Frequently Asked Questions

Starting a game is simple! From the Player Selection screen, your child selects their profile and enters their 4-digit PIN. Then they follow three easy steps:

• Choose a Category — Pick from available subjects (e.g. Science, History, Geography)
• Choose Difficulty — Currently "Medium" is available, with Easy and Hard coming soon
• Choose Game Type — Single player or two-player mode

After that, the game begins!

There are 6 game modes, each with unique rules:

Mode	Players	How It Works
Timed	1	Answer as many questions as you can in 3 minutes. No per-question timer.
Classic	1	You get 3 lives (outs). Each wrong answer costs a life. 10 seconds per question.
Endless	1	No lives, no penalties for wrong answers. Keep going until all questions are used.
Lightning	2	Speed battle! First player to answer wins the point. 3 lives each.
Face-Off	2	Turn-based with 5 questions per turn. A wrong answer switches the turn.
Unlimited Dual	2	Two-player speed game with no lives — play through all questions.

• Correct answer: +5 points
• Wrong answer: -5 points (except in Endless mode, where there's no penalty)
• Timeout: No penalty — the question simply advances

Bonus perks can boost scoring! The Bonus perk gives +10 total per correct answer for 30 seconds, and the Double Bonus perk gives +20 total per correct answer for 60 seconds.

Outs are like lives. In modes that use them (Classic, Lightning, Face-Off), each player starts with 3 outs. Every wrong answer costs 1 out. When a player reaches 0 outs, the game is over for them.

Some modes reward bonus outs for streaks:

• Lightning: Earn +1 out every 20 correct answers
• Face-Off: Earn +1 out every 10 correct answers

The Shield perk can block an out from being lost on a wrong answer.

In most modes, players have 10 seconds per question — or 15 seconds for questions with longer answer text (4+ words in the answer choices). A color-coded timer shows the countdown — green when there's plenty of time, yellow when it's getting close, and red with a pulse when time is almost up.

In Timed mode, there's no per-question timer. Instead, there's an overall 3-minute clock for the entire round.

The Pause and Slo Mo perks can help with time pressure!

After the first player selects a game, a second player is prompted to select their profile and enter their PIN. Both players see the same questions on screen, but have separate answer buttons, separate scores, and separate perk trays.

Depending on the mode:

• Lightning & Unlimited Dual: Both players can answer at the same time — the fastest correct answer wins the point
• Face-Off: Players take turns answering 5 questions at a time
• Classic (2P): Both answer with 10-second timers, first correct answer wins the point

Note: Two-player modes require a Multi-Player plan (Family or Family+).

• Single player: Scoring 50 or more points in a game counts as a win
• Two-player: Beating your opponent by 50+ points counts as a win

Wins are tracked on the player's dashboard and count toward achievements.

Yes! There is a Stop button available during gameplay. If a player stops early, the game ends and results are still saved — including score, accuracy, and any achievements earned up to that point.

Absolutely! After each game, a "Review Mistakes" button appears on the results screen. It shows every question that was answered incorrectly, along with what your child chose and what the correct answer was. This is a great learning tool!

Every game earns XP (experience points) based on performance:

• Base: 10 XP per game
• Correct answers: +3 XP each
• Accuracy bonus: Up to +10 XP for high accuracy
• Win bonus: +15 XP for a win
• Streak bonus: +1 XP per streak milestone

XP accumulates across all games and unlocks 20 levels — from "Beginner" to "Grand Champion." Each level has a themed title. Your current level and progress bar appear on your dashboard.

Every 20 games, if your child has a birthday set in their profile, a special bonus question pops up mid-game asking them to identify their birthday from 4 choices. Answer correctly and earn a free Perkolating Wheel spin! It's a fun way to make sure kids remember their birthday.

Perks are in-game power-ups that give your child a strategic advantage during gameplay. They can freeze the timer, reveal hints, boost points, protect against wrong answers, and more. Perks add an exciting strategic layer to each game!

