What is LinkedIn Pinpoint?
Pinpoint is a guessing game about categories. Five clue words are hidden at the start, and they are revealed one at a time. After each new word you can guess the category that links them all. If you get it with only one or two words showing, you are doing very well. If you need all five, the connection might have been sneakier than it looked. The fun comes from how differently the clues can be read. A single word can belong to many categories, and the second clue often sends your thinking in a completely new direction. Each round is over in about a minute, so it is a great warm-up before other puzzles. It is part of LinkedIn's daily set and works well as a friendly competition among colleagues. It suits trivia fans and anyone who is good at spotting what things have in common.
How to play
- Look at the first clue and guess the category it belongs to.
- Each wrong guess reveals another clue word.
- Name the category in as few clues as possible. There are five in total.
Quick facts
- Typical time
- 1–2 min
- Difficulty
- Easy–medium
- Price
- Free.
- Account
- Not needed. Signing in to LinkedIn adds streaks and leaderboards.
- Past puzzles
- No. LinkedIn only offers today's puzzle.
- On a phone
- In the browser, or in the LinkedIn app.
Tips to get better
- Always guess on the first clue. A wrong guess only reveals the next clue, which you'd need anyway. There's nothing to lose.
- List the ways one word can belong. A single word can be a kind of thing, half of a phrase, something with a certain feature, or a word that hides another word. Run through those before you settle on a theory.
- Let the second clue overrule you. Ask what the first two words share. If your first idea doesn't fit the new word, drop it at once.
- Suspect double meanings. Words like bat, pitch and jam are chosen on purpose. Write down both meanings and see which one the other clues agree with.
- Be as specific as the clues allow. 'Things with keys' fits a piano, a keyboard and a map. 'Instruments' doesn't. The category is usually narrower than your first thought.
Who it's for
Pinpoint is a quick test of lateral thinking. It's over in a minute, and getting it from one clue feels like a magic trick. It's also the most hit-and-miss of LinkedIn's games: sometimes the category is something you'd never have thought of, and wordplay categories are tough if English isn't your first language. As a warm-up, it's ideal.
