Online Games: Answer Six Questions and Win Points Toward a Prize

By Michele Blandino

Here's a site for all you trivia buffs as well as for those whose brains are an endless repository of facts, figures and other usually useless information. Six Questions launched in March of 2004 with, according to their website, one goal in mind: "to entertain people on a daily basis" (although we suspect that they also hope to make some money along the way!).

How it Works

The premise behind Six Questions is really pretty simple: points are earned each time you are able to correctly answer all six questions of a daily quiz. Quiz topics range from 70's nostalgia to the plotline of the current Soprano's episode.

To begin, you will create an account to which 25 points are automatically deposited (registration is free, however, your name, address and a valid e-mail address is required). Then each day you log-in, you account will be credited with one more point than the day before (26 points on the second day, 27 points on third day, and so on) up to a maximum of 100 points. Once the 100 point level is reached, you will receive 100 points each day you log-in.

Before taking the quiz, you will be asked to wager some of your points (the maximum allowable wager is 200 points per quiz) based on your confidence that you will be able to correctly answer all six questions within the allotted time period - usually 90 seconds. When the quiz expires (usually after 3 or 4 days) points are awarded proportionately to those who correctly answered all six questions based on the number of points wagered. Likewise, the amount wagered is deducted from your account if at least one question is answered incorrectly.

What are the Points Used for?

Points that accumulate in your account can be redeemed for prizes, however, it will take some pretty ambitious bidding (and a wealth of knowledge) to accumulate the needed points. For example, a $20 gift card for Target or Eddie Bauer will set you back 195,000 points while a Ford GT can be yours for 1,400,000,000 points.

So, What's the Catch?

All in all, this site seems to be legitimate. There is even a statement on the registration page assuring registrants that their e-mail address will not be sold or shared with third parties.

The only area where you need to proceed with caution is with the offers to "earn points". For instance, the offer to earn 60,000 points by signing up for a free trial with Ancestry.com will require you to provide a credit card number that will be charged for the annual subscription after your two week free trial has ended (provided you do not elect to cancel the service).

There are less costly ways to earn points. For example, you can participate in one of the many daily opinion polls that are posted and earn 3 points for each poll completed. Or, you could submit a quiz of your own and earn 10,000 points if the quiz is accepted.

The Bottom Line

In the end, chances are you won't earn enough points to win a significant prize. But, with several fresh quizzes each day, SixQuestions.com is a good place to spend a few minutes each day.