Plain tips that follow the actual rules

The useful habit is dull: pick an anchor you can defend, compare it to the target as a ratio, then lock. A raw difference such as '500 too high' is unhelpful without the target. Instead ask whether a value is inside 10%, inside 35%, or past double. These are worked strategies, not claims about an editor’s personal play results.

These notes are our reading of the official tips plus the scoring math. They are not a message from the developer. The official five tips, rewritten: think in ratios; accuracy beats speed; read the scope; use the hint; learn from the reveal.

What the bands feel like

1% is Dialed. On a target of 1,000 that is 990–1,010. On a target of 1,000,000 it is still only 1%.
10% over or 9% under is the edge of Close. Half of that error is still Close, not a disaster.
35% over or 26% under is the edge of Warm. You are still on the board.
Double or half is the Cold floor, 25 points. Past that is a Miss.

What the clock costs

Sink after the free 3 seconds. 1 point = 10 m.
Answer time	Metres lost	Point-equivalent altitude loss
0–3 seconds	0	0
10 seconds	28	2.8
20 seconds	68	6.8
30 seconds, no answer	108, and 0 points	10.8 plus no climb

Spending twenty seconds to move one band up is a good trade if you actually know a better anchor. Spending twenty seconds to swap one unfamiliar name for another unfamiliar name is not. The suggestions list is there to confirm a full name, not to browse values. The official page does not say that suggestions reveal the hidden number.

Read the chip before the name

Food calories on day 2 were per 100 g. A 'serving' number from a package is the wrong unit.
City population on days 1 and 2 is the city proper, not the metro area.
Country area on day 1 is total area. Land area would have moved Slovakia.
Tourism money on day 4 is 2019, not the newest World Bank row.
Stadiums on day 4 had a 30,000-seat floor. A famous small ground cannot win.
Flight time on day 6 is straight-line cruise, not the itinerary with a layover.

Runway lights leading toward a night skyline, used as a pacing image — Original illustration. Use the archive to practice. It will not score.

Years and units that fool people

On a year, three years off is Close and only the exact year is Dialed. Do not run the ratio formula. Also separate theatrical runtime from an extended cut, architectural height from the antenna, and an announced purchase price from a later valuation. Those are the distinctions the official sources page draws. I have not seen a public difficulty ranking by category, so I will not claim that Pokémon is easier than GDP.

Plane level with a dashed altitude line — A better band is worth more altitude than the sink from a slow answer.

Questions this page answers

Should I answer instantly?

Usually no. The first three seconds are free. After that you lose at most 108 metres, equivalent to 10.8 points of altitude, not a deduction from guess points. Moving from a mid Warm (about 60) to a mid Close (about 90) is 300 metres. The clock is the cheaper mistake.

Can I practice on old puzzles for a score?

No. The FAQ says past puzzles cannot be replayed for a score. Use the archive as a 'guess, then look' drill. It will not change your streak.