5 Tips for Season Commissioners
So you're the one starting a season in your neighborhood. Congrats — you're about to become the most popular (and most blamed) person on the block. Being a commissioner is easy, but a few smart choices up front make the difference between a season that fizzles and one that your neighbors won't shut up about for months.
1. Pick the Right Win Condition
When you set up a season, you choose how the winner is decided. You have three options:
Most steals — The household that steals the mascot the most times wins. This is the most popular option and the one we recommend for first-time seasons. It encourages constant activity and keeps everyone engaged because every steal counts.
Most hold time — The household that holds the mascot for the longest total time wins. This rewards strategy and defense. If you can hide the mascot well or live on a street that nobody walks down, you have an advantage. It tends to be a slower-paced game.
Last one holding — Whoever has the mascot when the season ends wins. This creates a dramatic finish where the last few hours (or minutes) of the season are chaos. Great for experienced groups who want maximum drama.
If it's your neighborhood's first time playing, go with most steals. It's the easiest to understand and keeps the energy high from day one.
2. Set a Reasonable Cooldown
The cooldown is the amount of time after a steal before the same household can steal the mascot again. This exists for a good reason: without it, two neighbors could just pass the mascot back and forth all day and rack up steals while everyone else is at work.
We've found that 2-4 hours is the sweet spot for most neighborhoods. Long enough that you can't just steal it right back, but short enough that you get multiple chances per day. For a more relaxed game, go with 6-8 hours. For pure chaos, try 30 minutes (not recommended for your first season — trust us).
3. Recruit at Least 5-10 Households
The math is simple: more households equals more fun. With only 2-3 households, the game gets stale fast. With 5-10, there's always someone scheming, and the leaderboard actually gets competitive.
How to recruit: the neighborhood group chat is the obvious first move. But don't underestimate the power of just knocking on doors with the mascot in hand. "Hey, we're playing a neighborhood game — wanna join?" works surprisingly well. You can also print a simple flyer and stick it in mailboxes or on the community board.
Pro tip: target the houses with kids. Parents love anything that gets their kids outside and excited about the neighborhood. Once the kids are hooked, the parents have no choice.
4. Place the Mascot Somewhere Visible but Accessible
The game is no fun if the mascot is locked inside someone's house. The whole point is that it should be steal-able. Front porch, front yard, near the mailbox — somewhere that people can see it and grab it without trespassing or being creepy.
Set this expectation early: the mascot stays outside, in a visible spot. If someone hides it in their backyard behind a locked gate, gently remind them that the game only works if the mascot is accessible. (This is the one commissioner duty you might have to enforce.)
5. Keep the Energy Up
The leaderboard does a lot of the heavy lifting here, but a great commissioner adds fuel to the fire. Post updates in the group chat. Celebrate big steals. Call out households that have been holding too long. A little trash talk goes a long way.
Some ideas that work well:
- Share screenshots of the leaderboard when the standings shift.
- Give shoutouts for creative steals (costumes, disguises, late-night heists).
- Post a mid-season update: who's leading, who's the dark horse, who needs to step it up.
- As the season winds down, build hype around the final stretch.
The social element is honestly what makes this game addictive. The mascot is just an excuse. The real game is the neighborhood rivalry, the group chat banter, and the stories that come out of it.
Good luck, commissioner. Your neighborhood is counting on you. Grab a kit and get started.