FAQ

Questions about the five.

The short version of the rules is on How it works. Everything else people ask about is below.

Playing

When do the new five questions go live?: Every day at 00:00 UTC. The home page shows when today's challenge closes and counts down to the next one. New attempts cannot start in the final minute before the switch.
Can I play more than once a day?: No. Everyone gets one official attempt per day, which is what makes the scores comparable. With a free account you can play three practice sessions a day in Training; practice never counts toward the daily leaderboard.
Can I change an answer?: No. An answer counts once it is locked in: when you choose an option, or when you press the Lock in button on questions that have one. You cannot go back to a question once it is answered.
What happens if I leave or lose my connection mid-game?: Each question's 20-second clock is kept by our server and keeps running. Come back to the site and you pick up at the question that is open now; answers you already locked in are kept, and a question whose time ran out counts as unanswered. A slow connection never costs you time you did not use.
Do I need an account?: No, anyone aged 16 or older can play as a guest. A free account keeps your streak and results on any device, puts your name on the leaderboard and lets you add friends. If you play first and create an account within 24 hours, that day's result comes with you.

How is my score calculated?: Each correct answer is worth 2,000 points, so a perfect run is 10,000. Unanswered questions when time runs out count as incorrect.
Does answering faster give more points?: No. Speed only breaks ties: players with the same score are ranked by who finished first. Taking two extra seconds to get a question right is always worth it.
Why does my result say the leaderboard is still forming?: The share of players you beat is only shown once at least 50 people have played that day. Before that, a percentage would swing too much to mean anything. Your rank is shown either way.
When can I see the correct answers?: On your result page, once that day's challenge has closed. Keeping them hidden until then stops answers being shared while others are still playing.
What if a question was wrong?: Use Report this question next to it on your result page. If a question turns out to be wrong, we void it and rescale everyone's score to the remaining questions.
Can I see the questions and answers of past days?: Yes. Once a day is over and every attempt has finished, its five questions, the correct answers and the explanations appear in Past challenges. A question that is coming back in an upcoming challenge stays hidden there until that day is over too.
Can I keep my name off the leaderboard?: Yes. In Settings you can hide yourself from public leaderboards; you then appear as “Private player”.

How do streaks work?: Finish the daily challenge on consecutive UTC days to build a streak. Days are counted in UTC for everyone, so the switch happens at the same moment worldwide. Guests keep their streak on the device they play on; an account keeps it everywhere.
What does a friend see when I share my result?: Your score and time, never your answers. Whoever opens the link can play the same five straight away with your score to beat. Share links expire after 30 days.

Is Same Five free?: Yes. The daily challenge is free and will never require payment. Same Five Pro is an optional subscription for personalised training and unlimited practice.
Why is there a minimum age of 16?: Same Five is designed for people aged 16 and older, and players confirm their age before playing.
What data do you keep, and how do I delete it?: The Privacy Policy lists everything we collect and how long we keep it. You can download your data or delete your account at any time in Settings.
How do I contact you?: See Contact on the About page.