How to play
Five different questions a day, each with its own limit. Name something as close to each limit as you dare, without going over, and help Gumnut the koala up the ladder.
- Read the limit. Each of the five questions asks for something under its own limit, like "Name a country with fewer than 13 million people". The limit hangs on a sign at the top of Gumnut's ladder, and every rung shows the value you need to reach it.
- Name something. Type a real answer. The closer its value is to the limit, the higher Gumnut climbs. A name that isn't on the round's list never uses a step, and small typos are forgiven.
- Rest or Reach. Once Gumnut is on the ladder, Rest to bank your rung, or Reach with something closer. You have three steps a question.
- Don't go over. Go over on your first step and Gumnut just bonks its head: no fall, but it costs a step. Go over from the ladder and Gumnut falls to half the rung you were on.
- Hang the Hammock. Once a day, hang the Hammock before a risky Reach. If that Reach goes over, Gumnut lands in it and you keep your rung.
- Climb all five. Five questions a day, ten rungs each. Your total is out of 50.
An example
The question is Name a country with fewer than 13 million people. You say Sweden (10.6 million): rung 6. You Reach with Tunisia (12.3 million): rung 8. Rest now and you bank 8. Reach again with Burundi (14 million) and Gumnut goes over the top and tumbles into the leaves, landing on rung 4. Had Burundi been your first answer, Gumnut would only have bonked its head and stayed on the ground, one step down. One country sits a whisker above Tunisia, the closest of all: that one is the Golden Leaf.
The Golden Leaf
Every round has one closest answer, the item nearest the limit without going over. Find it and Gumnut munches the Golden Leaf: rung 10, and a leaf on your share.
The Hammock
Once a day, hang the Hammock before a risky Reach. If you go over, Gumnut lands in it and you keep your rung. Spend it early and it’s gone for the rest of the day, so choose your moment.
Fair numbers
Every round uses a complete, fixed list: all 193 UN member states, every Best Picture winner, all 118 elements. Every value is checked against two reputable sources, shown at the end of each question.
Sharing and streaks
Share your climb as five little ladders, with no answers spoiled. Finish a day every day, today’s or one from the archive, to build a streak. Miss one day and your streak survives once. Every 7 days of a streak banks a freeze (up to 2) that covers another.