Krillion "Too Clever" — what the 15-point tier actually means
Every Too Clever answer on record in the archive · updated September 30, 2026
Too Clever is the Krillion tier worth 15 points. It's the second-shallowest tier on the scale, one step above Plankton and a long way below Schooler. Getting it means your answer was accepted — it fits the prompt — but it scored almost nothing, because it was a sideways or cute pick rather than a rare one.
Short version: Too Clever = 15 points = 150 metres. The answer counted. It just didn't pay. If you want depth, you have to climb out of this tier, not argue your way around it.
The six Krillion tiers, side by side
Every accepted answer lands in exactly one of six tiers. The gap between Too Clever and the top of the scale is 85 points on a single prompt — which is why one Too Clever answer can sink an otherwise good run.
| Tier | Points | Depth | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| One in a Krillion | 100 | 1,000 m | The pick almost nobody else typed |
| Deep Cut | 85 | 850 m | Specific, still clearly valid |
| Rare | 60 | 600 m | Better than the crowd, no gamble |
| Schooler | 30 | 300 m | The middle rung — common but safe |
| Too Clever | 15 | 150 m | Accepted, but the crowd got there too |
| Plankton | 10 | 100 m | The first word most people type |
Why "Too Clever" exists as its own tier
The name is a warning, not a compliment. If your answer were simply common, it would score Plankton — the 10-point tier for the obvious answer. Too Clever is reserved for a different failure: an answer that looks clever while you're typing it, but that a large share of other players reached for at the same moment.
That's what separates it from Deep Cut. A Deep Cut answer is specific, and the game still counts it as rare. A Too Clever answer sits in a zone where being slightly unusual feels like enough — and then it turns out not to be.
12 real answers that scored Too Clever
This is the part a site that only covers today's puzzle can't write. Below is every Too Clever answer we have on record, across the Daily Dives from July 16 to September 29, 2026 — each one accepted by the game, each one worth 15 points.
| Answer | Prompt | Dive | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krillion | Name a word for a huge number (million or bigger) | #59 | Sep 12 |
| Neanderthal | Name a prehistoric mammal | #42 | Aug 26 |
| Saxophone | Name a brass instrument | #40 | Aug 24 |
| Pachinko | Name a casino game | #37 | Aug 21 |
| T-Series | Name a YouTuber with more than 100 million subscribers | #35 | Aug 19 |
| Pluto | Name a planet or dwarf planet in our solar system | #34 | Aug 18 |
| Mosaic | Name a web browser | #26 | Aug 10 |
| Netscape | Name a web browser | #26 | Aug 10 |
| Basilisk | Name a lizard species | #25 | Aug 9 |
| Boy (Roald Dahl) | Name a Roald Dahl book | #24 | Aug 8 |
| Black swan | Name a type of waterfowl | #22 | Aug 6 |
| Scrappy-Doo | Name a Scooby-Doo character | #8 | Jul 23 |
Prompts and answer counts come from the official reveal for each date. The grouping below is our own reading — the game doesn't publish a reason for any individual score.
Three patterns behind a Too Clever answer
1. Correct, but far too typical
The answer genuinely belongs in the category — it's just the version everyone reaches for. Neanderthal is a prehistoric mammal, and it's also the only one most players can name. Pachinko is gambling-adjacent, but it isn't a table game at a casino. T-Series sits near the top of the subscriber chart, but it's a music label rather than a person. Scrappy-Doo is a Scooby-Doo character, just a spin-off one.
2. Only just fits the category
These show how loosely the game holds some category borders. A saxophone isn't a brass instrument under the usual classification, but it was accepted. Pluto is a dwarf planet, not a planet — accepted. Boy is a Roald Dahl book, but it's memoir rather than fiction. Basilisk is a lizard name with a mythological double life.
3. Right answer, wrong decade
Mosaic and Netscape were browsers. They're the answer to "name a web browser" that a slightly older player reaches for first — and in a room full of people doing exactly that, both landed on 15 points on the same day.
Too Clever vs Plankton vs Deep Cut
These three get mixed up constantly, so here's the line between them. Plankton is the answer everybody writes: Pelé for a footballer, red for a colour. Too Clever is the answer that feels like a step up and isn't — it's accepted and it still scores near the bottom, because a lot of other people made the same small step. Deep Cut is the answer that took actual knowledge: specific, still clearly valid, and rare enough to pay 85.
Practical upshot: if you can't get to a name you'd have to look up, aim for the boring-but-valid answer (Schooler, 30 points) rather than the cute one. The cute one is the 15.
Krillion Too Clever FAQ
What is "Too Clever" in Krillion?
It's an official tier worth 15 points, or 150 metres of depth. The answer was accepted as valid but scored low, because it was a sideways or cute pick rather than a rare one. It sits directly above Plankton (10) and below Schooler (30).
How many points is Too Clever worth?
15 points, which is 150 metres. The full scale is Plankton 10, Too Clever 15, Schooler 30, Rare 60, Deep Cut 85, One in a Krillion 100.
Is Too Clever better than Plankton?
Yes, but only by 5 points. Both are shallow tiers. If you got Too Clever, your answer was accepted — the crowd had simply thought of something very close to it.
Why did my answer get Too Clever instead of a higher tier?
In our archive, most Too Clever answers fall into three shapes: correct but far too typical, only just fitting the category, or right answer from the wrong era.
Can a Too Clever answer be rejected?
No. Too Clever only appears on answers the game accepted. Rejected answers score nothing. It's the second-shallowest accepted tier, not a rejection.
What's the difference between Too Clever and Deep Cut?
15 points versus 85 — a 70-point gap on a single prompt. Deep Cut answers are specific but clearly valid; Too Clever answers are valid but crowded or borderline.