An effect that increases the amount of points earned in a game, by multiplying the normal point reward by some positive factor. For example, a "×2" multiplier means that the player receives double the points they would normally.
Multipliers are usually expressed as integer values (×2, ×3, ×5, etc.), but decimals and percentages are also sometimes used (e.g. "+25% score", which is equivalent to a multiplier of ×1.25). Increasing and maintaining the score multiplier at a high value is vital for players seeking a high score, and most games will make it a skill challenge to do so.
If more than one multiplier is present in a game, it may be possible for them to "stack", giving the player both at the same time; for example, a ×2 multiplier stacked with a ×5 multiplier is effectively a ×10 multiplier.
Multipliers are most commonly known in Pinball games, where they contribute to the phenomenon of Pinball Scoring. They're also widely used in video games, particularly Bullet Hell shooters, which frequently feature intricate scoring systems.
See also Idiosyncratic Combo Levels, Money Multiplier, and Experience Booster.
Examples:
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Board Games
- The double/triple letter/word squares in Scrabble.
- Many variants of Mahjong feature these as part of their scoring system, with certain patterns or tile combinations or win conditions doubling the base score of a winning hand at least one or more times. In Japanese mahjong for example, these are called han, and can crank the final value of a hand up significantly — the base points (fu) of a hand can range anywhere from 20 to 110 but a winning hand must contain at least one pattern or condition (called yaku) worth 1 han, and the final score for payment purposes involves two multipliers, as the amount of fu in the hand is first multiplied by 4 before being doubled as many times as the total number of han the hand is worth.
- Skat: The multiplier for the game value is at least ×2. This multiplier starts at 1, is increased by the number of consecutive highest trump cards appearing in one team (both for or against), and also increased further by playing well, making announcements or choosing not to pick up the skat. This multiplier can only be determined at the end of the game, because the count of top cards is not known, and announcements during the game also affect the multiplier. The high multiplier is required in order to ensure that the game has enough value for the declarer's bid, otherwise it's an overbid and the declarer loses.
Pinball
- Done with almost all Pinball games since the beginning of the genre. Typically tied in to a Spelling Bonus, as hitting or rolling over all of the targets for a word would increase the bonus multiplier.
- Gottlieb's Baffle Ball would double the points earned by a ball if it landed into a saucer of the same color, while shooting a ball into the "Baffle Point" would double the score for the entire game.
- Elvira and the Party Monsters increases the bonus multiplier every time B-A-T is spelled.
- Medieval Madness would start the player with a 5× (or higher) multiplier if he made the Skill Shot. The multiplier could be further increased by rolling over just two lanes; bonus multipliers beyond 30× are not unheard of.
- Sorcerer (1985) not only provides a bonus multiplier, but the player can also raise the playfield multiplier during multiball for even more points.
- Superman (1979) has a variation: doubling the bonus requires getting the rollovers for 1-2-3, but tripling the bonus required one more digit, making 1-2-3-4.
- In Capcom's Breakshot (1996), all non-jackpot scores are multiplied by the number of balls in play.
- The Lord of the Rings (Stern) has the Jackpot multipliers during Two Towers and Return of the King Multiballs, as well as the 2× Scoring gift, and during Gollum Multiball, you can score twice (Smeagol) or half (Gollum) the value.
- The player can also score an 84×(!) Jackpot during Two Towers Multiball, but it is difficult to do.
- Gottlieb's Gladiators (1993) has several notable instances:
- Sinking the ball into the Abyss twice increases the multiplier for the next Pyramid Round, up to 6x.
- Spelling DOUBLE doubles all subsequent scores for the current ball.
- At the end of the game, an extra letter in DOUBLE is awarded, and completing the word doubles the player's score for the entire game.
- F-14 Tomcat allows the player to increase the bonus multiplier up to 8x, whereupon the Extra Ball becomes available.
- In Stern Pinball's Iron Man, spelling IRON MAN enables several temporary multipliers, such as "Fast Scoring" (all targets are worth at least 10,000) and "Double Scoring" (all scores are doubled).
