What is MetaFour?
MetaFour is a daily trivia puzzle that reverses the usual question-answer format. The game displays a category constraint at the top of the board, then presents eight clue cards from unrelated domains such as music, television, literature, and film. You must identify which four answers satisfy the category rule. The challenge lies not in recalling facts but in examining the form of each answer to see whether it meets the stated constraint.
How to play MetaFour
- Start with the category constraint above the eight cards. Read it before examining any clue.
- Work out each clue mentally. Its answer may be a title, name, place, or something else.
- Then test each answer against the category rule, looking at its letters, structure, or other formal features.
- Tap the four cards that meet the constraint. They darken as you select them, and the PICKS bar gains one segment for each card.
- Once all four segments are filled, submit your choice. You have four guesses in total; a row of hearts labeled GUESSES and a counter show how many attempts remain.
Why the category comes first
MetaFour evaluates how you apply knowledge rather than whether you possess it. Knowing a co-host's name does not help until you inspect the answer letter by letter to see if it contains the day's required word or pattern. This gap between trivia recall and formal analysis makes the board more complex than eight cards suggest. The eight clues span deliberately unrelated topics to prevent thematic shortcuts.
Reading the feedback
Selecting a card darkens it, fills one PICKS segment, and updates the status line to show selections made out of four. The GUESSES row displays four hearts, and the counter beneath the button tracks remaining attempts. The game does not explain the penalty for an incorrect guess, so treat each submission carefully.
Modes and access
MetaFour offers a Daily Puzzle tied to the current date, shown at the top of the page. A PAST PUZZLES link at the top provides access to previous days' boards for additional practice or catch-up play.
Tips for a stronger guess
Examine the answer's form, not the clue's subject. A clue you solve instantly may be the trap card placed to test whether you remember to check the constraint. If the category asks for answers containing a specific word, scan each solved answer for that word rather than relying on the clue's topic.
Work through all eight clues before making any selection. Comparing candidates side by side reveals which four share the formal property and which four do not. If two answers look equally plausible, reread the category to clarify what counts as a match.
The board's eight domains are intentionally unrelated. Do not search for a thematic link between a cartoon line and a film role; the connection exists only in the structure of their answers, not their content.