How to play STRANDED
Answer six questions. The fewer people who gave your answer, the more it scores, and the further the alien gets.
STRANDED is a free daily game played at stranded.run. A run takes about two minutes. This page covers the rules, exactly how answers are scored, and how to score higher.
The rules
- Start the day's run. Everyone gets the same six questions each day, and one run at them. A new run opens at midnight US Central time.
- Answer each question in 25 seconds. The questions are open-ended, like "Name something money can't buy" or "Name something you can catch but can't throw." Type one answer and send it.
- Try again if it is turned away. If your answer is not one the game accepts, you lose nothing. The question stays open and you can keep trying until its clock runs out.
- Watch him run. After each answer the alien runs across the map, further for more points: out of the woods, past the farm, through town and beyond.
- See the ending. After the sixth answer, your total out of 3,000 decides which of the eight endings you get.
How answers are scored
Every accepted answer is worth between 1 and 500 points. The points depend on one thing: the share of that day's players who gave the same answer. The share is worked out live, so an answer's value drifts through the day as more people play.
| An answer given by | Is called | And is worth about |
|---|---|---|
| 30% of players | Basic | 100 points |
| 12% of players | Clever | 200 points |
| 5% of players | Unexpected | 300 points |
| About 2% of players | Out there | 400 points |
| Fewer than 1 in 200 | Otherworldly | 500 points |
Different spellings and wordings of the same idea count as one answer, so "fridge" and "refrigerator" share a score. Capital letters, punctuation and a leading "a" or "the" make no difference.
Six answers at 500 each make the top score of 3,000. Most players finish between 1,000 and 1,700.
What your score gets you
The total decides how the alien's escape ends. There are eight endings, each with its own scene. Lower scores get him caught close to the crash; higher ones take him further and end better. The highest scores, 2,201 and up, unlock a secret ending with a bonus question.
Tips for a higher score
- Skip your first thought. The first answer that comes to mind is the one most people type. Your second or third idea usually scores more.
- Go specific. For a question about food, "pizza" is common; a particular dish is rare.
- Read the question sideways. Many questions have a literal reading and a playful one. "Something that runs" can be a river, a nose, a rumour or a tab at a bar.
- Do not burn the clock. A common answer still scores. If a clever one is turned away, fall back to a safe one before the 25 seconds are up, because no answer scores nothing.
Streaks and rewards
Finishing a run on consecutive days builds a play streak. Sharing your result earns hats for the alien: one for your first share, then more for sharing 5, 10 and 50 days in a row. Getting the secret ending's bonus question right unlocks a new look for him.
For what the game is and what is planned, see the about page.
Questions people ask
How do you play STRANDED?
Open stranded.run and start the day's run. You get six open-ended questions with 25 seconds each. Type an answer to each; rarer answers score more, and your total out of 3,000 decides which ending you see.
How is STRANDED scored?
Each accepted answer is worth 1 to 500 points depending on the share of that day's players who gave it. An answer given by about 30% of players is worth around 100 points; one given by fewer than 1 in 200 is worth 500.
What is the highest score in STRANDED?
3,000: six answers worth 500 points each. Scores of 2,201 or more reach the secret ending.
What happens if my answer is not accepted?
Nothing is lost. The question stays open and you can keep trying other answers until its 25-second clock runs out.
Can I play STRANDED more than once a day?
No. Everyone gets one run a day, and a new one opens at midnight US Central time.
Does spelling matter in STRANDED?
Capital letters, punctuation and a leading a or the are ignored, and common alternative wordings count as the same answer. A misspelled word may not be recognised, but you can try again.