- Cue Ball Wizard doubles all scores after spelling DOUBLE; it can turn "9-Ball" from a lopsided 500 million points to an even more outrageous 1 Billion bonus.
- The Premium Limited Edition of Avatar includes a ceramic Powerball, which is lighter and faster than a regular pinball. All scores are doubled when it is in play.
- In AC/DC (2012), hitting the Hell's Bell three times doubles all scores for 20 seconds. Hitting it three more times in that period triples all scores, including jackpots.
- Used notably in Gottlieb's Victory — spelling FINISH raises the multiplier for many bonuses and targets for the rest of the game. However, the multiplier is timed, and it does not apply toward Checkpoint bonuses for making the game's eight key shots.
- Multipliers are prominently displayed at all times on the DMD on Game of Thrones (Stern). Making combo shots will light certain other shots for up to a 5× bonus. Additionally, the entire playfield can have up to 5× scoring active, resulting in a potential 25× on each shot! Every major shot will display the points awarded, the multiplier applied to said points, and whether the multiplier came from a combo shot, your playfield multiplier, or both.
- A few machines made by Sega, most notably Last Action Hero (Data East), have a "Double Your Bonus" system where, rather than adding your end-of-all bonus to itself, it outright doubles it each time. This means the bonus increases exponentially, rather than linearly like with most pinball games.note
- Stern's Star Wars always has a set of shots lit for a persistent shot multiplier that starts at 2× and can be increased up to 20× - and one of the FORCE awards can double that multiplier, for a maximum of 40×! As the muliplier gets higher, that set of shots narrows from three adjacent shots, to two, and finally one. Using the action button and the flippers, the player can also control the position of the shot multipliers. Taking advantage of this feature is essential for high scores.
- Doctor Who (Williams) features one ramp that, if shot, increases all table scoring by 50% of its original value, up to a maximum of 4×. Selecting and rescuing the Sixth Doctor (of the series' first seven featured) doubles how much of a boost is given.
- The multiball on the original Black Knight (1980) multiplied all scores by the number of balls active on the table.
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2017) has a number of these:
- Spelling R-A-M-P-A-G-E will double all scoring for 30 seconds.
- If you finish a character’s mode, their corresponding shot will be worth 5 times its normal value during Groot Multiball.
- Also during Groot Multiball: managing to lock a ball inside Groot’s mouth will double all scoring for 20 seconds. Doing it again during that period of time will increase it to triple the normal amount.
- During Orb Multiball, shooting the Orb will double the next jackpot’s value for a very short period of time.
- Combos will also double the value of any particular shot.
- Deadpool (Stern): There are a number of ways to increase one's playfield multiplier, such as hitting the "Snikt!" target (for a varying number of seconds), finishing Lil' Deadpool Bounce (for the rest of the ball), or amassing 100 weapons (for the entirety of the game).
- In Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Jersey Jack), there are no less than four "Super X" modes that boost playfield scoring (anywhere from doubling to quintupling it) for a period of time.
- Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast has a playfield multiplier than can be increased up to thrice the normal scoring.
- Stranger Things (Stern) has a 2× multiplier that can be triggered by shooting the "Burn it Back" loop repeatedly, then shooting the left scoop.
- The Munsters (Stern) has a multiplier (activated by shooting the Kitty target) that can go up to 6×.
- In Pirates of the Caribbean (Jersey Jack), two different variants are available for completing the inlanes – "Shot X" multiplies the next flashing shot, while "Super X" lights a target for a period where everything is multiplied (up to 6×).
- Zig-zagged with the Meeseeks in Rick and Morty (Spooky Pinball). Collecting one will cause a specific shot to be worth more (either twice, thrice, or four times its original value). However, waiting too long to shoot it causes the Meeseeks to age, which eventually causes the shot's value to divide by that same amount (up to one-quarter).
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Stern) doubles scoring for a time if the player spells L-A-I-R.