There are 10 perks, a special Jackpot, and 4 real-world prizes:

Perk	Effect
⏯️ Pause	Freezes the timer for 15 seconds
⏯️⏯️ Super Pause	Freezes the timer for 30 seconds
💡 Hint	Removes 1 wrong answer choice
💡💡 Super Hint	Removes 2 wrong answer choices (leaves only the correct one!)
⭐ Bonus	Earn +10 points per correct answer for 30 seconds
⭐⭐ Double Bonus	Earn +20 points per correct answer for 60 seconds
🛡️ Shield	Blocks the next wrong answer — no point loss and no lost out
🔥 Streak Saver	Protects your correct-answer streak from breaking on the next mistake
🐢 Slo Mo	Slows the timer to half speed for 30 seconds
🔄 Switcharoo	Swaps the current question for a different one
🎁 One of Each (Jackpot!)	Win one of every perk type — 10 perks at once!

Real-World Prizes — On rare spins, your child can win an actual prize! These trigger a special gold celebration:

Prize	What You Win
🎁 $5 Gift Card	A $5 gift card — real prize!
🎁 $10 Gift Card	A $10 gift card — real prize!
🎁 $25 Gift Card	A $25 gift card — real prize!
🏫 School Visit	A team member visits your school!

Real prizes are extremely rare and are not added to the perk inventory — we'll contact you to arrange fulfillment!

There are three ways to earn perks:

• Achievements — The primary way! When your child earns an achievement (score milestones, streaks, category completions, etc.), they receive 1–5 perk spins on the Perkolating Wheel
• Parent Gifts — Parents can gift perk spins directly from the Parent Dashboard at any time
• Starter Pack — Every new player begins with 2 Pauses, 1 Hint, 1 Bonus, and 1 Shield to get started

The Perkolating Wheel is an arcade-style spinning reel that determines which perk your child wins. When spins are earned (from achievements or parent gifts), the wheel appears with a vertical carousel of all perk types — plus rare real-world prizes!

Your child presses "SPIN!" and the reel spins for a few exciting seconds before landing on a perk. Each perk has a different likelihood of being won — common perks like Pause and Hint appear more often, while powerful ones like Shield and Streak Saver are rarer. Landing on "One of Each" triggers a Jackpot celebration with confetti! On very rare occasions, the wheel lands on a real-world prize — like a gift card or even a school visit from a team member — with an extra-special gold celebration.

During gameplay, available perks appear as clickable buttons in the perk tray at the bottom of the screen. Each button shows the perk icon and how many your child has left. Simply tap a perk to activate it!

Each perk can be used up to 2 times per game to keep things balanced. Perks carry over between games — unused perks stay in your child's inventory for next time.

Yes! From the Parent Dashboard, open the Manage Categories panel to gift perk spins to any of your children. Look for the "Gift a Perk!" button on each player's card. The gifted spins will appear as a Perkolating Wheel the next time your child opens their dashboard.

You can also directly manage perk inventories from the Admin Perks page, where you can set exact quantities for each perk type or use quick buttons like "Give 1 of Each" or "Give 5 of Each."

Achievements are milestone rewards that your child earns by reaching specific goals — like scoring milestones, winning streaks, completing categories, and more. Each achievement has a meaningful name and awards perk spins when unlocked. There are 30 achievements to discover!

Achievements span several categories:

• Getting Started — Play your first game ("Beginner Student"), try new game types ("Curious Learner")
• Score Milestones — Reach 100, 250, 500, 1,000, or 2,000 points in a single game
• Winning — Win a two-player game, win by 100+ points, or win by 500+ points
• Streaks — Get 10, 50, 100, or 250 correct answers in a row
• Category Mastery — Complete all questions in a category (basic and super levels)
• Dedication — Play 50, 100, 250, or 500 games
• Timed Challenges — Score 100+, 150+, or 250+ in Timed mode
• Strategy — Use every perk type at least once ("Master Strategist")
• Parent Gifts — Receive perks from a parent ("Messenger of Good Deeds")

It depends on the achievement! There are three types:

• One-time achievements — Earned once and marked with a checkmark (e.g., "Be Strong and Courageous" for 10 correct in a row)
• Limited achievements — Can be earned multiple times, up to a max (e.g., "Curious Learner" can be earned up to 6 times — once per game type)
• Unlimited achievements — Can be earned repeatedly with no cap (e.g., "Well-versed" for completing categories)

Each time an achievement is earned, your child receives its perk reward!

Achievements reward between 1 and 5 perk spins depending on difficulty:

• 1 spin — Starter achievements (first game, new game type, play 50 games, basic timed scores)
• 2 spins — Mid-tier (score 250+, win by 100+, use all perks, streak of 50, play 100 games)
• 3 spins — Advanced (score 500+, streak of 100, category basic completion, play 250 games, timed 250+)
• 5 spins — Elite (score 2,000+, streak of 250, category super completion, play 500 games)

On the Child's Dashboard, there is an "Achievements" tab that displays all 30 achievements in a visual grid. Each card shows the achievement name, the unlock condition, and the perk reward. Locked achievements appear dimmed with a lock icon, while earned ones are highlighted with progress indicators.

