The three-candidate drill
Practise the decision itself, rather than endlessly adding to a list.
Set up a short round
Choose a category with a clear boundary and write one safe candidate. Then search by a different route for two alternatives. Stop at three.
This is an invented practice exercise, not a research claim about an optimal number of thoughts. Its purpose is to make your decision process observable and keep the task small enough to repeat.
Score your process
For each candidate, note whether it fits, whether you know the spelling, and which source could verify it. Do not assign a made-up global rarity percentage.
Now choose the candidate you would submit with five seconds left. If your choice differs from the one you liked at the beginning, write down what changed.
Repeat with feedback
After checking the facts, repeat a similar category on another day. Notice whether the same uncertain connection returns. That is a useful place to repair your notes.
Practising this process does not guarantee a higher game score. It can, however, make the reason for a poor submission much clearer than simply labelling the round unlucky.
Sources & further reading
An original Krillion field note. Reviewed 12 October 2026. Exercises are editorial suggestions, not measured claims about learning outcomes or player answer frequencies.