How the Game Works
Who Wants to Be a Billionaire is a daily trivia game inspired by the classic game show format. Each day, a fresh set of 15 questions is released at midnight. Every player worldwide plays the same question set on the same day — making it a shared, competitive experience.
- 15 questions per game, scaling from easy at Q1 to expert at Q15.
- Four answer options (A, B, C, D) for every question.
- Three lifelines — one of each type, available for the main game only.
- Two safe havens that guarantee a minimum prize floor.
- Walk Away option — you can leave at any point before locking in an answer.
- Daily reset at midnight. Each new day brings a completely new question set.
The Prize Ladder
The 15-question prize ladder takes you from $100 at Q1 to $1,000,000 at Q15. A wrong answer drops you back to your most recent safe haven — or to $0 if you have not yet reached one.
| Question | Prize | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | $100 | Easy |
| Q2 | $200 | Easy |
| Q3 | $300 | Easy |
| Q4 | $500 | Easy |
| Q5 | $1,000 | Safe Haven ★ |
| Q6 | $2,000 | Medium |
| Q7 | $4,000 | Medium |
| Q8 | $8,000 | Medium |
| Q9 | $16,000 | Medium |
| Q10 | $32,000 | Safe Haven ★ |
| Q11 | $64,000 | Hard |
| Q12 | $125,000 | Hard |
| Q13 | $250,000 | Hard |
| Q14 | $500,000 | Expert |
| Q15 | $1,000,000 | Expert |
| Q16 | Advance to Q17 | Billionaire Round (optional) |
| Q17 | $1,000,000,000 | Billionaire Round |
★ Safe Havens explained: Once you correctly answer Q5 or Q10, your minimum guaranteed prize is locked in at that level. A wrong answer on any subsequent question drops you to your safe haven amount, not to zero. If you have not yet passed Q5, a wrong answer means you leave with $0.
The Three Lifelines
You have exactly one of each lifeline per game. Once a lifeline is used, it is gone for the rest of that day's game. Lifelines cannot be refilled, bought, or earned back — use them wisely.
50/50
Two of the four wrong answers are eliminated, leaving you with one correct answer and one incorrect answer. Does not tell you which remaining answer is correct — you still have to decide.
Phone a Friend
You call a virtual expert in the relevant category, who gives their best answer along with a confidence level. The expert is not always right — treat their input as one data point alongside your own reasoning.
Ask the Audience
The audience votes on all four answers and the percentage distribution is shown. The crowd is right most of the time — especially on general knowledge questions — but be cautious on specialist topics where crowd knowledge is thinner.
The Billionaire Round
The Billionaire Round is an optional two-question extension unlocked only by correctly answering Q15 and winning $1,000,000. You are never obligated to enter it.
Before You Enter
You are offered the choice to enter the Billionaire Round immediately after winning $1,000,000. If you decline, you leave with $1,000,000. Your decision must be made before Q16 is shown.
Question 16
Q16 is an expert-level question with no lifelines available. If you answer correctly, you advance to Q17 with your $1,000,000 still intact. If you answer incorrectly, your prize drops to $500,000 (the Billionaire Round consolation floor).
After Q16 — Walk or Play?
After answering Q16 correctly, you are given the option to walk away with your full $1,000,000 before Q17 is revealed. This is your last opportunity to leave with the full million. If you choose to answer Q17, the walk option disappears.
Question 17
Q17 is the hardest question in the game — near-specialist level. If you answer correctly, you win $1,000,000,000. If you answer incorrectly, your prize falls to $32,000 (the Q10 safe haven amount serves as the Q17 consolation floor).
Q16 wrong → $500,000 | Q16 right, walk → $1,000,000 | Q16 right, Q17 right → $1,000,000,000 | Q16 right, Q17 wrong → $32,000
The Leaderboard
Who Wants to Be a Billionaire tracks performance across three leaderboard categories:
Daily Leaderboard
Resets every day at midnight. All players who play today's question set are ranked by prize amount reached, with ties broken by completion time. A free account is required to appear on the leaderboard.
Weekly Rankings
Aggregates your daily performance across the current week. Weekly rankings reward consistency — a player who reaches $250,000 every day will rank above someone who hits $1,000,000 once and $100 the other six days.
Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame records all-time top scores and notable achievements: Billionaire Round entries, $1,000,000 wins, longest winning streaks, and highest cumulative weekly totals. Creating a free account is required for Hall of Fame eligibility.
Walk Away
You can walk away from the game at any point before you lock in your answer to the current question. Walking away means you leave with the prize you have already secured — the amount shown for the previous question you answered correctly.
Walking is not failure. Walking at Q12 with $125,000 when you have no lifelines and are uncertain about Q13 is correct, rational strategy. The game is designed to tempt you forward — knowing when to stop is a skill in itself.
- Walk before Q1: leave with $0
- Walk after Q5, before Q6: leave with $1,000
- Walk after Q10, before Q11: leave with $32,000
- Walk after Q15 (decline Billionaire Round): leave with $1,000,000
- Walk after Q16 (before answering Q17): leave with $1,000,000
Frequently Asked Questions
The main game has 15 questions. After winning $1 million at Q15, you can optionally enter the Billionaire Round which adds 2 more questions (Q16 and Q17) for a chance at $1 billion.
Yes. A brand new set of 15 questions is released every day at midnight. All players worldwide play the same daily question set, making it a shared competitive experience.
You continue playing without lifelines. You can still answer questions, use the Walk Away option, or attempt any remaining questions on your own. Lifelines cannot be refilled during a game.
No. All lifelines are locked once you enter the Billionaire Round. Q16 and Q17 must be answered with no assistance of any kind.
Safe havens are guaranteed prize floors at Q5 ($1,000) and Q10 ($32,000). Once you correctly answer a safe haven question, you cannot fall below that prize amount for the rest of the game — even if you answer a later question incorrectly.
No — you can play the daily game without an account. However, a free account is required to appear on the daily leaderboard, weekly rankings, and Hall of Fame, and to track your personal statistics and streak.
Ready to Play?
Today's question set is live. 15 questions. 3 lifelines. One shot at $1 billion.
▶ Play Today's Game