Guide
The Spark — the quiz where connecting beats reciting
The Spark is the connections mode of Genioz, a free online trivia game for 2 to 8 players. The idea: three clues from worlds that have nothing in common — “a unit of pressure”, “a programming language”, “a 17th-century French philosopher” — point to ONE single answer (Pascal!). Free text, on your keyboard: the faster your spark comes, the more you score. It’s the move of the truly cultured — crossing fields, not reciting them — and the euphoria of the “AAAH!” is its heart.
How does a Spark round unfold?
1. The three clues appear at the same time. Each one is enough for an expert of its field; their intersection never lies.
2. You type your answer the moment the spark hits, within 30 seconds. Points melt away with time: finding it early pays up to 10 points, finding it at the buzzer pays 2.
3. A wrong answer freezes you for 4 seconds (no machine-gunning), then you try again. The reveal shows the answer and rereads the three clues in its light — the delayed spark for those who were stuck.
The scoring: the speed of the spark
Found = between 10 points (instant) and 2 points (last second), depending on your speed. Not found = zero, no penalty. Failed tries only cost time — but time is points.
Rough spelling is tolerated: accents, capitals and articles are ignored, and common variants of the name are accepted.
Strategy: how to trigger the spark
Read all three clues before typing: one clue alone often leads to a false friend (“a planet” could be Mercury, Venus or Mars — “a liquid metal” settles it).
If you’re stuck, start from the clue whose field you know best and run its candidates against the other two. It’s a game of intersection, not raw recall.
Frequently asked questions
Does spelling count?
No: accents, capitals, punctuation and articles are ignored, and the usual variants of the answer are accepted (“Vinci”, “Leonardo da Vinci”, “Da Vinci”…).
What happens if I get it wrong?
Your keyboard freezes for 4 seconds, then you can try again as many times as you want within the time limit. Being wrong costs no points, only time.
Do other players see my answer?
No: during the round they only see that you found it, and in how many seconds. The social pressure is part of the game.