- Aerosmith (Stern):
- A 2× playfield multiplier is either a Mystery award (on the Pro version) or accessed by hitting every target on the upper playfield and making a loop shot (on the higher-tier versions).
- Spelling A-E-R-O-S-M-I-T-H creates a shot multiplier for the next shot the player makes. It lasts until the ball is drained.
- In Avengers: Infinity Quest, placing the Reality Gem on a shot causes it to be worth at least twice its normal value. It can increase to 4× depending on the level of the corresponding Avenger and/or any attained power-ups.
- In Led Zeppelin (Stern), there are four separate multipliers (themed after the four band members' symbols from Led Zeppelin IV) that can be increased in increments of .1× through combos. Once all four of them are activated, the timed "Icarus Multiplier" becomes available, multiplying all scoring by the product of the band members' values.
- The Mandalorian (Stern):
- Lighting the Scope, a Hunter mode, or Boba Fett increases the general score multiplier by one each. Lighting all three at once instead multiplies scoring by five.
- Finishing "This is the Way" increases the multiplier by one for the rest of the game.
- Godzilla (Stern): Acquiring Rodan as an ally doubles all scoring for the next minute.
- Rush (2022):
- Planet modes can have certain shots' point values temporarily doubled if the player acquires the appropriate color record beforehand by shooting those shots. Color-coordinating all six of them instead triples their scoring for the mode's duration.
- Parodied in one of the fake mystery award options, which claims to offer "100× Scoring" (but, like the other joke awards, will never be chosen).
- Mousin' Around!: Lighting and hitting a cheese target will double all scoring for the next 15 seconds.
- Alien (2017): All playfield scoring can be doubled for 20 seconds through a variety of methods: spelling D-R-O-P-S-H-I-P, using the Pulse Rifle, or receiving it as a random Mother Mystery award.
- Toy Story 4 (2022): One of the possible rewards on the Take a Chance Wheel is "Super X," which doubles all scoring. Shooting the Caboom ramp can increase it up to 4 times the norm.
- Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (2023): In addition to functioning as a timer, the Bravery Meter increases point values in accordance with how high it is at the moment.
- James Bond 007 (Stern): Each of the Bond women adds 1x to an overall playfield multiplier that can be activated by pressing the action button. Getting all six automatically increases scoring to 7x (or "007x").
- Venom (2023):
- There are various methods of adding multipliers to how many points everything on the playfield is worth, most reliably repeatedly shooting the center ramp and then hitting the bell tower target.
- Repeatedly shooting a shot will count it as a combo and add a multiplier to its point value.
- Jaws (2024):
- Lighting the Machete lane will cause the next shot to be worth at least double its normal point value, with many ways to increase the multiplier (both temporarily and permanently).
- During "The Shark is Broken," hitting the fin target will multiply all scoring by 4x for 10 seconds.
- Certain shots in King Kong: Myth of Terror Island are lit orange by default — completing each one and then making one more shot will double all scoring for a period of time (which can be increased up to four times by making more orange shots).
- Harry Potter (2025): One reward for successfully making combos is Geminio, a charm which doubles all scoring for the next 30 seconds.
- John Wick (2024):
- During jobs and multiballs, each enemy placed on a lit shot will multiply its point value by 1x (with a maximum of 3 enemies for quadruple score).
- Activating "Lights Out" doubles all scoring for 30 seconds at the cost of turning off most playfield lights.
- Pokémon (2026): Hitting the berry targets in a certain order will double all scoring for 20 seconds.
- Dune (2025): Inverted during Feyd-Rautha's arena fight — the number of Defense Points left directly impacts scoring, with each one lost decreasing points awarded by one-tenth.
- Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye (2026): Hitting the captive ball enough times will double all scoring for a short period afterward. Hitting it repeatedly before it ends will instead triple all scoring.
- Galactic Tank Force: The Quantum Accelerator towers will double all scoring when activated — completing the second while the first one is running will stack their bonuses to quadruple scoring.
