Placing in a Reveal pays out in two currencies, and they behave completely differently. Worth understanding before you assume a win makes you richer.
The podium
| Rank | Stars from the host | Orbs |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | 2 |
| 2nd | 3 | — |
| 3rd | 2 | — |
Only first place earns Orbs. Second and third get Stars only.
Where the Stars come from
This is the part that surprises people. The Stars are not created out of nowhere — they come from the host, through your friendship with them.
That means winning:
- Raises your received Star count
- Strengthens your bond with the person whose photo it was — their planet and yours move closer
And it does not:
- Top up your giveable balance
- Give you Stars to spend on other friends
It is exactly as if your friend had opened the app and handed you 5 Stars directly. Because in effect, they did.
Why it works that way
If winning games filled your wallet, the biggest givers in Buddzy would be the best players rather than the most generous friends. Stars measure friendship, so they only ever move between friends.
The only thing a game hands you to spend is Orbs — and that is capped at 2, for first place.
You have to claim it
Nothing lands automatically. The moment a Reveal resolves, your win is recorded, and the next time you open the app you get an unmissable "You Won!" celebration. Tap it and the reward is yours.
You can claim whenever — there is no expiry and no rush. It just will not arrive silently in the background. That is a rule across the whole app: rewards are moments, not background transactions.
Aura, which is automatic
Aura works differently — it is granted straight away, no claiming:
| What you did | Aura |
|---|---|
| Created a Reveal | 5 |
| Guessed one, right or wrong | 3 |
| Placed in the top 3 | 10 |
| Your Reveal resolved with winners | 5 |
Note the second row. You get Aura for guessing even when you are wrong. Showing up for a friend's game counts.
And note the last one: the host's second award only lands if the Reveal actually resolves with someone on the podium. Posting is not enough — friends have to have played it.
These are the same numbers Challenges and Lore Quizzes pay for the same kind of effort. No game is worth more than another.
Achievements
Three ladders track your Reveal history, six tiers each:
- Shutterbug — Reveals you have posted
- Detective — Reveals you have guessed, right or wrong
- Oracle — top-three finishes
Detective is the long one, and it is the one everybody can climb. You do not have to be good at Reveal to be good at showing up for your friends' Reveals.