Guide
The Zoom: the quiz that makes half-knowledge pay
The Zoom is the precision mode of Genioz, a free online trivia game for 2 to 8 players. The idea: one question (“Where was Napoleon born?”) and three nested answer tiers: the continent, the country, the city. You pick your precision first, then your answer from four cards: the more precise the tier, the more it pays, but missing at your chosen tier pays nothing. It’s the universal reality of general knowledge, “I sort of know”, finally turned into a real game decision.
How does a Zoom round unfold?
1. The question appears with its three precision tiers, from broadest to most precise, and what each one pays: +3, +6 or +10. You pick your precision BEFORE seeing any answers: you bet on what you know, not on what you recognise in a list.
2. Four cards flip over to show the answers of your tier, and only that tier. You play one: it’s final, no going back. It all fits in 20 seconds.
3. The reveal lights up the right answer at every tier: you see who vaguely knew, who really knew, and who aimed too precise.
The scoring: precision pays
Right answer at your chosen tier: you score that tier’s points (3, 6 or 10). Wrong answer: zero, even if you knew the tier above. That’s the whole dilemma: bank small or risk big.
There are never negative points: missing doesn’t set you back, it just makes you sit out the scoring.
Strategy: how to calibrate your precision
The middle tier is your friend: when you hesitate between two cities, the country is often a +6 certainty. Save the +10s for true certainties, or desperate endgames.
Watch the decoys: at the precise tier they’re picked to be plausible (Bastia versus Ajaccio, Ulm versus Munich). Since you only see them after choosing your precision, only go for +10 if you know the answer without needing to see it.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I don’t answer in time?
You score nothing for the round, with no penalty. The round moves on as soon as everyone has locked in or when the 20 seconds run out.
Can I switch tiers once I see the answers?
No: your precision is locked in as soon as you choose it, and you only see the four answers of that tier. Otherwise you could read the tiers one by one, and the precise answers would often give away the broad one. The card you play is final too.
Can you win by only playing the safe tier?
Rarely: +3 per round can’t keep up with the +6s and +10s of players who dare and hit. The Zoom rewards well-calibrated precision, not systematic caution.