How to Play Krillion

Krillion is a daily answer game built around a simple choice: do you take the familiar answer, or reach for something fewer people would think of? Everyone gets the same seven prompts. For each one, you have 25 seconds to enter a single answer. An accepted answer earns points according to its scoring tier, with rare choices generally worth more than popular ones.

You can start at krillion.io. This guide explains the rules first, then gives you a practical way to use the clock. The timing routine and thinking exercises below are editorial tips to try, rather than extra game rules.

1. How the seven prompts are scored

Read the full prompt before choosing

A daily dive contains seven prompts, shared by everyone playing that day. Each prompt asks for one answer that fits a category or condition. Read every part of the wording: a date, place, starting letter, or word such as “current” can narrow the category. Knowing an unusual name helps only when it answers the question actually on screen.

You get one answer per prompt, so treat each choice as a decision. You cannot submit a familiar name as a test and then use a second answer to chase more points on that same prompt. Think through your options before committing. There is no need to type a list; choose one clear answer and give yourself time to enter it carefully.

Rarity changes the value of an answer

The six scoring tiers run from Plankton, worth 10 points, to One in a Krillion, worth 100. Familiar, widely known answers tend to sit lower down the scale. Less obvious accepted answers can land higher. This makes Krillion different from a quiz where every correct response is worth the same amount: choosing which correct answer to give is part of the challenge.

Do not assume that a name is valuable simply because it feels obscure to you. Your interests shape what you remember, and the game assigns the tiers. The Krillion FAQ explains that rarity is assessed using sources and curation appropriate to each prompt. A tier is not a live count of how many people have typed your answer today.

Add up the seven results

Your seven prompt scores make up the dive total. As a purely illustrative example, results worth 30, 60, 10, 85, 30, 60, and 15 points add up to 290. Those numbers describe a possible score pattern, not a set of answers to use. Seven 100-point results would total 700, the maximum across seven prompts at these fixed values.

On your first dive, focus on understanding the questions and making a deliberate choice each time. One low tier does not stop you from doing well on the next prompt. For more examples of the points system, use our Krillion scoring guide after you have learned the basic rhythm.

2. How to manage the 25-second pace

Use a short pause to get past your first idea

Twenty-five seconds feels shorter when you spend it arguing with yourself. Try a simple routine: understand the prompt, look beyond your first thought, choose, then type. You do not have to use every second. The aim is to leave enough room for a useful second idea without turning the final moments into a rush.

Once you understand the category, try pausing for about five to ten seconds before committing to the first answer that comes to mind. Use that pause to find a different branch of the category. If you already spent much of the clock reading a difficult prompt, shorten the pause. It is a thinking aid, not a requirement to wait while your typing time disappears.

Give each part of the clock a job

1. Opening seconds: read the whole prompt and identify the condition your answer must meet.
2. Next five to ten seconds: notice the obvious answer, then look for one or two alternatives you actually know.
3. Middle of the countdown: choose the strongest candidate whose fit you can explain to yourself.
4. Final seconds: finish entering that one answer, check the spelling, and submit before time runs out.

This is a flexible sequence, not a stopwatch script. A long name needs more typing time than a short word. An unfamiliar category may need more reading time. If a good answer comes quickly, there is no bonus in this routine for holding it until the last second. Make the clock serve your choice, rather than letting it force a panicked one.

Set a decision point and move on

Pick a moment when you will stop searching and commit. Around the middle of the countdown can work as a starting point, especially on a phone. After that, avoid replacing a solid answer with a vague memory. A late switch adds two problems at once: you still have to decide whether the new idea fits, and you have less time to type it.

Reset your attention between prompts. A disappointing tier on the previous question does not tell you what to choose next. Read the new wording from the start, find its category, and repeat your routine. Building that habit is more useful than trying to rescue an entire dive with one desperate guess at a name you barely remember.

