How to play OnlyGamez

Every day there's one mystery video game. Everyone gets the same game, and a new one starts at midnight UK time. Your job is to name it in six guesses or fewer.

The basics

1. Read the first clue. You always start with the year the game was first released.
2. Make a guess. Start typing a title in the search box and pick a game from the list. There are over 2,600 games to choose from.
3. Unlock clues. Each wrong guess reveals the next clue, in this order: platforms, genre, developer, publisher, and finally a big hint (the series, or the first letter of the title).
4. Use the colour hints. Every guess is compared with the answer.

What the colours mean

• Green: an exact match (same year, same platforms, same genre, same developer or publisher).
• Yellow: a partial match. Some platforms or genres are shared, or the year is within three years.
• Grey: no match.
• ↑ / ↓ next to the year: the answer came out later ↑ or earlier ↓ than your guess.

Example

Say the first clue is Released: 2004. You guess Halo 3 (2007). The year box turns yellow with a ↓, so the answer is a little older. Platforms show "1/1 shared" in yellow, so the answer was on Xbox 360 and on other systems too. Now the platform clue unlocks and you can narrow it down.

FAQ

When does the puzzle change?

At midnight UK time (GMT in winter, BST in summer). The end screen shows a countdown.

Do I need an account?

No. Your progress and stats are saved in your browser. If you want to appear on the leaderboard by name, you can pick a nickname. There's no email or password.

How does the leaderboard work?

When you finish today's puzzle, your result is recorded automatically. Today's board ranks players by fewest guesses, then fastest time from opening the puzzle to solving it. There are also boards for current streaks and all-time wins. One result per player per day.

Can I play yesterday's game?

Not yet, but you can see every past answer in the archive.

Where does the game data come from?

From Wikidata, a free knowledge base. Occasionally a clue may look a little odd, because real games are often released on many platforms and in several genres.

Why doesn't a game I know show up?

The search list covers about 2,600 well-known games. The daily answer is always one of the 400 best-known.

Is it free?

Yes. OnlyGamez may show a small number of ads to cover costs.