Two multipliers, one formula

Every score on this site comes from the same expression, and there are two independent multipliers in it.

The formula

points = base value x game scale x combo tier x power-up multiplier x situational bonus

A gummy (base 2) at combo tier 3 with a Sweet Multiplier active, on a game with a base scale of 10: 2 x 10 x 3 x 2 = 120 points.

The combo tier is earned through play and changes gradually. The power-up multiplier is collected and lasts a few seconds. They multiply each other rather than adding, which is where almost all the interesting decisions come from.

Why multiplicative matters

Two effects that each double your score do not produce a 100 percent increase between them. They produce 300 percent. This is arithmetically obvious and behaviourally easy to forget in the middle of a run.

SituationCalculationResult
Tier 1, no power-up1 x 11x
Tier 4, no power-up4 x 14x
Tier 1, multiplier active1 x 22x
Tier 4, multiplier active4 x 28x

The bottom row is eight times the top row. Nothing about your movement or reactions changed between them - only which state you were in when you collected.

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The timing rule

Because the two multipliers compound, a power-up multiplier is worth exactly as much as whatever it is multiplying. That gives one clear rule: never spend it at a low tier.

In practice this means letting a multiplier sit unused while you build your combo, and sometimes letting it expire. An unused multiplier costs you nothing you had. One spent on three cheap pickups at tier one costs you the best scoring opportunity of the run.

The ideal sequence, where the game allows it: magnet first to widen your reach, then the multiplier, then a dense cluster, at the highest tier you can hold. In Candy Rush this is explicitly the highest-scoring sequence available.

Flat versus multiplied bonuses

Situational bonuses come in two forms and knowing which is which changes when to chase them.

  • Flat bonuses are the same at any tier. A near-miss bonus of 15 in Gummy Run is 15 points whatever your combo.
  • Multiplied bonuses scale with your tier. A perfect line in Lollipop Dash awards 100 times your current tier.

So flat bonuses are relatively more valuable early, and multiplied bonuses should be saved for later. In Lollipop Dash specifically: build your tier on easy lines, then push for perfect lines once you are at tier four or five, because the same achievement is worth five times as much.

Every game page states which of its bonuses are flat and which are multiplied, under the Scoring heading.

Multiplier collectibles

A few games include collectibles that raise the score multiplier directly rather than adding points. These are worth a detour in a way ordinary candy is not, because their value is not their own points - it is the increase applied to everything you collect afterwards.

The rule of thumb is that a multiplier pickup is worth roughly what you expect to collect during its duration. Early in a sparse section, that may be very little. Just before a dense cluster wave, it is the most valuable thing on screen.

Where multipliers do not apply

Not everything is multiplied, and assuming otherwise leads to bad decisions.

  • Distance and depth points are usually flat - one or two per metre regardless of tier.
  • Survival bonuses are flat.
  • Completion bonuses vary: level clears are usually flat, perfect patterns are usually multiplied.
  • Lives remaining at the end of a run are flat.

This matters because in a game where most of your score is flat - Endless Candy Collector, for example, where survival pays 200 per minute - the multiplier is a smaller share of the total than it feels like, and playing safely is worth more than it would be elsewhere.

Common mistakes

  • Using a multiplier as soon as you collect itIts value is whatever it multiplies. At tier one it is worth a quarter of what it would be at tier four.
  • Assuming two doublings make a 100 percent increaseThey make 300 percent. Multiplicative stacking is much stronger than it feels.
  • Chasing multiplied bonuses at low comboA bonus that scales with your tier should be attempted once your tier is high.
  • Forgetting which points are flatIn games where most scoring is distance or survival, the multiplier is a smaller share than it seems.

Practical tips

  • Hold multipliers until your combo tier is high and a cluster is available.
  • Sequence magnet, then multiplier, then the cluster.
  • Check each bonus on the game page: flat bonuses favour early play, multiplied ones favour late.
  • A multiplier pickup is worth roughly what you expect to collect during its duration.
  • In distance-heavy games, remember that most of your score is not being multiplied.

Key takeaways

  • Combo tier and power-up multiplier multiply each other rather than adding.
  • The same multiplier is worth four times as much at tier four as at tier one.
  • Never spend a multiplier at a low tier; letting it expire costs you nothing you had.
  • Flat bonuses favour early play; multiplied bonuses should be saved.
  • Distance, survival and lives are usually flat and unaffected by your combo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do combo tiers and power-up multipliers stack?

Yes, multiplicatively. A doubling power-up at combo tier four gives eight times the base value of a collectible.

When is the best time to use a Sweet Multiplier?

At a high combo tier with a dense group of collectibles available. It is worth four times as much at tier four as at tier one.

Is it ever right to let a multiplier expire?

Yes. An unused multiplier costs you nothing you already had, whereas one spent on a few cheap pickups costs you the run's best scoring window.

Are all bonuses multiplied by my combo?

No. Near-miss bonuses, survival bonuses and distance points are usually flat. Perfect-pattern bonuses are usually multiplied. Each game page says which.

Does my multiplier affect distance points?

Generally not. Distance and depth points are flat, which is why distance-heavy games reward caution more than collection-heavy ones.