In short: the Originle answer is the country of the guest's roots, not where they live. To find it without spoilers, ignore the accent, listen for food, festivals and words used at home, narrow to a region with the cheat sheet below, then guess the biggest diaspora country in that region first. Want more practice? Roots #11 (October 26, 2026) is playable above.
The hint ladder: from clue to country
- Words from home. A greeting, a word for grandma, how they address elders. Even one word can pin down a language family.
- The family table. A Sunday dish or a holiday food is often the single strongest clue — see the cheat sheet.
- The calendar. Which new year, which religious holidays, which national day they celebrate.
- The map. Coast or mountains, islands or desert, a famous river or landmark near the family home.
- The neighbours. Once you have a region, pick the country with the largest diaspora first, then move one border at a time.
Cheat sheet: what they mention → where to look
| If they mention… | Region | Countries to try first |
|---|---|---|
| Jollof, fufu, plantain, egusi; matching family outfits at weddings | West Africa | Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire |
| Injera, coffee ceremonies, a calendar of its own | Horn of Africa | Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia |
| Adobo, “po” for elders, Christmas from September | Maritime South-East Asia | Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia |
| Phở, Tết, sticky rice, water festivals in April | Mainland South-East Asia | Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos |
| Biryani, Diwali or Eid, cricket, several languages at home | South Asia | India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal |
| Pierogi, borscht, name days, Orthodox or Catholic Easter | Central & Eastern Europe | Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia |
| Mezze, mint tea, Ramadan iftars, French mixed with Arabic | Middle East & North Africa | Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, Syria |
| Tamales, arepas, empanadas, Día de Muertos, quinceañeras | Latin America | Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina |
| Ackee, roti, carnival, patois or creole at home | Caribbean | Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Dominican Republic |
| Kimchi, dumplings, red envelopes, bowing to elders | East Asia | South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan |
Today's Roots hints — #11
These are for our own Roots daily, not Originle. Each hint opens one level at a time.
Person 1
Words: A friend is greeted with “¿Qué onda?”
Hint 1: the continent
Their roots are in North America.
Hint 2: the first letter
The country starts with M.
Hint 3: reveal the country
Mexico.
Person 2
Words: “Barev!”
Hint 1: the continent
Their roots are in Asia.
Hint 2: the first letter
The country starts with A.
Hint 3: reveal the country
Armenia.
Person 3
Words: “G'day, mate.”
Hint 1: the continent
Their roots are in Oceania.
Hint 2: the first letter
The country starts with A.
Hint 3: reveal the country
Australia.
How to play Roots
- Each day brings three people, the same for everyone. You see one clue about each person's family to start.
- Type a country and press Guess. A wrong guess opens the next clue and tells you whether you are on the right continent.
- A first-clue solve scores 100. Each extra clue costs 20 and each wrong guess 15; any solve scores at least 10.
- Finish the daily for your streak and a share card, then keep going in Unlimited.
Roots vs. Originle
| Roots (here) | Originle | |
|---|---|---|
| People per day | 3 | 1 |
| Clues | 5 written clues | A video introduction plus clues |
| Guesses | 3 per person | 3 |
| Play more after the daily | Free unlimited sets | Daily only when we checked |
| Works without sound | Yes, text only | Video-based |
More to play
Originle: how to play and games like it · Farflung unlimited · Rarest Answer daily · Krillion daily hints · all games