A streak is the number of correct answers in a row during a game. Streaks are tracked in real time and reset when a wrong answer is given (unless a Streak Saver perk is active).

Hitting streak milestones unlocks powerful achievements:

• 10 in a row — "Be Strong and Courageous" (1 spin)
• 50 in a row — "Sharp Mind" (2 spins)
• 100 in a row — "Greatly Diligent Student" (3 spins)
• 250 in a row — "One Who Diligently Sits at My Doors" (5 spins)

Categories are the subjects your child learns and plays with. Each category contains a set of questions focused on a specific topic. Currently available categories include:

• Science — Science questions and discoveries
• History — Historical events and people
• Geography — World geography and cultures

More categories will be added over time!

Each player can have up to 5 category slots. The three default categories (Science, History, Geography) are included automatically. The ability to add additional categories is coming soon.

There are two levels of category completion:

• Basic Completion — Answer every question in the category correctly at least once (across multiple games). This earns a Gold Star and unlocks the "Well-versed" achievement.
• Super Completion — Answer every question in the category correctly in a single game session. This earns a second Gold Star and unlocks the "Well-versed and Sharp" achievement. Much harder!

Completion progress is tracked as a percentage on the dashboard.

Gold Stars are visual badges displayed on your child's dashboard header. Each category can earn up to 2 stars:

• 1 star — Basic completion (100% answered correctly over time)
• 2 stars — Super completion (100% correct in one game)

With 3 categories, your child can earn up to 6 Gold Stars. Once they earn 5 or more stars, the stars start flashing with a special animation!

All questions are multiple choice with 4 answer options. Each question displays:

• The question text prominently
• Clear, readable formatting for easy understanding
• The instruction to "Choose the correct answer"

Questions are shuffled randomly each game, so your child won't see the same order twice!

Yes! We have plans to expand both:

• New categories — Additional subjects will be available to add to player profiles
• Difficulty levels — "Easy" and "Hard" modes are coming soon alongside the current "Medium" difficulty
• Add-on category slots — Parents will be able to purchase 5 additional category slots per player

Stay tuned for updates!

The Child's Dashboard is a personal hub with 4 main tabs:

• Categories — View selected subjects, completion progress (basic & super), and certificates
• Perks — See their full perk inventory with counts, icons, and descriptions
• Stats — View total score, wins, losses, games played, accuracy, play time, and high scores by mode
• Achievements — Browse all 30 achievements with progress indicators and unlock conditions

Plus a big "Play Now" button to jump right into a game!

Your child visits readysetsmart.com, which takes them directly to the Player Selection screen. They select their profile card and enter their 4-digit PIN. The PIN is verified, and they're taken to their personal dashboard. No parent login needed — the PIN only needs to be entered once per session.

Yes! There's a "Change PIN" button on the dashboard header. Your child will need to enter their current PIN to verify their identity, then choose a new 4-digit PIN. Parents can also change PINs from the Parent Dashboard.

The Stats tab provides a comprehensive view:

Overview cards:

• Total Score, Wins, Losses, Games Played, Overall Accuracy, Total Play Time

High Scores by Game Mode:

• For each mode played — the highest score, games played in that mode, and accuracy

When a parent gifts perk spins, they're saved as "pending spins." The next time your child opens their dashboard, the Perkolating Wheel will automatically appear so they can spin and claim their perks right away! It's a fun surprise.

Kids play on a family device (tablet, phone, or computer). The first time a device is used, a parent activates it by signing in with their email and password. After that one-time setup, kids go straight to the Player Selection screen whenever they visit readysetsmart.com. They simply:

• Select their player profile from the list
• Enter their 4-digit PIN
• They're in — ready to play or view their dashboard

Kids never need the parent's password — just their own PIN. Parents can log out all devices from the "Log Out All Devices" button in Account Settings if needed.

