How it works

The grid

Three artists run across the top and three categories run down the side. For each square, name a song by that column's artist that fits that row's category.

You search for songs right from Spotify, so you're always picking a real track. A new daily grid goes live at midnight Central. On a day without a new one, an older grid comes back as a rerun.

Scoring

You get 1 point just for playing. Every square you fill is worth 6 to 11 points, and deeper cuts score more.

Showing up

1

The biggest hit that fits a square

6

Everything in between, in half points

6.5 to 10.5

The deepest cut that fits

11

Each square solved in easy mode

−3

A perfect grid: 1 + 9 squares × 11

100

Points are set square by square. The best-known song that fits a square is worth 6 and the least-known is worth 11, with the rest spread out between them. If only one song fits, it's worth the full 11.

"Best-known" comes from Spotify: how high the song ranks among that artist's top 100 tracks. Anything outside the top 100 counts as a deep cut.

Hearts

You have three hearts, and every wrong guess costs one. Once they're gone you're in sudden death: one more wrong guess ends the game.

You can give up at any point and keep what you've scored. After the game, tap play on a missed square to hear a song that would have fit.

No repeats

Each song counts in one square only, so spend your big hits wisely. Every grid can be filled with nine different songs.

Easy mode

Easy mode gives you a hint for every square (a preview of a song that fits) and looser search. Each square you solve with it on scores 3 fewer points, so an 11 becomes an 8. Once it's on, it stays on for the rest of that grid.

Squares solved in easy mode show up as circles in your results and in the grid you share.

Categories and flags

Most categories are checked against Spotify: things like debut albums, title tracks, words in a song's title and release years. A category tagged AI is a fact like a chart peak or an award, where AI sorted the artist's real Spotify songs. One tagged Opinion is a judgment call.

Think a guess should have counted? Tap "I think it fits" after the miss. Flagged songs get reviewed, and approved ones are added to the square.

Leaderboards and stats

Add your name after a game to get on the leaderboard. Each grid's board keeps your best score on it, and the all-time board adds up your best score on every daily grid.

The leaderboards know you by a private player code saved in your browser, not by your name. Set your own code on the Stats page to play as the same person on every device. Finish a grid on your laptop and it shows up finished on your phone too, ready to share.

Stats also tracks your streak (daily grids finished before the next one goes live), your averages and every grid you've played.

Your shared grid

• 🟩 10 to 11 points
• 🟨 8 to 9.5 points
• 🟧 under 8 points
• 🟥 missed after a wrong guess
• ⬛ never tried
• 🟢🟡🟠 solved in easy mode

More grids

Browse has every past daily grid plus grids other players made. Build makes your own from your Spotify or Apple Music listening, or from any artists you pick, with a link to send to friends.