Announcing… Grim’s Trick or Treat!

It’s October again. We know this month well at Eyewire. Each day that brings us closer to Halloween is a day that heightens the power of our benevolent overlord the Grim Reaper, destroyer of nasty mergers with his mighty scythe. Often, Grim brings us special adventures and bonuses in the second half of this month. What might he have in store this year? As usual, he has given HQ a message to publish:

Dearest minions,

Recently my shadowy self was reminded that Halloween is not observed worldwide, and even less people have had the joy of what young humans name “trick or treating.” If ye be unaware of this activity, these young humans adopt disguises of haunted or whimsical beings and travel from dwelling to dwelling in the world of the living. At each abode they ask for a treat, otherwise they may play a trick. I gather few souls enjoy the tricks, so they gladly appease by bestowing the treats, mostly as “candy.”

If ye have already enjoyed this annual rite, or if ye be curious and hopeful to partake, this year my personage has conscripted the HQ underlings to welcome ye to their doors. I bid ye join us in this revelry, and much candy shall be given.

Eternally,
Grim

You heard it from the source, folks: everyone at HQ is breaking out the streamers, cobwebs, spooky lights, and creepy sound effects. Come by our digital homes in your favorite costume, and see what each of us can give you.

This is a very special trick or treating session that lasts a full week! Starting October 18th, you’ll find piles of goodies for your jack o’lantern… with some sneaky mischief too.

*All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).*

Accurate Apple Hours

First session runs from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Friday 10/18
Second session runs from 10:00 PM to midnight on Friday 10/18

Get ready to bob for apples! At Celia’s house, the candy comes at the price of accurate apple-grabbing. How many apples can you snag without getting your face too wet?

Swag: Most accurate player completing at least 20 cubes wins 1 t-shirt and their choice of a sticker or magnet! Second and third place may each also choose between sticker or magnet. (And thanks to @susi for sponsoring this year’s swag again!)

Bonuses:
1st Place Accuracy – 10,000 points
2nd Place Accuracy – 8,000 points
3rd Place Accuracy – 6,000 points
Achieve 95% Accuracy – 5,000 points
Achieve 90% Accuracy – 3,000 points
Achieve 80% Accuracy – 2,000 points
1,000 points for anyone under 80% who still plays at least 20 cubes in either slot.
(These bonus thresholds are non-cumulative, i.e. they will not combine. If you earn 3rd place, for instance, and presumably got over 95% accuracy, you still earn a 6,000 point bonus, not 11,000.)

Pumpkin Patch Hunt

Begins at 12:00 AM (midnight) on Saturday 10/19
Ends at 12:00 PM (noon) on Thursday 10/24

At Daniela’s house, the candy is supposed to be legendary, but the pumpkin vine mergers growing in their backyard have gone out of control and threaten to block you from the door. Can you find your way through?

Swag: The top scoring player will win 1 mug and their choice of a sticker or magnet! Second and third place may each also choose between sticker or magnet.

Bonuses:
Each merger found – 1,000 points
7,500 additional points if all 12 are found
200 point bonus available on each merger to the player whose guess is closest
250 point bonus available to any player who guesses within 10 voxels of a merger

Trick or Treat Trivia

Begins at 11:00 AM on Sunday 10/20
Continues until 11:00 AM on Tuesday 10/22
Finishes with Power Hour from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Tuesday 10/22

This next house, Amy’s, is a little less physically demanding, but the candy’s not free; for each piece you take, you must answer a question about science, Halloween, or Eyewire!

Swag: The top scoring player will win 1 mug and their choice of a sticker or magnet! Second and third place may each also choose between sticker or magnet.

Bonuses:
For every question —
1st to answer – 300 points
2nd to answer – 200 points
3rd to answer – 100 points

Team M vs. Team Devon

Begins at 11:00 AM on Tuesday 10/22
Ends at 11:00 AM on Wednesday 10/23

Noted Halloween enthusiasts M and Devon tend to go all out with their seasonal lawn decorations, starring their cute cats. In fact, it’s become kind of a rivalry. Pick your favorite display (or cat) and go head to head for a shower of candy! Winner doesn’t take all, but they certainly take the most.

Swag: The top scoring player on the winning team wins 1 mug! Also, among the top 50% of players on the winning team, 1 player will be raffled 1 t-shirt, and 3 more players will be raffled the choice of sticker or magnet.

Bonuses:
Earn 2,000 points – 1,000 bonus
Earn 10,000 points – 5,000 bonus
Earn 20,000 points – 10,000 bonus
Every additional 20,000 points – 10,000 bonus
Winning team – 10,000 bonus
Team winner – 5,000 bonus
#1 overall score – 10,000 bonus
#2 overall score – 5,000 bonus
#3 overall score – 2,500 bonus

Ghost in the Machine Marathon

Begins at 8:00 AM on Wednesday 10/23
Ends at 8:00 AM on Thursday 10/24

Our lead developer Chris has a convenient home among the Eyewire servers, but the whole property has now become haunted by the proverbial ghosts in the machine. There might be candy here, but first we need to rescue him from those ghosts in 24 hours!

Swag: The top player (defined by number of points earned during the marathon time period) will win 1 t-shirt! Also, among the top 25% of players, 1 player will be raffled 1 mug, 1 player will be raffled 1 poster, and 3 more players will be raffled the choice of sticker or magnet.

Bonuses:
One live cell will be designated the “marathon cell,” with a 3x points multiplier!
Cube count bonuses: 3500 points per cube traced.
SC bonuses are doubled on all cells.
Every 3 SCs counts for 1 cube toward naming eligibility & per-cell completion bonus.
50 cubes = 5,000 points per completed cell, plus rights to vote on a new name for the marathon cell
200 cubes = 10,000 points per completed cell, plus rights to nominate a new name for the marathon cell

Grim’s Trick or Treat Closing Ceremony

Begins at 4:00 PM on Friday 10/25

Come celebrate the end of this competition, where admins will recognize everyone’s achievements. As always, we will include a round of promotions for Scouts, Scythes, Mystics, Moderators, and Mentors. If you’d like a promotion, you can request them here.

Artwork by Daniela Gamba