A case begins with one clue. You form an impression, enter a diagnosis and decide whether the information is enough to commit. When the guess is wrong, another clue appears. iatroX rounds turns that changing clinical picture into a daily diagnosis challenge, with six opportunities to identify the answer.
rounds is already part of iatroX. This introduction brings its familiar format into the expanded collection alongside the new stat and clinical connections games. The central question has not changed: which diagnosis best explains the information revealed so far, and what should make you reconsider your first impression?
One clinical story, six opportunities
The rounds game starts with a clinical clue and a diagnosis entry field. Read the information, enter a diagnosis or use the available suggestions, and submit your guess. An incorrect answer reveals the next clue. You can make up to six guesses.
Each attempt belongs to the same unfolding clinical story. That makes rounds different from stat, where the three decision scenes are independent. In rounds, the new information should change or strengthen your interpretation of what you have already seen.
The game is free to play. An account provides saved statistics and streak information, but the clinical challenge does not become meaningful only after registration. A first-time visitor can start with the case itself and decide afterwards whether keeping a longer record of play would be useful.
What to think about before the first guess
Before entering a diagnosis, pause long enough to identify what the first clue actually establishes. Which facts are present? Which details are still unknown? Are you recognising a coherent pattern, or reacting to one familiar phrase?
You do not need to construct an exhaustive differential for a daily game. A more manageable habit is to hold a leading explanation alongside one plausible alternative. That gives the next clue something to work on: does it support your first interpretation, favour the alternative or introduce a possibility you had not considered?
A short fictional example illustrates the method without revealing a live case. An opening description mentions a recurrent symptom. Your first impression depends partly on assuming when it occurs. A later clue specifies a different timing pattern. The useful response is to revisit the assumption, not force the new information into the first answer because you have already invested a guess in it.
Let each new clue change the question
History, examination findings and investigations can contribute different kinds of information. In the game, they arrive through the authored clues rather than through an unrestricted patient interview. Your job is to interpret what appears, not assume that an unmentioned finding has been assessed and found absent.
After an incorrect guess, ask one small question: what has the next clue added? That is more useful than simply choosing the next diagnosis on a mental list. Sometimes the new information narrows the possibilities. Sometimes it changes the overall interpretation of the case.
A correct diagnosis reached early can be satisfying, but a later correction can contain an equally useful discussion. The score records when you reached the intended answer; it does not explain whether the earlier reasoning was sensible or whether the final answer was a fortunate guess. That is why the debrief deserves attention.
Entering the diagnosis
rounds supports recognised synonyms, abbreviations and spelling variations. This makes the entry process less dependent on reproducing one exact phrase, but it should not be read as a promise that every possible expression will match.
Use a clear diagnosis rather than an extended paragraph containing several alternatives. Where suggestions are available, they can help you identify the intended term. Distinguish a terminology problem from a reasoning problem: an unsupported abbreviation and an incorrect clinical interpretation are not the same issue.
The game remains a diagnosis challenge rather than a free-text clinical consultation. It does not establish that a real patient has the condition, and it should not be used to determine care from a partial account of an actual encounter.
What 3/6 means
A rounds result of 3/6 means the diagnosis was identified on the third guess out of a maximum of six. It does not mean that three of six questions were answered correctly. Fewer guesses represent an earlier solution to that edition.
The distinction matters when sharing results across the new collection. stat also uses a denominator of six, but its result describes points earned across three decisions. clinical connections uses a points total out of 1,000, with a separate completion time. These are different measures of different activities.
Within rounds, compare like with like. A first attempt and a replay of a case whose answer you remember are different experiences. The replay can still be useful for reviewing the explanation, but it is not a clean test of how readily you would recognise a new case.
What happens after the diagnosis?
The answer is followed by a concise explanation, distinguishing features and a clinical pearl. Read these even when you solved the case quickly. They can show whether the clue you relied on was the most informative one or whether another feature carried more weight.
A practical debrief has three parts: the detail you noticed, the detail you initially underweighted and the distinction you would like to retain. You do not need to write a formal reflection after every edition. A single sentence can be enough to make the learning point specific.
For a deeper discussion, the clinical teaching guide describes suggested ways to use an archived game with a group. These are facilitation ideas, not a claim that rounds includes an automatic classroom mode or that a diagnosis score establishes professional competence.
The archive and your personal record
The rounds archive allows you to explore earlier cases. Archive filters help with browsing, while account-based statistics include streaks and guess distribution. Those features can make the history of your play easier to see without turning it into a mandatory schedule.
A streak records participation, not the quality of the learning that occurred. A guess distribution records game results, not a clinical appraisal. Use them as personal context: perhaps you are returning regularly, perhaps a particular case prompted a useful review, or perhaps you simply enjoy the daily puzzle.
For teaching, choose an archived case in advance and examine its explanation yourself. That avoids discovering halfway through a session that the case does not fit the objective or that somebody has already shared today's answer.
Sharing the challenge, not the diagnosis
Spoiler-free sharing gives another person a reason to attempt the same case. Use the game's result instead of a screenshot containing the diagnosis or later clues. Once both people have played, discuss what changed the interpretation rather than only comparing guess counts.
rounds now sits beside two complementary options. stat moves the focus towards priorities and actions. clinical connections asks you to organise clinical concepts. They expand the choice of daily activity without removing the simple appeal of one case, one developing picture and a diagnosis to uncover.
Frequently asked questions
How many guesses do I get in rounds?
You have up to six guesses. An incorrect guess reveals another clue, allowing you to reconsider the diagnosis as the clinical picture develops.
Do I need an account to play?
No account is required for the free daily challenge. An account is useful for saving statistics and streak information over time.
Is rounds one of the newly launched games?
No. rounds is the existing diagnosis game. stat and clinical connections are the new additions alongside it in the iatroX collection.