How to play Genioz: the complete rules

Start a game in under a minute

On genioz.io, pick a nickname and click “Create a game”: you get a 4-letter code and an invite link (with a QR code). The other players join from their phone or computer by entering the code or opening the link — no account, no download.

A game can start from 2 players and holds up to 8. The sweet spot is 3 to 6: enough people for big bluffs, few enough that every vote matters. If there are only two of you, the host can add a bot to spice things up.

How a game unfolds: 5 rounds

A game of Genioz lasts 5 rounds. The host picks the mode at launch: a single mode (The Bluff, The Odds, The Range or The Timer) or Mix mode, which rotates all 4 — that's the real Genioz, where every round changes which skill matters.

Before each round, a rules card reminds everyone how the mode plays and how it pays — nobody gets lost, even on their first game. Then the timer starts: everyone plays at the same time, from their own screen. The round ends with the reveal: the answers, the traps, and who won or lost what. After round 5, the final leaderboard crowns the winner.

Tokens: the golden rule of Genioz

Genioz doesn't count points: you wager tokens on your own answer. Every player starts with 10 tokens and earns 1 more at each new round. On every action you choose your wager, from 1 to 3 tokens: answer right and the bank pays you; answer wrong and your wager is gone.

Two safety nets keep the game generous: your stack never drops below zero, and the round income means you can always play. And one twist: in the 5th and final round the wager cap is lifted — you can go all-in and flip the leaderboard on one last brilliant move.

The 4 game modes at a glance

The Bluff — bluffing: a question appears and everyone invents a believable fake answer. All the answers (the fakes + the real one) are shuffled, then everyone votes. You score by spotting the truth… and by getting others to vote for your fake.

The Odds — betting: a multiple-choice question with odds attached. You answer and bet at the same time: on yourself (win = wager × odds) or against another player (you win if they get it wrong). The mode where you can win big without knowing the answer.

The Range — estimating: a number question, and no right or wrong answer. You submit a min → max range: if it contains the answer you win your wager, and the tightest correct range doubles it.

The Timer — clues: clues drop one by one and the tokens at stake melt away. Lock in early for a big bonus — but a wrong answer costs your wager.

Same room or fully remote

Genioz plays anywhere: around a table (everyone on their own phone), in a classroom, or fully remote — just share the invite link in the chat and fire up a video call on the side for the shouting and the bad faith.

If you close the tab or your network drops, don't panic: come back to the page and you pick up your seat in the ongoing game, score intact.

Three tips for your first game

Start with Mix mode: the rules card before each round teaches you all 4 modes as you play, nothing to read in advance.

Wager small when you doubt (1 token), big when you smell a winner (3 tokens): managing your wagers wins games just as much as trivia knowledge does.

And above all, don't be afraid of not knowing: in The Bluff as in The Odds, the best plays are often made without knowing the answer.