The Parent Dashboard is organized as a clean hub with 6 panels. Each button opens a focused section:

• Personal Info — Update your name, email, phone, and address
• Account Settings — Change your email or password, and manage device access with "Log Out All Devices"
• Manage Players — View and edit all your children's profiles (names, birthday, photo, PIN, leaderboard settings)
• Manage Categories — Control gameplay: toggle play access, restrict categories, and gift perks
• Secure Message — Send a message directly to Ready Set Smart support
• Manage Plan — View your subscription details, upgrade, downgrade, or cancel

For security, a password is required the first time you open any panel, and again after 5 minutes of inactivity.

From the hub, click "Manage Players". If your plan has available player slots, you'll see an "Add Player" card with a "+" icon. Click it to open the new player form where you'll enter:

• First and last name (required — cannot be changed later)
• A 4-digit PIN for the child's account

The new player will start with the default categories and a starter perk pack. You can add additional details (nickname, school, birthday, photo) afterward.

Player limits by plan: Single (1 player), Family (3 players), Family+ (7 players).

In the Manage Players panel, click on any player card to expand it. You can edit:

• Nickname — Displayed alongside their name
• School — School name
• Gender and Birthday
• Player PIN — Change their access code
• Profile Photo — Upload, change, or remove directly from the card header (JPG/PNG, max 5MB)
• Avatar — Choose from 12 fun animal avatars (shown on leaderboard when photo is hidden)
• Public Leaderboard — Separate toggles for name and photo visibility

Gameplay controls like Allow Play, Restrict Categories, and Gift a Perk! are now in the separate Manage Categories panel.

Note: The player's name cannot be changed after account creation.

From the Parent Dashboard hub, you have two panels for viewing your children's information. Manage Players shows all player profiles with a quick summary (wins/losses, accuracy, category progress) — expand any card to edit profile details. Manage Categories shows gameplay controls for each player, including play access, category restrictions, and gifting perks.

We offer three annual plans:

Plan	Price	Players	Features
Single Player	$60/year	1	Single-player game modes
Family	$100/year	Up to 3	All game modes including two-player
Family+	$150/year	Up to 7	All game modes including two-player

All new accounts receive a 3-day free trial. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time with prorated pricing.

Yes! In the Manage Plan panel, you can change your plan at any time. Pricing is prorated — you'll only pay the difference for the remaining time on your billing cycle when upgrading, or receive credit when downgrading.

You'll be shown a pricing summary before confirming, and a password is required for security.

From the hub, click "Account Settings" to open the email and password panel. Enter your current password for verification, then provide a new email, a new password (minimum 6 characters), or both.

From the hub, click "Secure Message" to open the contact form. Enter a subject and your message, then click "Send Message." This goes directly to the Ready Set Smart support team.

Cancellation is available in the Manage Plan panel. Please be aware that cancelling will permanently delete all player data — including profiles, progress, achievements, perks, and stats. You'll need to confirm with your password before the cancellation is processed. We recommend reaching out to support first if you're having any issues!

Absolutely. Each player card in Manage Players has two separate toggles:

• "Allow child's name on the Public Leaderboard" — Controls whether they appear at all
• "Show photo on the Leaderboard" — Controls whether their photo is shown (otherwise an avatar is displayed)

You can also pick a fun avatar for your child that will represent them on the leaderboard when their photo is hidden. The leaderboard is separated by boys and girls, so make sure to set the gender in the player's profile. Players without a gender set will not appear on the leaderboard.

Only if you choose to allow it. Each player has two separate controls in their profile on the Parent Dashboard: one to allow their name on the leaderboard, and another to allow their photo. When the photo toggle is off, a fun avatar (chosen by you) is shown instead. When the name toggle is off (the default), your child's information stays completely private.

Parents can optionally set their child's birthday in the Manage Players section of the Parent Dashboard. When a child's birthday arrives, a special birthday banner appears on their dashboard with a festive message. It's a fun personal touch — and completely optional.

The Top 10 Leaderboard is a public page that showcases the highest-scoring players for each game type. The leaderboard is separated into Boys and Girls sections (defaulting to Boys). Each entry displays the player's name, avatar or photo, school, and score.

To keep it fair, each player can only appear once per game type. Players only appear if their parent has turned on the name toggle and they have a gender set. You can also filter by category using the dropdown.

If a player's school is set in their profile, the school may be able to see basic information about which games and categories the child has played. This helps teachers understand what subjects your child is actively learning and practicing. No private details like scores, PINs, or parent information are shared — only the child's name, the categories they've played, and general activity.

If you prefer not to share this information, simply leave the school field blank in your child's profile.