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Outclimbed combines permanent paid points with earned points that decay: buying points creates a lasting ranking floor, while share-link visits and referrals add temporary points. Separate daily rankings reset at midnight UTC, alongside the all-time board. Martin Valchev described the rules in a DEV Community post dated October 6, 2026; they are his account of the product, not independently verified current service terms.
How Outclimbed’s points are calculated
Valchev’s post describes three ways to add points. They differ in cost, how a listing earns them, and whether they expire.
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| Source | Points in the post | Expiration |
|---|---|---|
| Initial purchase | $10 for 10 points | Do not decay |
| Additional purchase | $1 per extra point | Do not decay |
| Share-link visitor | 1 point per visitor arriving through the listing’s personal link | Fades gradually over 30 days |
| Referral | 5 points when the referred person creates a listing | Fades over six months |
These prices and point schedules are figures from Valchev’s October 6, 2026 post, not independently confirmed current rates. The post does not specify a precise decay curve beyond saying visitor points fade gradually over 30 days.
Why paid and earned points expire differently
Valchev’s stated design rationale is that permanent paid points give a listing a stable floor, while expiring activity points make rankings less permanently settled after an early burst of attention. He calls decay “the key decision” and argues that a leaderboard counting only money would be boring. Those are the builder’s judgments, not evidence that this formula improves engagement or makes rankings fairer.
#1 Best Overall
- Quality Components: Excellent Control USB Encoder with high quality 8 way joystick and LED buttons featuring good lighting effects for enhanced gaming experience
- Advanced Functionality: DC 5V Arcade Illuminated Pushbutton with 8 ways joystick using microswitch with gilded contact leg, excellent electronic performance, long life, reliability tested to 1,000,000 cycles
- Mounting Specifications: Joystick requires 24mm mounting hole while large buttons require 30mm mounting holes for proper installation
- Package Details: Compact package dimensions of 175 x 95 x 115mm with each button and joystick individually packaged and includes 1 year warranty for quality assurance
- Wide Compatibility: LED Kit supports Windows Arcade Games, PC Games, DIY Projects, Arcade Raspberry Pi for RetroPie system and MAME applications
The weighting also makes a deliberate trade-off: a share-link visitor is easier to generate than a referral that results in a new listing, and the visitor point fades sooner. Valchev asks whether visits and referrals should be weighted differently; his post offers no experiment establishing an optimal ratio.
How the daily boards differ from the all-time board
Each daily board ranks listings using activity from that UTC calendar day and closes at midnight UTC. Earlier daily boards remain browsable. The all-time board is a separate ranking, so the daily contest offers a shorter window rather than erasing the longer-running standings.
Rank #2
- Compatible with Switch and Windows.
- Supports ultimate software - customize button mapping and create macros
- Dynamic button layout - button mapping changes with mode functionally and visually
- Ultra-moddable arcade stick - Universal mounting plate supports Sanwa arcade sticks
- Three ways to connect: Bluetooth, 2.4g and wired USB-C. The included 2.4g receiver has a special hidden compartment to store it safely.
Valchev’s stated aim was to give a smaller project a chance to win a day even if the all-time board favors earlier or larger entrants. The post explains that intention, but does not report measured results showing how often smaller projects win.
What free listings can do—and when they are removed
The post says a free listing can enter with zero points and build through its share link. It also says free listings are removed after three months unless they buy points or become verified. Verification means placing the Outclimbed badge on the listing owner’s website; Valchev says the badge adds 30 points. These conditions and the badge award are reported product rules from his post and may not reflect current terms.
Rank #3
- Small Form Factor Fight Stick featuring an 8-button layout and 8ft. cable
- Great for both Arcade and Fighting Games
- Compact, lightweight and portable design
- Features Classic 8-Button Layout and HORI’s Original Joystick with V-cut Housing
- Officially Licensed by Sony
What the seven-day build timeline means
The title’s seven days refers to Valchev’s broader timeline to get Outclimbed fully production-ready. He separately estimates that the initial build took about four days. Those are his retrospective estimates, not a benchmark for how long a similar project should take.
He reports using Supabase for the database and authentication, Vercel for hosting, Resend for transactional email, self-hosted Umami for privacy-oriented analytics, and Dodo Payments for payments. He also recounts that an unnamed initial payment provider rejected the product as paid advertising or directory placement, after which he moved to Dodo Payments. That is one builder’s experience; it does not establish the current policies of either provider. Anyone choosing a payment provider should check its current terms for their specific product before building around it.
Rank #4
- 2.4G Wireless on Xbox and Windows PC – Officially licensed and compatible with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows.
- Leverless. Ultimate Precision – Features an all-button arcade layout with quad-movement design for unmatched accuracy and ultra-fast inputs. Execute combos with greater speed and control.
- Ultra Thin and Compact – Nearly the size of an A4 sheet and as thin as 1.6 cm. Fight anytime, anywhere.
- Hot-swappable PCB - Features 16 Kailh Wizard low-profile mechanical switches, allowing you to customize with other switches that fit your needs.
- Programmable and Practical – Two programmable buttons with fast mapping, replaceable lock caps, independent control panel, and built-in 3.5mm audio jack and volume control.
How this model compares with other pay-to-rank rules
“Pay-to-rank” describes a broad category, not one universal points formula. The rules below come from each product’s own description and are not interchangeable.
| Product | How ranking is described | How it differs from Outclimbed |
|---|---|---|
| Outbid | All-time board ranked by cumulative amounts ever paid, with no expiration. | The cited description is payment-only and permanent; Outclimbed also counts visitor and referral activity that decays. |
| TopBidr | Highest current bid ranks first; ties go to the earlier bid, and each bid is final. | This is a current-bid contest with an explicit tie rule, rather than Outclimbed’s mix of permanent purchases and decaying earned points. |
When evaluating any such leaderboard, look at whether payments persist, whether non-payment activity changes rank, how ties are resolved, whether standings reset, and whether free participation is possible.
Best Value
- Zero Delay Arcade USB Encoder For Your Pc Game DIY!
- Use this Encoder you can build your own Arcade Game Machine!
- 2 PCS 100% Zero Delay Pc Encoder!
- Perfect fit for SANWA Joystick & SANWA Push Buttons!
- Support All windows systems & Raspberry Pi Retropie Projects!
What the post does—and does not—establish
Valchev’s October 6, 2026 DEV Community post is the primary account of the rules and his reasons for choosing them. It does not independently verify the service’s current point values, demonstrate that the decay schedule improves participation, or provide performance results such as user counts, revenue, conversion, traffic, or retention. Treat the timeline and product rules as the author’s reported account rather than independently measured findings.
Quick Recap
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