How to Play Chain - Rules, Timer, and Strategy Guide

The rules

Name cities that fit every active label, against a clock.

Chain shows you one or two category labels — say “Cities in South America”, or a tougher pair like “Capital city AND on a major river”. Your job is to name as many cities as you can that satisfy every active label, one at a time.

30 seconds per answer. The clock counts down on every turn. Let it hit zero and the round is over.
Correct resets the clock. A valid, new city gives you a fresh 30 seconds, so a long run is really a chain of quick recalls.
One miss ends it. A non-city, a category miss, or a duplicate you already used stops the round instantly.
Compare to the pool. At the end you see your count against the full set of valid cities for the day.

Strategy tips

Lead with your strongest region. Bank easy answers from a continent you know cold to build a buffer before reaching for harder ones.
On two-category days, work from the narrower label — the smaller pool tells you which cities are even worth checking against the second.
Type fast and don’t overthink spelling; the matcher accepts common alternates, so a near-miss spelling usually still lands.
Keep a mental list as you go so you never burn the clock re-suggesting a city you already used.

FAQ

What is Chain?

Chain is a repeatable geography speed game. The main game picks fresh category combinations; shared challenges preserve a chosen combination. You are shown one or two category labels, then you name as many cities as you can that fit every label. A 30-second clock runs on each answer and resets when you get one right; a wrong answer or a repeat ends the round.

What ends a Chain round?

Three things stop you: naming something that is not a real city, naming a city that misses any active category, or repeating a city you already used. Spelling is forgiving and accepts common alternates, but a true miss ends the run.

How long is the Chain timer?

Thirty seconds per answer. Each correct city resets the clock to a fresh thirty, so a strong run is really a sequence of quick recalls rather than one long countdown.

How are Chain categories chosen?

From a curated rotation of geography and travel themes. Single-category days are gentler; two-category days such as "Capital city AND on a major river" shrink the pool sharply and reward depth of knowledge.

Is Chain free?

Yes. Chain is free in the browser with no account required. You can keep playing fresh category combinations.

Play today’s Chain →

The rules

Name cities that fit every active label, against a clock.

30 seconds per answer. The clock counts down on every turn. Let it hit zero and the round is over.
Correct resets the clock. A valid, new city gives you a fresh 30 seconds, so a long run is really a chain of quick recalls.
One miss ends it. A non-city, a category miss, or a duplicate you already used stops the round instantly.
Compare to the pool. At the end you see your count against the full set of valid cities for the day.

Strategy tips

Lead with your strongest region. Bank easy answers from a continent you know cold to build a buffer before reaching for harder ones.
On two-category days, work from the narrower label — the smaller pool tells you which cities are even worth checking against the second.
Type fast and don’t overthink spelling; the matcher accepts common alternates, so a near-miss spelling usually still lands.
Keep a mental list as you go so you never burn the clock re-suggesting a city you already used.

FAQ

What is Chain?

What ends a Chain round?

How long is the Chain timer?

Thirty seconds per answer. Each correct city resets the clock to a fresh thirty, so a strong run is really a sequence of quick recalls rather than one long countdown.

How are Chain categories chosen?

Is Chain free?

Yes. Chain is free in the browser with no account required. You can keep playing fresh category combinations.