CityQ lays out a 3×3 grid. The three rows and three columns are each a category — things like “Coastal city”, “Capital city”, or “Has hosted the Olympics”. Each of the nine cells sits where one row meets one column, and the city you put there has to satisfy both at once.

1. Read both labels. A cell in the “Coastal” row and “Capital” column needs a coastal capital.
2. Place a valid city. The validator accepts any real city that genuinely fits both categories.
3. Think obscure. Rare valid answers score lower than the obvious famous ones.
4. Fill all nine. Complete the grid; your score is the sum of every cell’s rarity.

• Solve the hardest intersection first. A cell with two narrow categories has the fewest valid cities, so lock it before you spend your obvious picks elsewhere.
• Resist the famous answer. If the obvious capital works, a smaller capital that also works will score far lower.
• Use one category as the anchor and brainstorm cities that satisfy it, then test each against the second category.
• There is no timer, so skip a stubborn cell, fill the easy ones, and come back with fresh ideas.