This is definitely a timed game. There are 21 levels to this game, but it is advised to simply make yourself die if you are going to end up going over a score of 19999 {20,000 or more} because an 'error' message will say the score is not possible {without cheating is what they mean}, according to them, and you will not be awarded the stats nor the KC. 
Some avoid getting more than 1 pet home at a time at least in the earliest levels because you get a lot more points for tiles when a pet goes across it/them {tile} than for the pet simply entering a house. If you have multiple pets running over the same path then it's basically wasted points. Once you get to level 6 you will need to score at least 2 houses on 2 of those turns though to finish a level before you run out of time.Once you get to level 8 get every house you can; the time is pretty short and the game gives you less opportunities for multiple houses at this time. Do try to use the longest path/paths possible, and if you do connect multiple houses try to split the paths as far away from each other as possible. Try to always get the toy for extra points as well {with the toy regardless of other factors you will get more points} as the house being a party house since that one scores double a regular house. Each additional toy in a path substantially adds to the additional score but if you have to choose between more than one toy and a regular house versus a single toy to a party house go with the party house -- a party house with even 1 toy is worth about 3 toys to a regular house. Build paths from the right and left sides making the paths meet in the middle, but watch for connecting the farthest left because that will activate any completed paths whether you are ready or not, inlcuding adding paths that go nowhere to pick up extra point for each unused tile. Paths that have unusable objects {like toys} can be used and are replaced if you at least make an unused path go over the toy tile.
Play Home Before Dark in the Games Arcade on Webkinz.com and help the pets find their way home by rotating tiles to create pathways to their houses. Complete the Home Before Dark Challenge before January 26th (midnight, Eastern Standard Time), to win the trophy! The Home Before Dark Trophy is interactive. Click on it in your pet’s room to watch the sun set and be replaced by the moon!
In the higher levels you will definitely have to make an effort to keep the dead property off the screen, getting them to drop away; level 9 and above tend to block houses and stop a lot of possible paths. Leave either a used or unused path under the dead property to drop it all the way off the screen, which is worth the extra few seconds of planning to clear more possible paths. Remember that the pet will use the shortest possible path, regardless. Once you get to at least level 8 take a last look at the board before you connect the last tile; maybe you can make that path to drop a dead property, do something else about a house connected to a path that you didn't want connected, or connect one more house in an upper level by clicking a tile or so more. Using the 3 and 4 way pieces especially around the houses seem to give the most options of course.If you have extra time, for sure, take that time to link more pieces even if they don't go anywhere because it will still give you some extra points. They do say that you should spend your time on doing a path not a specific block because the more you click the faster the time goes. It overall doesn't matter how quickly you get the webkinz home but how many you get home before the time is up; the top of the screen tells you how many you have left to get to their home before dark at that exact time. There is no extra points or time bonus for getting them all home before dark in the way of having a lot of time left over so the time when definitely available is better used to make more blocks used and so on. {So make long roads, getting points for all connected roads and more points for the roads actually used by the pets and more on top of that for going over toys while remembering that 2 pets taking the same road will not give as many points as 2 pets taking two roads and so on.}- Sep 28, 2007 To the poster who has played a similar game - we also spend alot of time over on Neopets and play games there - they have one called Meepit Juice Break - which is one of my favs - I think Home before Dark is very close to that that. I would certainly join the adult Webkinz Addiction Support Group - let me know when the first meeting is scheduled.
- Oct 05, 2018 dee. Home Before Dark is one of the less irritating games to play. Never got close to 100 points though Just starting to work on the checkers games Not really one of my favorites too time consuming although was able to beat the Hosts all three games Not sure yet how many accounts I will do.
There is no trophy for this game.