Terms of Service

Version 1.0 · Last updated 8 August 2026

GuessOff is owned and operated by Araknet Labs Limited, a company incorporated in Kenya, of 13 Jacaranda Avenue, Lavington, Nairobi ("GuessOff", "we", "us"). These Terms govern your use of the GuessOff game and website at www.guessoff.com.

By creating an account or playing, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use GuessOff.

1. Definitions

  • Duel — a rated 1v1 match between two players, each staking KSh 20 (Chess KSh 100).
  • Tournament — an eight-player bracket entered for KSh 100.
  • Challenge — an unrated match against a named friend at a stake you choose.
  • Practice — a free, unrated match against our bot. No money is staked.
  • Stake — the amount you commit to enter a match.
  • Pot — the combined stakes of both players in a duel, paid to the winner.
  • Escrow — stakes held by us for the duration of a match and released on settlement.
  • Rake — the percentage we retain from a tournament prize pool.
  • Handling fee — the single charge deducted from a withdrawal. It covers the cost of sending the money to your phone. There is no charge on a deposit.

2. What GuessOff is

GuessOff is a competitive word-deduction game. Two players each choose a secret five-letter word from our dictionary and take turns deducing the other's. Both players are subject to the same server-authoritative engine and the same rules, and a match is decided between the two players by their own choices, timing and reasoning.

We are not a participant in any match. We do not take a position against you, we offer no odds, and nothing is wagered against us — a duel is settled entirely out of the two players' own stakes. We charge a fee on the pot, which is how the platform is funded, but we never stand to gain from your result: the fee is the same whoever wins.

3. Eligibility

  • You must be 18 or older. We ask you to confirm this before you can play.
  • You must be resident somewhere that permits you to take part in paid competitions of this kind. It is your responsibility to know whether that is where you are.
  • One account per person. Additional accounts used to manipulate matchmaking, ratings or payouts will be closed.
  • You must not be excluded from our platform, whether by your own self-exclusion or by us.

4. Your handle

We assign you a randomly generated handle when you first sign in, and you may change it in settings. Your handle is public — it appears on leaderboards and to opponents. Your real name and email address are never shown to other players.

5. Stakes, pots and fees

  • A duel costs KSh 20 per player, except for the longer games, which are priced for the time they ask: Chess KSh 100. The stake is always shown before you commit. Both stakes are held in escrow for the duration of the match.
  • The winner receives KSh 36 — the KSh 40 pot less a 10% platform fee (Chess KSh 180 of KSh 200). A drawn board game returns both stakes in full with no fee. The fee is taken from the pot, never added to your stake: you are never charged more than the stake shown before you commit.
  • Tournament entry is KSh 100. We retain a 12.5% rake from the prize pool and the champion receives KSh 700.
  • A rematch may be offered at double the previous stake, up to 4 times in a row before the ladder stops and the next match returns to the original stake — for a duel, that ceiling is KSh 320. Both players must accept, and the amount is always shown before you commit.
  • Challenge matches are unrated and staked at an amount you type, from KSh 20 to KSh 2,000. The same 10% platform fee applies to the pot. Practice is free, is never staked, and carries no fee.
  • Deposits. No minimum — deposit any whole-shilling amount. Nothing is deducted — your wallet is credited exactly what you send.
  • Withdrawals. Minimum KSh 100. A handling fee is deducted from the amount you request. The exact amount you will receive is shown before you confirm.
  • Payment-processing fees on deposits are charged to you and shown in full before you confirm.
  • You can only stake money you have already deposited. We do not offer credit.

6. Match conduct and the clock

  • You have 30 seconds for each turn, and the clock resets at the start of every turn. It is not a budget for the whole match — thinking hard on one turn does not cost you the next.
  • Running out of time forfeits that turn, not the match. Your turn passes to your opponent and play continues.
  • If a player loses connection, the match pauses for both players rather than draining the clock of whoever dropped. There is a 60-second window to return, and a total of 90 seconds of pause per match. Beyond that the match can be settled without you.
  • If both players abandon a match, it is a no-contest and both stakes are refunded.
  • Using software to solve, automate or assist your play is prohibited, and forfeits the match and the stake.
  • Colluding with an opponent to move funds between accounts is prohibited and will result in closure and forfeiture.

7. Results are final

The server decides every outcome: whose turn it is, whether a letter is present, whether a word is valid, who won, and what the clock reads. What your device displays is informational, and where the two disagree the server's record governs. We will investigate suspected engine faults and correct genuine errors, including reversing affected settlements.

8. Your account and funds

  • Balances are held in Kenyan shillings, are not a deposit account, and do not earn interest.
  • You may withdraw available funds at any time, subject to the minimum above.
  • Before paying out we may ask you to verify your identity and that the mobile-money number is yours. We may hold a withdrawal until that is done where we are required to, or where a payout looks fraudulent.
  • Funds staked in a live match are unavailable until it settles.
  • We may suspend an account while investigating suspected fraud, collusion or automated play, and will tell you when we do.

9. Closing your account

You may close your account at any time from settings. We will pay out any available balance to your registered mobile-money number. An account cannot be closed while a match or tournament is still running or while a balance is outstanding — settle or withdraw first. We retain financial records for the period Kenyan law requires and anonymise the rest of your profile.

10. Prohibited conduct

  • Automated play, solvers, or any tool that plays or assists your play.
  • Multiple accounts, or playing on someone else's behalf.
  • Collusion, match-fixing, or arranging results between accounts.
  • Using GuessOff to move or launder funds.
  • Attempting to access another player's secret word, account, or balance, or to interfere with the engine.
  • Harassment of other players.

Breach may result in suspension, closure, and forfeiture of stakes involved in the breach.

11. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

GuessOff is provided "as is" and "as available". We do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted or error-free, and we are not liable for losses caused by your own connection, device, or mobile-money provider.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability arising out of or in connection with GuessOff is limited to the fees you have paid us in the three months before the event giving rise to the claim. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including for fraud.

12. Intellectual property

GuessOff, including its design, software, dictionary and trademarks, is owned by or licensed to Araknet Labs Limited. You may not copy, modify, or redistribute it without our written permission.

13. Complaints

If something has gone wrong — a settlement you believe is incorrect, a payout that has not arrived, or an account action you disagree with — write to support@guessoff.com with your handle and, where relevant, the match. We aim to acknowledge within two working days and to resolve within fourteen. Every match is logged move by move, so a disputed result can be reconstructed exactly.

14. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Kenya. We will try to resolve any dispute with you directly first; failing that, the courts of Kenya have jurisdiction.

15. Changes

We may change these Terms. Material changes — anything affecting stakes, fees, payouts or your funds — will be notified in the app before they take effect, and you will have the opportunity to withdraw your balance first.

16. Contact

Araknet Labs Limited, 13 Jacaranda Avenue, Lavington, Nairobi, Kenya.
Questions about these Terms: support@guessoff.com