AO3dle is a free web-based trivia game that tests players' knowledge of character popularity on Archive of Our Own (AO3) by guessing which of two characters has more fanfiction works.
What is AO3dle?
AO3dle is an online game that compares the number of fanfiction works for two randomly selected characters from AO3. Players see a pair of character images and names, along with their respective work counts (the left character's count is shown, the right is hidden), and must decide which character has more fanfics. The game runs entirely in the browser and is developed by an independent creator (no company or team is named on the site).
Key Features
- Daily Challenge — A single curated matchup available once per day, with a streak counter and best streak tracker.
- Endless Mode — Continuous play with random character pairs until the player makes a wrong guess.
- Global Leaderboards — Compete with other players; rankings are displayed on the site.
- Streak System — Track current streak and all-time best streak for both daily and endless modes.
- Difficulty Settings — Adjustable mode (Normal is the only visible option in the HTML, but the settings imply there may be more).
- Community Chat — An integrated chat box where players can comment on matchups and share reactions; messages are timestamped.
- Responsive Design — Works on desktop and mobile browsers without requiring an app download.
- No Registration Required — Play instantly without creating an account.
Who is it for?
- Fanfiction enthusiasts who spend time on AO3 and want to test their knowledge of which characters are most written about.
- Casual gamers looking for a quick, knowledge-based challenge that takes under a minute per round.
- Anime, gaming, and pop culture fans who recognize characters from a wide variety of franchises and enjoy comparing fandoms.
What can you do with AO3dle?
- Test your fandom knowledge: Guess which of two characters has more fanfics, learning surprising popularity rankings (e.g., Pikachu has 5,491 works vs. Princess Peach's lower count).
- Compete with friends: Share your streak on social media or compare scores via the leaderboard.
- Discover new fanfiction: After each round, you see the exact work count, which can lead you to explore works for characters you may not have considered.
How does AO3dle work?
- The game loads a random pair of characters from its database, displaying both images, names, and the work count for the left character.
- The player clicks either the left or right character to indicate which they believe has more works.
- If correct, the streak increases and a new pair appears. If wrong, the streak resets and the game ends in endless mode or the daily challenge is lost.
- The data is sourced from AO3's tag system, though some user comments suggest occasional inaccuracies due to tag overlap.
FAQ
Is AO3dle free?
Yes, AO3dle is completely free to play. There are no paywalls, subscriptions, or in-game purchases.
Does AO3dle require a registration?
No. You can start playing immediately without signing up or logging in. The streak and best score are stored locally in your browser.
How accurate are the character work counts?
The counts are pulled from AO3's tag search, but the site's own chat shows users occasionally reporting mismatches (e.g., Glaceon appearing with 70k+ works when its actual tag has fewer). The game itself acknowledges this in comments from the developer (e.g., "Thank you for your feedback. The number of submissions has been corrected.").
