Checked 2026-11-04

How to play Plain

A round gives you a category and a target. You name the closest thing you know, or you type a number. Seven of those, thirty seconds each, is one Plain day.

Daylight runway with a small airliner climbing into a pale sky — Original illustration of the altitude idea: points become height. Not the game screen.

Seven dots and a rising line on a pale grid — Original chart of a seven-step climb. The game itself draws this with its own art.

The public how-to-play page says a day is seven targets, about three minutes, and the same puzzle for everyone. A naming round looks like “name a mountain whose summit is closest to 6,200 m.” A number round asks you to type the figure yourself. Shorthand such as 2.5k or 1.2 million is accepted on number rounds. Year questions are scored by how many years you miss: within three years is Close, and only the exact year is Dialed.

What locks, and what gets refused

Suggestions appear while you type. The first accepted answer locks. A refusal does not spend the round, but the clock keeps going. The FAQ lists four refusal reasons: the name is not in the list, it sits outside the category, it is only part of a name, or you have tried too many times in that round (after a dozen or so attempts the game asks you to lock something). Small spelling slips can still pass.

Height, and the Golden Round

One point is ten metres, and the ceiling is 10,000 m. The first three seconds of a round do not sink the plane. After that it drops 4 m/s, and a round can cost at most 108 m. A timeout scores nothing and takes the full 108 m drop. Height does not go below the runway. One round each day is the Golden Round: its points, including the Dialed bonus, are doubled, and you learn which round it was only after you finish. A perfect day is 1,000 points.

The mix of rounds is not fixed

The how-to-play sentence says two rounds a day “turn the game around” and ask for one number. The public archive for #1 through #16 does not show a steady two. #1 and #2 are seven naming rounds. #9 is six number rounds and one naming round. #16 is four number rounds and three naming rounds. I print both readings below the table of counts on the archive. Last checked 2026-11-04.

Streaks, tasks, and the two modes

Finish the daily game on consecutive days and the streak grows. Every seven days you earn one streak freeze, and you can hold two. Miss a day and a freeze is spent for you. The risk warning shows only in the last three hours, and only if you have no freeze. Experience points come from height, the streak, Dialed hits, and the day’s task. Badges include Above Everest (8,849 m or higher) and Golden Touch (a Dialed on the Golden Round). Some badges are secret. Daily mode is the seven-round puzzle. Competitive is a live one-to-one match: seven number questions, 15 seconds each, and an account is required. See scoring for the formula, estimation tips for practice habits, and the FAQ for reset times and accounts.

Official mountain example for a 6,200 m target. Source: playplain.app/how-to-play, checked 2026-11-04.
Answer	Real height	Gap	Tier	Points	Sources
Denali	6,190 m	0.16% under	Dialed	125 (includes +25)	Official · 1 source
Mount Kilimanjaro	5,895 m	4.9% under	Close	90	Official · 1 source
Mont Blanc	4,806 m	22% under	Warm	60	Official · 1 source
Mount Everest	8,849 m	43% over	Cold	49	Official · 1 source
Ben Nevis	1,345 m	4.6× under	Miss	5	Official · 1 source

Questions

How long is one Plain game?

Seven rounds of 30 seconds, about three minutes, on the public how-to-play page.

When does the puzzle change?

At 00:00 New York time. The FAQ says the whole world shares that puzzle.

Can I replay yesterday for a score?

No. The FAQ says past puzzles cannot be replayed for a score. You can still open the official archive and read targets and best answers.

Sources

Plain how to play — checked 2026-11-04
Plain FAQ — checked 2026-11-04
Plain archive #16 — checked 2026-11-04
Competitive mode — checked 2026-11-04