- Winchester Mystery House: Building up enough spirit energy multiplies all scoringnote for a set period of time. However, these points are not immediately added to the player's score — they're "stolen" by the house's spirits, and the player must take them back by making a specific shot before a second timer runs out.
Video Games
- Many games in the Bejeweled franchise include multipliers that you can achieve.
- The BIT.TRIP series games give these for sustained combos, which is required to form a top or high score.
- In Bomb Jack, the score multiplier can be increased up to 5 by getting bonus coins.
- Bud Redhead: The Time Chase has coins, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. While the coins' primary purpose is to unlock the level exit, collecting all of them—as well as all the other gems—will net a ×2 multiplier for each after completing the level.
- Devil Blade Reboot: Destroying enemies awards multipliers to their point values the closer you are, with ×1 being the lowest and ×4 being the highest. Berserk mode acts as a Score Multiplier Multiplier, multiplying your multipliers by 5 and thus allowing you to go up to ×20.
- Nearly all Falling Blocks puzzle games have the multipliers. They're all based around doing a rapid succession of matches or making a match that causes other matches to appear. Panel de Pon is the one most reliant on this, as the game moves at a relentless pace and requires such chains both to keep up and to keep the opponent at bay.
- Hitman: Absolution has challenges for each mission, and completing these challenges will give a permanent bonus to the score for subsequent plays. Some of the challenges are incompatible (e.g. Chameleon requires getting all disguises while Suit Only prohibits them) and must be completed on different runs.
- The LEGO Adaptation Games have stud multipliers that stack. Getting all of them gives you a ×3840 multiplier, which typically means getting the reward for collecting enough studs the instant a level starts.
- Guitar Hero has a score multiplier that goes up to 4 if you hit enough notes in a row, but it drops back to 1 if you make any kind of mistake. Activating Star Power temporarily doubles the multiplier, up to 8. This carried over to Rock Band (made by the same developers as the first two Guitar Hero games), with the unique twist that the bassist can get up to a 6x multiplier (12x under Overdrive, that game's Star Power equivalent), and to Fortnite Festival (also by Harmonix), which extends the 6x multiplier to vocals (granted, vocal parts in that game are mapped to button presses instead of singing into a microphone).
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Tony Hawk's Underground and GUN all use some variant upon this (all were designed by Neversoft).
- Grand Theft Auto 2: you often receive a fixed amount of points (which equal money), but it is then multiplied by a number you can increase by completing missions, and picking up some power-ups.
- In Gears of War 3, you can play an "Arcade" version of the campaign where your score in recorded in which enemies you kill. So many points reaches another multiplier level where you get more points for each kill and the multiplier goes down when a player character goes down, if a player is killed the score resets to ×1.
- Some of the activities in Saints Row, such as Mayhem and Insurance Fraud, require you to gain these in order to succeed.
- Fisher-Diver has gems which give a score increase. The multiplier resets when returning to the surface.
- In Lady Bug, eating blue hearts can increase the score multiplier, which goes from 2× to 3× to 5×.
- Giga Wing gives out tokens that increase your score the more you grab.
- Kingdom Hearts Re:coded had an option for increasing the rate of spell experience at the cost of reduced level experience.
- In The Fairyland Story, dropping cakes on other enemies would not only eliminate them all, but produce a copper, silver or gold coin that would multiply the points you got after you collected it. You lose your multiplier if Ptolemy dies.
- In Stampede Run, jumping off bulls' backs in succession will increase the points you earn for each jump.
- The Mystery of Atlantis has a bonus item that doubles your score. It is the only item that you can't lose barring a Game Over.
- Game & Wario: The "Ashley" game gives a score multiplier every time Ashley collects 100 spell power drops onscreen without missing any or taking damage. It begins with ×2 once she hits 100 and increases to the next integer for every 100 afterwards. High multipliers are necessary to earn "Best Buddy" status, especially on later stages.
- In Carrie's Order Up!, you can gain more points by taking multiple orders and bringing them to their respective customers in quick succession, or by stacking up empty plates and placing them in the dishwasher. You can't carry both food and empty plates, however.
