Puzzles & Survival Alliance Showdown Guide (October 2026): Grades, Quests and Rewards

For Puzzles & Survival alliance leaders and members who want to climb Showdown grades. Checked October 2026.

Short answer: Alliance Showdown is a 7-day Puzzles & Survival event where alliance members pick and finish quests from a shared board. You need at least 20 members. Alliances play in groups of 20: the top 5 move up a grade, the bottom 5 move down. Higher grades give more free quests and better reward tiers.

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Alliance Showdown is one of the few events where every member, big or small, adds to the same score. It runs for 7 days, and High Ground Gaming says it comes around about every 3 weeks, so the events next to it change each time.

Below are the rules, the grade table, and how to plan the week.

Who can take part

• Your alliance needs at least 20 members.
• It is registered on its own 10 minutes before the start.
• No one can switch alliances during the event.
• If you leave and rejoin, you can keep going, but your active quest fails.

Source: High Ground Gaming Alliance Showdown guide. AppGamer confirms the 7-day length and quest format.

How the quest board works

Members pick quests from a shared board and finish them for points. Each member has a number of free quest attempts set by the alliance grade. R4 and higher members can delete quests nobody wants, so better ones appear. Any member can delete your personal quest.

Each reward tier needs two things: a total alliance score and a personal score. Tier 1, for example, needs 1,000 alliance points and 50 personal points. So a member who scores nothing gets nothing, even if the alliance does well.

Alliance grades

Alliances compete in groups of 20. At the end, the top 5 move up a grade and the bottom 5 move down. Climbing from Pro to Star adds 3 free attempts per member and 15 more reward tiers.

How to plan the week

1. Fill the roster before it starts. You need 20 members to enter, and every extra active member adds points.
2. Clean the board. Have R4s delete slow quests early each day so fast ones show up.
3. Set a personal minimum. Tell every member the personal score for the tier you are aiming at.
4. Save resources. Many quests line up with normal activity. Keep speed-ups and stamina ready for the week.
5. Check where you sit on day 5. If you are near the top 5 or bottom 5 line, push the last two days.

Why grade matters more than one week

A higher grade gives more attempts and higher tiers every time Showdown comes back. Falling a grade costs you that on the next run too. That is why a strong week matters even when the rewards look small.

More on alliance roles and leader-started events in our alliance leader guide. The other recurring events are in the events guide.

Common Showdown mistakes

• Too few active members. The 20-member rule is a minimum. Inactive members still take a slot and add nothing, so clear them before the event.
• Leaving slow quests on the board. R4s should delete them every day, or members waste attempts.
• Members below the personal line. Alliance points alone do not pay out. Each member needs their own score for each tier.
• Leaving mid-event. Your active quest fails. Members should stay put for the 7 days.
• No push near the line. The top 5 and bottom 5 of each group of 20 move. A small push at the end can keep you in a higher grade.

Getting new members ready

Recruit before the event, not during it. Members cannot switch alliances while Showdown runs. Send new members our beginner guide and codes list so they arrive with full queues and free speed-ups ready to use on quests.

Showdown and the rest of the calendar

Because Showdown runs about every 3 weeks, it lands next to different events each time. Before it starts, check which solo events share its days. If Hero Upgrade or New Development runs in the same week, members can score both with the same resources.

For spenders and alliance leaders

• Speed-ups score twice. If Showdown overlaps with New Development or Ace Commander, the same speed-ups count in both. Check the calendar.
• Spenders carry the alliance score. Have speed-ups and stamina bought before the week starts, so you can grab high-value quests the moment they appear.
• Leaders: track personal scores mid-week and nudge members who are below the tier line. One message on day 4 saves a missed tier.

Running a strong alliance? See what Packsify offers alliance leaders.

Sources: High Ground Gaming Alliance Showdown, High Ground Gaming events, AppGamer events guide.

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Where Packsify fits

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