Four seasons, twelve monthly Vibes
Loop follows a shared creative calendar: Spring (March–May), Summer (June–August), Autumn (September–November) and Winter (December–February). Each three-month season contains three named monthly Vibes. These creative themes welcome every Loop category, wherever you live. All boundaries are 00:00 UTC on the first day of the month. Winter spans two years.
Each Vibe has its own monthly standings and a three-day review window. Monthly podium members earn Vibe Laureate recognition. Seasonal standings use each member’s best two monthly totals separately on the Creators and Contributors boards, treating a missing month as zero. Seasonal podium members earn Season Laureate recognition after all three Vibes settle. Routine checks, confirmation, achievement awards and the season archive run automatically. Open score appeals or unfinished Showcase results pause confirmation for administrator review. The next season can start while the previous one is under review.
Read the season's published rules
Each official season publishes its registration window, start/end times, timezone, seats, admission method and a frozen policy manifest. That season's published rules control its eligibility and scoring. Existing published seasons are not silently rewritten when general guidance changes. Some seasons or recognition surfaces may not be open yet.
Entry and selection
For the new calendar, join a season before or during its active window. One enrollment includes its remaining Vibes. Points begin at the later of your enrollment time and the relevant Vibe’s start; earlier activity is not backdated. Enrollment ends at the season’s exclusive end boundary. Earlier-format published competitions keep their original advance-registration rules. Seat-limited seasons disclose their admission method. A random draw uses recorded randomness and a reproducible result; this should not be mistaken for an externally witnessed or independently precommitted lottery. Membership purchases do not improve selection chances.
Showcases and eligible work
The new calendar gives confirmed members two Showcase nominations per monthly Vibe, independent of paid creation quotas, with no rollover. Choose the current Vibe to nominate. Each Loop can be nominated only once across Vibes; completed work cannot be reused for another month. A Loop must be nominated before the relevant contributions and before it closes, satisfy the season's time window, and use an eligible format. Current eligible showcase formats are text, short answer and choice. Private or hidden sources retain their visibility protections; a nomination is not permission to expose them.
Points and fairness
The standard published model awards 15 Originator points for each eligible completed nominated showcase, up to two per Vibe. Eligible non-creator contributors earn 10 Catalyst points per distinct completed Showcase, up to four scored Showcases per UTC calendar week within each Vibe. A week crossing a Vibe boundary has a separate allowance in each Vibe. Monthly totals feed the best-two-month seasonal calculation. One member counts once per showcase. No points come from views, likes, followers, purchases or a higher membership tier. Ties share a rank. Always check the particular season manifest in case a future season explicitly uses revised rules.
Celebrate confirmed results
Monthly Vibes and full seasons have separate Creators and Contributors boards. Top 10 includes everyone tied at tenth place. Confirmed podium places are celebrated in Community Spotlight for 72 hours from publication, after review; shared places receive equal recognition. Pause or dismiss the strip, or turn off your own spotlight appearances in Privacy settings. Your published standings remain available in the Hall of Impact.
Top 10 finishes remain in your recognition history. Members with a positive qualifying final score can download their own square, portrait and story PNG cards from the saved results page. Cards use server-confirmed scores and current visible names. Downloading does not publish to another service. A single appreciation notification is sent per competition, subject to System notification preferences; no celebration email or push message is sent.
Completion and finalization
A showcase must meet its own locked completion requirement and save a shared result. An ordinary closed or unfulfilled Loop does not qualify merely because its timer ended. Scores remain provisional through settlement and review. Finalized archives preserve their published snapshot; a later correction is recorded rather than secretly rewriting history.
Integrity, reviews and appeals
Bots, alternate identities, bought responses, vote rings, manipulated nominations and evasion can make work ineligible. Reports alone do not establish misconduct. Disputed scores can be appealed through the season interface where available; include the relevant Loop and an explanation. Corrections are recorded as compensating ledger events. Recognition may be adjusted after a substantiated integrity review under the applicable policy.
What recognition means
Achievements celebrate the platform's stated participation criteria. They do not verify identity, expertise or the accuracy of content and do not guarantee work, money or audience reach. Cash prizes are not enabled in the current season model. Paid membership recognition remains separate from earned achievements.