- In LittleBigPlanet, collecting five Score Bubbles, Prize Bubbles, or creature brains in any combination in a short timeframe gives you a 2× Multiplier. You then have about a second to collect five more of the above to increase the multiplier by one. The multiplier goes up to 100, with any bubbles collected after that added to the points that will be multiplied. In the games with the Score Giver, items tagged with it can be set to follow those rules or be worth +1 on the multiplier anyway.
- Bug and its sequel Bug Too! use this in conjunction with successive hit streaks. Each Goomba Stomp Bug does on enemies without touching the ground increases the score per hit from 50, 100, 200, 500, and finally capping out at 1000.
- Germination starts you off with a 1.0 multiplier, which increases by .1 for every bounce you chain together without landing.
- Atari's Road Blasters (no relation to the Data East laserdisc game) mentions that "shooting accuracy increases multiplier". Shooting an enemy vehicle increases scoring by a factor of one, up to a maximum of ten times the enemy cars' initial values. It also works in reverse, as each misfire reduces the multiplier by a factor of one, but will never drop enemy bounties below 1× scoring.
- Get Off My Lawn (2014): By shooting enemies, a multiplier for points goes up. It goes down when you shoot inaccurately or get hit.
- Boxhead: The Zombie Wars: The more zombies you kill in a given length of time, the higher your point multiplier becomes.
- Frantic: Your score is multiplied by 1 every time the Tension gauge is filled, but you lose half of it upon being hit.
- Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony: Players may vaunt to create a temporary defensive shield, then have increased attack power until the vaunt meter depletes. An active vaunt gives a ×2 multiplier, stacking with each player to provide a total of ×16. The 4-player vaunt is hard to sustain for a long period, but still works as a score burst in one section, especially when one player is about to have their long-running vaunt expire.
- Muri: Each of the Difficulty Levels increases this by 1. Starting with 1× at Easy.
- This Is Why You're Fat (in 60 Seconds): Shooting more turkeys at once gives a higher multiplier, culminating in more weight gain.
- Fruit Ninja: In the arcade mode, a double score banana (a banana with blue stripes) occasionally appears, and cutting it doubles the score for a short duration or until a bomb is cut.
- In Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, any team can claim a multiplier of up to 100% by repeatedly throwing the ball up the ramps on either side of the field. The opposing team can do the same to nullify their multiplier and then claim their own. The multiplier applies equally to scoring goals and injuries, and also increases Electrobounce power.
- Strike Suit Infinity provides a multiplier when completing enemy waves early, by making a combo kill, or by hitting a capital ship's weak points. The multiplier slowly decays over time.
- Super Mario Bros.:
- In most platform games, your score is multiplied if you Goomba Stomp multiple enemies without touching the ground. You eventually get 1-Ups instead when the streak is high enough.
- Mario Party Advance: The minigame Bill Bounce has the players jump onto Bullet Bills shot from cannons to score points. The more Bills are stomped in succession before landing back into the ground, the more points will be gathered. It's necessary to do this when the minigame is played in Shroom City mode, as the required total score to win is 1000 points.
- The Vectorman games had multiplier items that lasted a limited time and applied not only to points, but extra lives as well, so if you get an extra life while under the effect of a 5× multiplier, you get five extra lives.
- In WET, the score multiplier is automatically ramped up by killing enemies really fast. However, in boss battles, there are also one-time-only score multipliers that can be picked up (usually through acrobatic jumps) and stack with the regular multipliers.
- Zombie Army Trilogy has a score multiplier when each zombie is killed in a combo, being reset on a miss. The sequel, Zombie Army 4 Dead War puts a timer on the combo, but is slightly more permissive on a miss.
Real Life
- Some Lotto and Powerball games have "multipliers." If you pay an extra $1 your hypothetical winnings are increased by a multiple of 2, 3, etc. if that's what they pick for that night.
- In the UK, pub quizzes may feature a "joker" mechanic; a team who plays their joker on a given round will receive double points for that round.