The daily medical game from Aotearoa New Zealand

What is Rounds?

Rounds is named after the ward round. Each day there are seven beds to see, and behind each bed is a different kind of puzzle: a case to diagnose, a drug to name, a bug to track down. A full round takes about ten minutes and is worth up to 700 points.

It works the way Wordle does. There is one set a day, everybody gets the same one, and you can share your score with your class when you finish. What makes it a medical game is the content: clinical cases, pharmacology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, pitched at medical school level.

The seven puzzles

• The CaseA patient unfolds over six clues, from the presenting complaint to the clincher. Name the diagnosis early for more points: 100 on the first clue, 25 on the last.
• Mystery MedFive clues to one drug, from what it treats to its giveaway side effect.
• Side EffectsOne drug, eight possible adverse effects, four of them real. Find all four before three strikes.
• Bug HuntFive clues to one organism: bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite.
• Match UpPair six on the left with six on the right: antibodies and diseases, nerves and muscles, kupu Māori and their meanings.
• In OrderPut five steps in sequence: pathways, layers, timelines.
• BlitzTen high-yield buzzwords in sixty seconds.

A wrong guess is never wasted. In the clue puzzles it reveals the next clue and tells you how close you were, for example the right body system but the wrong kind of disease. Every puzzle ends with a short teaching point.

Made for New Zealand

Most medical quiz games are written for American or British exams. Rounds is written in Aotearoa New Zealand, for the way medicine is taught and practised here:

• New Zealand spelling, so it is haemoglobin, oedema and paediatrics.
• New Zealand drug names, such as paracetamol, adrenaline and salbutamol. The American names still work if you type them.
• Lab results in the units our labs report, such as mmol/L and g/L.
• Puzzles on health in Aotearoa and on te reo Māori for the body and for health.

You do not have to be in New Zealand to play. The medicine is the same everywhere.

Scores, streaks and leaderboards

Finish at least one puzzle a day to keep your streak. Your scores go on three boards: one for your class, one for your country and one for everyone. To set up a class board, create a class and share its code or invite link.

You can play without an account. If you want your streak on your phone and your laptop, sign in with Google or Apple, or link the two devices with a one-time code. The privacy policy says exactly what is stored.

Questions

Is Rounds free?

Yes. Every puzzle is free and you do not need an account to play.

Who is Rounds for?

Medical students in their pre-clinical and clinical years, and anyone else who likes revising medicine a few minutes at a time: house officers, and nursing, pharmacy and paramedic students.

When do new puzzles come out?

At midnight, your local time. Everyone gets the same seven puzzles each day.

Can I play earlier days?

Yes. Every past day stays open under Previous rounds. Those plays are practice: they do not change your streak or your place on a leaderboard.

Is there a Rounds app?

Rounds installs from your browser. On iPhone, open it in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. On Android or a computer, use Install in the browser menu. It then opens like any other app and works offline.

Can my class have its own leaderboard?

Yes. Open the board, create a class, and share its code or invite link. There is also a board for your country and one for everyone.

Is Rounds connected to other games called Rounds?

No. This Rounds is an independent game made in New Zealand, at rounds.altair571.app. It is not connected to the Rounds video game or to other medical apps with a similar name.

Is Rounds medical advice?

No. Rounds is for study and fun. Do not use it to make decisions about a patient or about your own health.

Spotted a mistake in a puzzle, or have one to suggest? Email support@rounds.altair571.app.