FAQ
About the answers
Who answers my questions?
An AI. It knows the secret word and gives one of five answers to each question. Everyone gets the same answer to the same question about the same word.
I asked "Is it an instrument?" and got "Yes", but I didn't win.
The secret word is more specific than the one you named. If the word is "ukulele", the answer to "Is it an instrument?" is "Yes", but that isn't a correct guess.
A note under the answer tells you so: "instrument" is not the answer.
Try narrowing it down a little more.
What does "Neither" mean?
You get it when the answer is half and half, when it depends on the person or the thing, or when the question doesn't fit the word. Treat it as a clue: it's neither "Yes" nor "No".
Do plants count as living things?
Yes. Trees, flowers, mushrooms and other plants get "Yes" to "Is it a living thing?" Ask "Is it an animal?" or "Is it a plant?" to tell them apart.
How is "Can you touch it?" answered?
Anything with a physical form gets "Yes", even big things like buildings and vehicles, and things you don't normally touch. Things with no form, like sound or light, and things out of reach, like the sun or clouds, get "No".
I think an answer is wrong.
Once in a while an answer doesn't match reality. If you spot one, email support@tabunnhai.com and tell us which puzzle and which question. We'll review it.
How questions are counted
What happens if I send just a word?
It's treated as a guess. Sending just "slide" is the same as asking "Is it a slide?", and it counts as one question.
Does my spelling have to match exactly?
No. Capital letters, spaces and hyphens don't matter, and common alternative names for the word are accepted too.
Are there questions that don't count?
Questions about the spelling or the number of letters, and questions that can't be answered with yes or no (such as "What color is it?"), aren't answered. They don't count toward your questions.
What if I ask about the game itself?
Questions like "Is this my last question?" or "Are you an AI?" get an answer too. Each of these counts as one question.
What happens when I've used all 20 questions?
That puzzle is over and the secret word is shown. You can also choose "Give up and see the answer" at any point before that.
Puzzles and records
When does the puzzle change?
Every day at midnight Japan time (15:00 UTC). The word is the same for everyone.
The one exception: on the few days when the word doesn't travel well outside Japan, players using the site in languages other than Japanese get a different word.
Can I play without logging in?
Yes. If you close the page partway through, open it again in the same browser to pick up where you left off. If you log in later, your record so far carries over. "Log in with Google" is the only login option.
How do I get on the leaderboard?
Log in, choose a nickname and solve that day's puzzle. The leaderboard is ordered by the time of day you solved it, earliest first. A game solved on the very first question is not listed.
On days when your language has a different word, the leaderboard lists only the players who had the same word as you.
Encore and matches
Can I play more than once a day?
With Encore, you can play words that aren't the daily puzzle.
Encore ($3 a month) gives you up to 20 plays a day. Unlimited Encore ($8 a month) has no limit on plays. Prices are in US dollars.
If you're logged in and share your result for today's puzzle, you can also try one play for free, once a day.
How do matches work?
Two players take turns asking about the same word, and the first to guess it wins. Each player gets 10 questions.
Does my friend need Encore too?
No. Only the person who creates the match needs a plan. Your friend just opens the invite link and doesn't even need to log in.
I opened an invite link and it said "Match not found".
An invite stops working 3 minutes after the person who created it leaves the waiting screen. Ask them to create a new link.
How do I cancel my plan?
Go to "Manage billing" on your account page. After you cancel, you can keep playing until the end of the period you've already paid for.