This is the worst-case scenario in the Challenge system, and it's entirely preventable. If a creator doesn't pick a winner within the judging window, the entire Challenge just... fizzles out. No winner, no rewards, no glory. Just wasted Orbs and disappointed friends.
How It Works
There are two ways a Challenge can end without a winner:
1. The creator doesn't judge in time. After the Gallery reveal, the creator has exactly 24 hours to crown a winner. If that window closes without a decision:
- The Challenge expires with no official winner
- The reward pool is voided — nobody gets the Stars or Orbs
- The creator loses their 5 Orbs creation cost permanently
- Participants get nothing despite putting in the effort to submit
- No Aura bonuses are distributed to anyone
2. The participation threshold isn't met. Rewards only go out if at least 2 friends submitted proof. Below that the Challenge fails automatically — no winner, no rewards. Note it's an absolute floor, not a percentage: 3 submissions out of 20 invites is fine.
Either way, it's a bad outcome for literally everyone involved. The creator wasted 5 Orbs. The participants wasted their time and creativity. And the group misses out on what should have been a fun social moment.
Why It Happens
Most expired Challenges aren't intentional. They happen because:
- The creator forgot the judging window was active
- The creator got busy and didn't check the app for a day
- The creator couldn't decide between submissions and kept putting it off
- The creator didn't realize there was a time limit
None of these are good reasons. But they're all avoidable with a little awareness.
The Stakes Are Real
Let's do the math on what gets lost when a Challenge expires:
- 5 Orbs from the creator (gone forever)
- 15-30 Stars the winner would have received (voided)
- 2 Orbs the winner would have earned (voided)
- 10 Aura the winner would have earned (voided)
- 5 Aura the creator would have earned (voided)
- 3 Aura each participant would have earned (voided)
- The social moment of crowning a winner (gone)
That's a significant amount of value evaporating because someone didn't tap a button in time.
Pro Tips
- Set an alarm or reminder when your Challenge deadline is approaching. Know exactly when your 24-hour judging window starts.
- Make a quick decision if you're stuck between two submissions. An imperfect choice is infinitely better than no choice at all.
- Check the People's Choice vote if you genuinely can't decide. Let the group's consensus break the tie.
- If you know you'll be busy or offline for a full day, maybe don't create a Challenge right before. Time your Challenges so the judging window falls when you'll actually be around.
Good to Know
Buddzy doesn't send unlimited reminders about your judging window. The responsibility falls on you as the creator. When you spend those 5 Orbs to publish a Challenge, you're committing to seeing it through — that includes showing up to crown a winner. Your friends trusted you with their creative effort. Don't leave them hanging.