How a duel works

A duel is ten rounds of the same questions the daily game asks — countries by area, countries by population, silhouettes, a river and a mountain — except that both players get exactly the same ten, at the same moment, and speed counts. A right answer is worth 100 points and up to 100 more for how quickly it comes; the bonus runs out after twelve seconds.

Rounds run in step. The server opens a round, closes it fifteen seconds later, and then both of you see the same thing at once: the right answer, who got it, how long each of you took, who was quicker, and the running score. Nothing about the result depends on trusting a browser.

A duel is played live, so both players are there at the same time. Take a quick match against whoever is waiting — paired by rating, the band widening the longer they have waited — or send a link that starts the duel the moment it is opened. Winning moves your duel rating, which is what the duel ladder ranks; tiers from Bronze to Diamond follow it, and every month is a season with a ladder of its own.

Not both online? A challenge is the same ten rounds played apart: you answer now, the other player has a day. Challenge a rival from the lobby, ask for a rematch after any duel, or send a link the first stranger may take up. Each side is timed by its own browser, so a challenge moves the rating by half as much as a live duel.