Levels, XP, and gems
Playing Popple earns XP, XP raises your level, and levels pay out gems you can spend in the shop. This page lists the exact thresholds and formulas.
Level thresholds
The curve is tuned so a regular player reaches level 10 after roughly fifty games. Levels 5, 10, 15, and 20 are milestones with larger gem payouts; reaching the level cap of 20 pays 30 gems on its own and 150 gems in total along the way.
| Level | Total XP required | Gem reward |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 0 | — |
| Level 2 | 100 | 5 gems |
| Level 3 | 250 | 5 gems |
| Level 4 | 450 | 5 gems |
| Level 5 | 750 | 10 gems |
| Level 6 | 1,150 | 5 gems |
| Level 7 | 1,650 | 5 gems |
| Level 8 | 2,300 | 5 gems |
| Level 9 | 3,100 | 5 gems |
| Level 10 | 4,100 | 15 gems |
| Level 11 | 5,300 | 5 gems |
| Level 12 | 6,700 | 5 gems |
| Level 13 | 8,300 | 5 gems |
| Level 14 | 10,100 | 5 gems |
| Level 15 | 12,100 | 20 gems |
| Level 16 | 14,300 | 5 gems |
| Level 17 | 16,700 | 5 gems |
| Level 18 | 19,300 | 5 gems |
| Level 19 | 22,100 | 5 gems |
| Level 20 | 25,100 | 30 gems |
How XP is calculated
For a daily challenge, XP is: (8 XP per word found + 3 XP per 100 points of score) × grid multiplier × streak multiplier.
Grid multipliers reward the harder boards: 4×4 pays ×1.0, 5×5 pays ×1.2, and 6×6 pays ×1.4.
The streak multiplier is 1.0 plus 0.05 for each day of your current daily streak, capped at ×1.5. A ten-day streak means every daily challenge pays half again as much XP.
Multiplayer games award XP too, based on your result and score in the match.
Ways to earn gems
Recurring sources are capped at 15 gems per day. One-time sources (levels, achievements, streak milestones) sit outside that cap and add up to roughly 650 gems for a completionist.
Gems buy avatar frames (50 for uncommon up to 500 for legendary) and streak freezes at 25 gems each. A streak freeze protects your daily streak for one missed day, and you can bank up to three.
| Source | Gems |
|---|---|
| Completing the daily challenge | 1 per day |
| First multiplayer win of the day | 2 |
| Each multiplayer win | 1 (up to 10 per day) |
| Winning a match with 3+ players | +1 bonus |
| Level-ups (levels 2 through 20) | 150 total |
| Achievements | 2 to 50 each by rarity, 281 total |
| Streak milestones (3 to 365 days) | 3 to 100 each, 220 total |
Frequently asked questions
What happens after level 20?
Level 20 is the current cap. Your XP total keeps counting up, and the high-level leaderboard still ranks players above the cap by total XP.
Do I lose XP or levels for losing games?
No. XP only goes up. Losing a multiplayer match simply earns less than winning it.