FAQ
Questions, answered.
The things people ask most. Still stuck? The contact form reaches us directly.
Is PonderBug free?
Yes — completely free to play, every day, with no ads. You don’t need to pay or sign up to solve the daily puzzles.
Do I need an account?
No. You can play every game as a guest, and your progress is saved in your own browser. An account only adds streaks, personal stats, and a leaderboard that follows you across devices.
What’s the difference between playing as a guest and signing in?
As a guest, everything stays on your device — none of your guest gameplay is stored on our servers. When you sign in, your solve times and streaks are saved to your account so they’re there on your phone and laptop alike, and you can appear on the leaderboard under a username you choose.
How do the puzzles work?
Every puzzle has exactly one solution, and every step to it can be worked out by deduction — no guessing required. There’s no live right/wrong feedback while you play; you fill the board and then ask for a single yes-or-no verdict. Read the full walkthrough on the How to play page.
What happens if I check a wrong answer?
You can check as many times as you like. A wrong verdict just adds a small, growing time penalty to your clock — gentle at first, steeper if you keep guessing. There’s no way to “lose”; your time is only ever a personal best.
How often are there new puzzles?
Each game gets a fresh puzzle every day, and it’s the same puzzle for everyone that day. Come back tomorrow for the next set.
What data do you collect about me?
As little as possible. Guests: gameplay stays in your browser. Signed-in players: your email, a username, and your gameplay stats. We keep some security and error information (like IP addresses for abuse-prevention) and use privacy-respecting analytics. We don’t sell data and there are no ad networks. The Privacy Policy lays it all out.
How do streaks and leaderboards work?
Streaks count the days you come back and solve. Leaderboards rank solve times for a puzzle and show only a username and time — never your email or any private identifier. Both require a (free) account so they can travel with you.
Is there a minimum age?
PonderBug is intended for players 13 and over. If you’re younger, please ask a parent or guardian before signing up. Full details are in the Terms of Service.
I found a bug or a puzzle that seems unsolvable. What do I do?
Please tell us — that’s exactly the kind of thing we want to hear. Use the contact form, pick “A bug or broken puzzle”, and describe what happened.