Cinematrix
Rate itName a film for every square of a three by three grid of actors and clues.
on vulture.com
Cinematrix is Vulture's daily movie trivia grid. Three clues run down the side, usually actors or directors, and three across the top, such as a decade, an Oscar nomination or a co-star; for each square you name a film that fits both. You get nine guesses for nine squares, and films that fewer players chose score more.
About Cinematrix
Cinematrix is a daily movie grid from Vulture, New York magazine's culture site. It was made by Vulture editor Neil Janowitz and contributor Joe Reid, who took the idea from the Immaculate Grid baseball game, and it is built with the team behind Movie Grid. Each day's game is numbered and dated; the grid for October 2, 2026 was number 920.
The board is three by three. Down the side are three people, usually actors and sometimes directors. Across the top are three descriptions: a span of years, an Oscar nomination, a co-star, a film based on a book. For each square you type a film that fits both its row and its column. Every guess is final, and you have exactly nine, so a wrong answer leaves a square empty for the day. A film can only be used once.
Every correct answer shows how many players picked the same film, and your score rises when you name films few others thought of. At the end you see your total, the hardest squares of the day and the most unusual answers people found, and you can share a grid of coloured squares.
It suits film fans who know filmographies beyond the hits. Vulture also makes Telematrix, a TV version of the same grid.
How to play Cinematrix
- Open the day's Cinematrix on Vulture.
- Read the three clues down the side and the three across the top; tap a clue to see a headshot or more detail.
- Pick a square and type a film that fits both its row and its column.
- Lock in the guess; it is final, and you have nine guesses for the nine squares.
- Fill as many squares as you can, then see your score, how rare each pick was and the day's stats.
Screenshots
Tips
- Fill the squares you are sure of first, so a wrong guess late in the game costs less.
- For extra points, skip the most famous film that fits and name a smaller one you are sure of.
- An Oscar-nominated film clue counts any nomination for the film, not only one for the actor.
- Use full titles, including a leading The, so the game recognises your answer.
Questions
Is Cinematrix free?
Yes. It is free to play on the Vulture website, which carries ads.
How many guesses do you get in Cinematrix?
Nine, one for each square. Every guess is final, and a wrong one leaves that square empty.
How is Cinematrix scored?
Each correct answer earns points, and films that fewer players picked earn more.
Is there a TV version?
Yes. Vulture's Telematrix uses the same grid with TV shows.
Ratings and reviews
Games like Cinematrix
Movie Grid
The same three by three film grid with nine guesses and rarity scoring, from the team that helps build…
Immaculate Grid
The baseball grid Cinematrix borrowed its format from: athletes instead of films, the same row and column…
Movie Pyramid
Films that fit two clues at once again, stacked in rows of a pyramid with an actor and a span of years on…
Movie Snake
Nine paired film clues in a winding line instead of a square, getting harder from Monday through the week.
Actorle Fill The Grid
Turns the grid around: each square sits between two films and you name an actor who was in both.
HoopGrids
The same three by three grid scored by rarity, filled with NBA players instead of films.
GeoGrid
A three by three grid where countries meet the row and column clues, for when you want the format away from…
Cine2Nerdle
Another daily grid of film clues, but you swap tiles until every line points at one film rather than typing…