415 points: Aquarion, the only tribe with neither any starting technology nor an upgraded capital.
- 515 points: tribes starting with a T1 technology and a Warrior (Xin-Xi, Imperius, Bardur, Kickoo, or Elyrion) OR Luxidoor (which starts with a level 3 city). On Turn 0:
- Imperius, Bardur, and Kickoo almost always level up their capital, increasing their score to 565 points (or more, if they took an Explorer) at the end of their turn.
- Xin-Xi and Luxidoor almost always train another Warrior, increasing their score to 525 points by the end of the turn.
- Elyrion typically trains a Polytaur, which does not increase their score.
- 520 points: Oumaji, the only tribe to start with a T1 tech and a unit worth 3 stars (a Rider).
- 615 points: tribes starting with a T2 technology and a Warrior (Zebasi, Ai-Mo, Yadakk). On Turn 0:
- Zebasi almost always level up their capital, increasing their score to 665 points (or more, if they took an Explorer) at the end of their turn.
- Ai-Mo almost always trains another Warrior, increasing their score to 625 points by the end of the turn.
- Yadakk may use Roads to explore more tiles, increasing their score to 630 or 640 points by the end of the turn.
- 620 points: tribes starting with a T2 technology and a unit worth 3 stars, namely Hoodrick and Quetzali.
- 630 points: Polaris, the only tribe to start with a T2 technology and a unit worth 5 stars (a Mooni).
- 730 points: Vengir, the only tribe to start with a T3 technology and a unit worth 5 stars (a Swordsman).
Actions
If you are not the host, you have to keep in mind that opponents playing before you will have likely taken some action that increased their score:
- Upgrade capital: +50 points
- Train another unit: +10 points (Warrior), +15 points (Rider, Archer, or Defender), +25 (Swordsman or Mooni — highly unlikely)
- Research a T1 tech: +100 points (highly unlikely)