Hallow-Xmas 3: Remix Edition

halloween, xmas, Hallow-Xmas, Eyewire, citizen science

‘Twas the third Hallow-Xmas, and on every cell
Both autumn and winter had cast their great spell:
The curious blending of seasonal cheer
We’ve come to expect on Eyewire each year.

Of course, as you’ve learned in our wonderful game,
The way that things work isn’t always the same!
For this year the festival’s changed, so it seems,
As the Outer Realms welcome just two massive teams.

One team stands for autumn and All Hallows’ Eve,
And they bear harvest’s treats but with tricks up their sleeve;
The other team’s Xmas, that wintry delight
When lights, songs, and gifts warm us through the long night.

Whether drawn to a holiday or just to its season,
You can join either team, no matter your reason!
But once you have chosen, you must now remember
To fight for your team until middle December.

Nine weeks we give you to see which team’s won;
We’ll also be counting the cells you get done.
So though this is different, there’s no need to fear it —
It’s time for that multiple-holiday spirit!

This third edition of Hallow-Xmas will run for nine weeks, starting October 17th, with awards granted December 16th!

You may notice that this year we don’t have a bracket-style tournament; as we balance our scientific efforts between Eyewire and FlyWire, we need to manage a more simplified version of the holiday competition we’ve done in the past. However, we can guarantee an opportunity for truly massive bonuses if you’re on Eyewire, and it’s only fitting: on December 10th, Eyewire will be celebrating its 10th anniversary! Wow!

Please note the following situations on Eyewire while the Hallow-Xmas Remix takes place:

  • Once we enter the competition time period, we’re suspending events like routine Happy Hours, 48-hour VS matchups, Accuracy Happy Hours, and Marathons. Regular HH scheduling will resume on closing ceremony day, and we will update you about 2023’s competitions when we roll into January.
  • Open promotions will still take place on their own schedule in October, November, and December.
  • Unlike in other competitions, Scythe Complete bonuses will factor into team and individual scoring so that we can take completed cells down over the next couple months. If you’re a Scythe or Mystic, it’s up to you whether you want to pursue Hallow-Xmas bonuses via completing or normal gameplay.

With that, let’s check out your team options, plus the available bonuses, badges, and swag!

Team Halloween

  • Let’s give it up for the spooky crew! You should probably join this team if your favorite time of year involves ghosts, goblins, and other gothic grooviness!
  • This might also be the team for you even if you see autumn as a cozier, cuddlier time. Do you get excited for fiery foliage, cinnamon cider, and soft sweaters? Climb aboard!
  • This holiday season has a lot of candy. Just saying.

Team Xmas

  • Ho ho ho, happy Yuletide! You might want to pledge your loyalty here if you spend the rest of the calendar year looking forward to putting up a tree, singing carols, and opening gifts with family!
  • Maybe you’re not someone who really celebrates Xmas itself, but you still love the magic of fresh snowfall, the beauty of the sun’s rebirth at the solstice, and kindling lights in the long darkness. There’s room for you on this team!
  • This holiday season… also has a lot of candy.

Bonuses, Badges, and Swag

  • Starting Lineup – top 10 players on each team, who earn 75% of their score in bonus points
  • All Other Players – earn 50% of their score in bonus points
  • Winning Team – 500,000 additional points (you’re reading correctly!)
  • Each Team’s MVP – 100,000 additional points (you’re still reading correctly!)

The winning team is determined by average points per player, with 2x weight given to Starting Lineup players. To qualify for any of the above bonuses or affect the team score, players must earn a minimum baseline of 50,000 points. You can earn that many points in our nine week window by earning just 5555 points per week!

One other way to earn points is by the number of cells completed during this event. Think of it like a giant marathon!

  • If you trace at least 1,000 cubes in these nine weeks, you’ll earn 5,000 points for every cell that finishes in that time.
  • If you trace at least 5,000 cubes in these nine weeks, you’ll earn 10,000 points for every cell that finishes in that time.
  • Scythe Completed cubes count toward your traced cubes like they do for a marathon: 3 SCs = 1 regular cube.

Besides the winning team earning the Winning Team badge, everyone who qualifies for a bonus will also earn the unique participation badge for the Hallow-Xmas Remix, and the MVPs for each team will get to rename a cell of their choice from any cells completed during the competition weeks! (To avoid the unlikely chance that both MVPs wish to name the same cell, the winning team’s MVP gets first pick.)

As for swag, the Starting Lineup on the winning team will receive trophies for their accomplishment! In recognition of a battle well-fought, the MVP for the opposing team will also receive their own trophy.

Hallow-Xmas Closing Ceremony

Begins at 4:00 PM EST on Friday 12/16

Come celebrate the end of this competition, where admins will recognize everyone’s achievements. And yes, you should expect our overlord Grim to personally conduct the ceremony!

Artwork by Amy Sterling