Guide
Scorched Earth: the quiz where you have to dig deeper
Scorched Earth is the depth mode of Genioz, a free online trivia game for 2 to 8 players. The idea: one category (“African capitals”, “chemical elements”, “Pixar movies”) and three waves. Each wave, everyone names a valid answer, but any answer already given is burned for good. The obvious ones go in the first wave; surviving the third takes real depth of knowledge. The glory moment: pulling out Lesotho when everyone else is blank.
How does a Scorched Earth round unfold?
1. The category appears. Each wave, you have 15 seconds to type ONE answer from the category, in secret, everyone at the same time.
2. The wave resolves all at once: valid, unique answers score (3 points in wave 1, 4 in wave 2, 5 in wave 3), duplicates within the same wave get charred (0 points, but you survive), and all those answers are burned.
3. An already-burned answer, an invalid answer, or no answer at all, scores nothing for that wave, but you play the next one like everyone else: nobody is eliminated. Landing a unique answer in all three waves earns the “Flawless” bonus: 3 points.
The reveal: you leave more cultured
At the end of the round, the reveal shows everything that was found, and a sample of what was LEFT to find. It’s the most instructive part of the game: you discover the capitals, elements or movies nobody thought of.
Strategic bonus: in a Payback round (end of game), a category can come back for double points: those who remembered the reveal start a move ahead.
Strategy: manage your reserve
Don’t fire your rare answers in wave 1: the obvious ones (Paris, hydrogen, Toy Story) will burn on their own, and worse, they risk a charred duplicate. Keep your gems for the expensive waves.
Anticipate duplicates: if an answer comes to you in one second, it probably came to the others too. The ideal answer is the one only YOU know, that’s exactly what depth of knowledge means.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if two players give the same answer?
Duplicates in the same wave score nothing: nobody gets the points, and the answer is burned for the rest of the round.
Does spelling count?
No: accents, capitals and articles are ignored, and common alternative names are accepted (“Myanmar”/“Burma”, “Tallinn”/“Tallin”…).
What happens if I miss a wave?
Not much: that wave earns you no points, and you play the next one like everyone else. nobody is eliminated. You only lose the “Flawless” bonus, which goes to players who land a unique answer every wave.