3. The six scoring tiers explained

Learn these six names and point values once, and the results screen becomes much easier to read. The numbers are fixed across the tiers; the answer assigned to each tier depends on the prompt. Use the table as a quick reference, then read the notes below to understand what each result means for your next choice.

Plankton — 10 points

Plankton is the lowest scoring tier. Think of the familiar answer that comes to mind immediately when someone names a category. It can still be a sensible choice when your knowledge is limited. An easy answer also gives you a reference point: after the dive, ask what other part of that category you could have searched in your memory.

Too Clever — 15 points

Too Clever sits just above Plankton. The game's FAQ describes the idea as the familiar “obscure” choice: an answer people reach for when they are trying to be unusual. The lesson is useful for beginners. Moving one step away from the most famous example does not automatically move you into a high scoring tier.

Schooler — 30 points

Schooler earns 30 points. It is a middle step on the scale and a useful result to recognise while learning. Resist treating it as a failure because larger numbers exist. Look at the answer you chose, compare it with the other tiers afterward, and use that comparison to build a better feel for how this particular category is scored.

Rare — 60 points

Rare is worth 60 points, twice the value of Schooler. That jump shows why thoughtful selection matters. Across a whole dive, seven Rare results would total 420 points. This is another score illustration, not a prediction. Aim to find answers you know well enough to trust instead of assuming every unusual sounding idea belongs here.

Deep Cut — 85 points

Deep Cut earns 85 points. This is where specialist knowledge can be useful: a smaller corner of a subject you follow closely may offer a better candidate than its best known names. Accuracy still matters. Remembering that a person or place exists is only the first step; you also need to know that it meets the prompt's condition.

One in a Krillion — 100 points

One in a Krillion is the top tier at 100 points. The FAQ explains that its gem selection also considers how satisfying an answer is to discover, so it is not simply a contest to name the least known thing imaginable. Enjoy finding one, but do not build your whole strategy around guessing which answer will receive the top label.

4. How to think of rare answers

Search a different part of the category

Your first idea is often the most available one, rather than your only useful one. During that five to ten second pause, change the question you ask yourself. Instead of “Who is the most famous?” try “Who else belongs to this group?” Then choose a narrower route: a team you follow, a region you know, a subject you studied, or a period you have read about.

For a sports prompt, you might search your memory by team or playing role. For a geography prompt, try a region rather than scanning the entire world at once. For a word prompt, consider a topic where you use specific vocabulary. These are ways to organise your recall, not suggested answers or promises of particular tiers. Our geography guide develops the place-based approach.

Choose an uncommon answer you can defend

Look for something less obvious but real. Before you commit, ask two quick questions: “Do I know what this is?” and “Does it satisfy every condition in the prompt?” If either answer is uncertain, consider your next candidate. An impressive sounding guess is a weak choice when you cannot remember whether it belongs to the right category.

Be especially careful with time limits inside the wording. A “current” player and a former player are different categories. A place inside a named country and a nearby place outside it are different answers. Rarity cannot fix a mismatch. Spend a second checking the detail that would make your choice invalid before spending the rest of the clock polishing its spelling.

Keep two candidates, then choose one

A short mental shortlist can help: one answer you trust and one less obvious alternative. Compare their fit, then make a decision. Do not keep adding names until the clock runs out. The purpose of a shortlist is to reduce hesitation. You still enter only one answer for that prompt, so keep the comparison in your head rather than typing several options into the answer box.

Review after playing, and learn one useful thing

Once you have finished, compare your choices with the dated answer page. Notice which familiar names scored lower and which less obvious ones you already knew. Pick one small area to remember for next time. You do not need to memorise thousands of entries; learning how to search your own knowledge is a more manageable habit for a new player.

If you prefer a nudge before seeing answers, start with Krillion hints. For earlier dives, use the answer archive. Ready to compare the current seven prompts and all six tiers? Open the latest dated answers below, then return tomorrow and try the same calm reading, thinking, and typing routine again.