In short: Floor Duel is a free way to play a The Floor-style game online. In solo mode you start in the centre of a 3×3 floor; each of the eight other squares belongs to a computer contestant with their own category. Challenge a square next to you and you duel in that category: 30 seconds each on a chess clock, name the picture or clue to pass the clock back, and the first to run out loses. Win and the square is yours; lose and your floor ends. Party mode runs the same duel for two people with a host. 16 categories, 702 items, no sign-up.
How The Floor format works
The Floor is a TV quiz show built around territory. The studio floor is divided into squares, and each contestant stands on one square that carries a secret category. A randomly chosen player challenges a neighbour, and the two face off in the defender's category in front of a big screen. Pictures or clues flash up one at a time. Each player has their own countdown clock; it runs only while it is that player's turn to answer, and a correct answer hands the turn to the opponent. Passing is allowed but costs time.
Whoever runs out of time first is eliminated, and the winner absorbs the loser's squares. Players with large territories become easy to reach, so a strong contestant can find themselves defending a category they never chose. The show keeps going until one person owns the whole floor. What makes the format fun to play at home is how simple it is: you need nothing but categories, a clock and quick recall. That is the part we built here, with our own categories and questions.
How to play Floor Duel here
- Pick an opponent speed. Easy, Normal or Hard sets how fast the computer contestants answer. You can change it before the first duel of each floor.
- Choose a glowing square. You start in the centre. Squares touching your territory glow; tap one to see who holds it and which category you'll duel in.
- Start the clock and type. The item appears on screen — an emoji picture or a text clue. Type the answer and press Enter. A correct answer stops your clock and starts the opponent's on a new item.
- Pass when you're stuck. Pass shows the answer for 3 seconds while your clock keeps running, then gives you the next item. It is usually faster than staring at a blank.
- Watch both clocks. Below ten seconds a clock turns red. When one reaches zero the duel ends: win and you take the square, lose and the floor is over.
- Clear the floor. Each win opens new neighbours. Take all nine squares to clear the floor, then share your grid — 🟧 for your squares, ⬛ for the rest.
The categories
There are 16 categories with at least 30 items each — enough that a 30-second duel never runs out. 6 of them are picture rounds that use emoji; the rest are text clues such as a country, a symbol or a code. Every floor deals nine different categories at random, so no two floors play the same.
| Category | You see | Items | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animals | Picture (emoji) | 63 | 🦓 → zebra, 🦊 → fox, 🐊 → crocodile |
| Fruit & Veg | Picture (emoji) | 37 | 🍊 → orange, 🍑 → peach, 🥬 → lettuce |
| Food & Drink | Picture (emoji) | 47 | 🌭 → hot dog, 🍤 → shrimp, 🥧 → pie |
| Things That Move | Picture (emoji) | 37 | 🚌 → bus, 🚜 → tractor, 🚊 → tram |
| Sports & Games | Picture (emoji) | 40 | 🏈 → american football, 🏒 → ice hockey, ⛸️ → ice skating |
| Around the House | Picture (emoji) | 50 | 🪑 → chair, 💡 → light bulb, 🔨 → hammer |
| Capital Cities | Name the capital | 56 | Italy → Rome, Poland → Warsaw, Russia → Moscow |
| US State Capitals | Which state has this capital? | 50 | Tallahassee → Florida, Richmond → Virginia, Denver → Colorado |
| State Abbreviations | Which US state is this? | 50 | FL → Florida, VA → Virginia, CO → Colorado |
| Chemical Symbols | Name the element | 43 | Li → lithium, Si → silicon, Mn → manganese |
| Airport Codes | Which city is this airport code? | 46 | LHR → London, SEA → Seattle, PHL → Philadelphia |
| Currencies | Name the currency | 40 | United States → dollar, Switzerland → franc, Thailand → baht |
| Languages | Main language spoken here? | 40 | Argentina → Spanish, Finland → Finnish, Czechia → Czech |
| Baby Animals | What is the baby called? | 33 | cow → calf, frog → tadpole, rabbit → kit |
| Roman Numerals | What number is this? | 34 | IX → 9, XXX → 30, XC → 90 |
| Times Tables | Quick! What's the answer? | 36 | 8 × 9 → 72, 3 × 9 → 27, 6 × 6 → 36 |
Opponent speeds
| Level | Seconds per item | Knows the answer | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 3.6–6 | 75% | Kids, phone typing, learning the categories |
| Normal | 2.6–4.6 | 85% | Most players on a keyboard |
| Hard | 1.8–3.4 | 93% | Fast typists who know their capitals |
A computer contestant that doesn't know an item passes and loses 3 seconds, just like you. On Normal you need to answer in roughly three to four seconds per item to stay level, which is about the pace of the TV show.
Hosting a party duel
Party mode recreates the studio duel for living rooms, classrooms and office socials. It needs one screen everyone can see and one person to act as host.
- Set up. Switch to Party duel, type both players' names and choose a category — or leave it on Random for a surprise. Each player gets 45 seconds.
- Seat the host. The host holds the phone or sits at the keyboard. With "Show the answer to the host" ticked, the correct answer appears in small text under each item so the host can judge quickly.
- Play out loud. Player 1 starts. They shout the answer; the host taps ✓ Correct (or Space) and the clock passes to Player 2. Pass (or P) reveals the answer and burns 3 seconds.
- Run a bracket. For more than two people, play winner-stays-on: the winner of each duel picks the next challenger and the next category. Rematch keeps the same names and category.
Tip for teachers: Times Tables, Roman Numerals, Chemical Symbols and Capital Cities make fast review games. Cast the browser tab to a projector and let two students duel while the class watches.
Tips to win more duels
- Pass early. If a name doesn't come within a second or two, pass. The 3-second penalty is cheaper than a five-second blank, and the next item may be easy.
- Short answers count. You don't need the full name: "panda" works for giant panda, "LA" for Los Angeles. Small typos are forgiven on longer words, so don't stop to fix them.
- Attack weak categories first. Look at the four glowing squares and start with the category you know best. A bigger floor gives you more options later.
- Save the corners. Corners can only be reached from two sides. Take the edges first so you can choose which corner to fight for.
- Keep your eyes on the item. Typing on a phone? Use Easy until the keyboard feels natural; the clock doesn't care how good your trivia is if your thumbs are slow.
Floor Duel compared with other ways to play
| Option | Solo vs computer | Answer checking | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor Duel (this page) | Yes — 3×3 floor, 3 speeds | Automatic, typo-tolerant; host mode for parties | None, works on phones |
| Presenter-style web versions | Usually no | A presenter judges every answer | Add players and categories first |
| DIY slideshow | No | Manual | Build slides and timers yourself |
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