How Lifelines Work

Lifelines are one-time-use abilities that unlock as you answer questions correctly during a run. Once unlocked, a lifeline stays available until you use it. Each one can only be used once per run.

Lifelines unlock progressively: Swap is available immediately, Free Pass unlocks after a short streak, Split a bit later, and Ask the Audience is the last to become available. This progression means you always have an escape option from the start, and more powerful tools become available as the questions get harder.

Swap

Available from the start. Replaces the current question with a different one. The timer carries over — you keep whatever time was left. Speed bonus is disabled for the replacement question since you already spent time on the original. Disabled during All or Nothing.

Best use: when you have zero knowledge about the current question's topic and guessing would be purely random. Worst use: on an easy question early in the run where you could eliminate answers instead. Swap is your insurance policy for blind spots — the one category or topic where you draw a complete blank.

Free Pass

Unlocks after a few correct answers. Protects you from the consequences of a wrong answer — if you get it wrong, it still counts as correct. You keep your heart, your streak continues, and you earn points normally. Best saved for hard questions where you're uncertain. Disabled during All or Nothing.

Free Pass is widely considered the most powerful lifeline because it has zero downside. You earn full points and keep your streak even if you answer wrong. The ideal time to activate it is on a hard question deep in your run when your streak is long and losing it would be devastating. Never waste it on an easy question.

Split

Unlocks a bit later. Eliminates half the answer choices, leaving the correct answer among the remaining options. Must be used before you select an answer. Disables speed bonus for that question. Can't be used on True/False questions (removing one of two answers would make it trivial).

Split is strongest on four-option questions where you can't eliminate any answers yourself. It turns a 25% guess into a 50% chance — or better, because you can usually eliminate one more option using your knowledge. The speed bonus trade-off is worth it: a correct slow answer is always better than a fast wrong one.

Ask the Audience

The last lifeline to unlock. Shows a poll with the percentage of the audience that voted for each answer. It's a strong hint, but not a guarantee — the audience can be wrong, especially on harder questions. Disabled during Speed Match.

The audience is most reliable on easy and medium questions, where the majority typically picks the right answer. On hard questions, the audience vote often splits more evenly. Use Ask the Audience as a tiebreaker when you've narrowed it to two options and need a nudge, not as a substitute for thinking through the question yourself.

When to Use Them

The biggest mistake is wasting lifelines early on easy questions. Save them for when you're genuinely stuck on a hard question and a wrong answer would cost you a heart you can't afford to lose. Free Pass is the most valuable lifeline because it has zero downside — you earn full points even on a wrong answer. Split is strongest on four-option questions where you can't eliminate any choices yourself. Swap is your escape hatch when you're completely lost. Ask the Audience is a tiebreaker when you've narrowed it down but can't commit.

A common mistake is using Split or Ask the Audience on questions where you could have eliminated answers yourself. Every lifeline you save is another safety net for a harder question later. Top players often finish runs with lifelines unused because they only deploy them in truly desperate moments.

Mode Restrictions

Several special modes disable some or all lifelines. Gauntlet, Hot Potato, Mystery Box, Wheel of Chaos, and Last Stand disable all of them. Speed Match disables Swap, Free Pass, and Ask the Audience (Split still works). All or Nothing disables Swap and Free Pass. Modes that keep all lifelines available include Reverse Round, Category Lock-In, Comeback Round, and Confidence Call.

When a mode disables your lifelines, the risk goes up dramatically. This is why heart-protected modes like Gauntlet and Hot Potato compensate by shielding your hearts. If a mode takes away your safety net, it gives you something else in return. Factor this into your decision when a mode offer appears.