(The exact 8-minute blueprint I use to build kits that get 1M+ student plays and turn “review day” into the best day of the week)
I’ve built exactly 412 Gimkit kits since 2020.
Some have been screen-recorded and turned into school-wide TikToks.
Others were so bad I deleted them before the period ended.
Here is the dead-simple, copy-paste system I now use to build a perfect 20-question kit in 8 minutes flat — every single time.
Steal it. Your students will notice the difference on day one.
Step 0: Answer This Question First (90% of bad kits fail here)
Before you even open Gimkit, write down in one sentence:
“What exact skill do I want them walking out able to do?”
Examples:
- Factor any quadratic blindfolded
- Identify symbolism in under 10 seconds
- Conjugate any -ar verb in preterite without crying
If you skip this step, you’ll end up with a 80-question monster that looks impressive and teaches nothing.
Step 1: Never Start From Zero (Unless You Have To)
Rule of 2026:
Only import kits with ≥5,000 plays + ≥4.8 rating.
Everything else is trash.
Otherwise → New Kit → blank slate.
10 extra minutes now saves you public humiliation later.
Step 2: The Only 4 Question Types You’ll Ever Need (25% each)
- Straight recall ($5–$10)
- Application / example ($10–$25)
- Image or diagram labeling ($15–$30)
- Two-step reasoning ($25–$75)
All multiple-choice + text-entry mix.
Zero “all of the above” allowed. Ever.
Step 3: Write Every Question Backwards (This is the cheat code)
Start with the answer → build the question around it.
Example:
Answer I want: mitochondria
Question becomes: “Which organelle is primarily responsible for ATP production via cellular respiration?”
Distractors: Golgi apparatus, ribosome, nucleus (actual misconceptions, not jokes)
Do this and your wrong answers will teach more than your correct ones.
Step 4: Cash Values That Force Them to Read the Question
Default $5–$25 = dead on arrival.
2026 system (copy-paste):
- Easy recall → $5
- Standard → $10
- Medium-hard / image → $25
- Two-step or evil → $50–$75
Kids stop blind-clicking the second they realize a hard question is worth 15× an easy one.
Step 5: Power-Ups — The Beginner Settings That Never Fail
First 10 live games → only these four:
✓ Streak Bonus (passive)
✓ Insurance
✓ Bigger Bucks
✓ Hot Streak
✗ Literally everything else
Homework/Assignment mode → turn almost everything on (no victims = no problem).
Step 6: Images That Will Still Work in 2030
Never Google → copy-paste (links die).
2026 method:
- Screenshot → Canva → export PNG → upload directly
- Or use Gimkit’s built-in Unsplash (zero broken images ever)
Keep one Google Drive folder named “Gimkit Assets.”
Drag → drop → done.
Step 7: My Exact 8-Minute Kit Blueprint (Timed with a stopwatch)
0:00–1:00 → Title, description, cover image
1:00–5:00 → Write all 20 questions/answers (I keep a running Google Doc bank)
5:00–6:30 → Add images to 6–8 questions
6:30–7:30 → Set cash values + tags
7:30–8:00 → Power-ups, modes, save as Private
That kit beats 95% of what’s on the Discover page.
Real Example That Went District-Viral
15-question quadratic formula kit.
Clean Desmos graphs, cash values $5 → $75.
One kid screen-recorded himself hitting $1.2M using the quadratic formula song.
Posted to TikTok → 3 algebra teachers district-wide now use my exact kit.
Total build time: 11 minutes.
The 2026 “Never Do This” List
- Kits longer than 25 questions for live play
- All questions worth the same $ amount
- Zero images
- Making tomorrow’s test questions public
- Forgetting “late joiners get average cash”
Final Checklist Before You Hit Save
□ Proofread by colleague or Google Docs Read Aloud
□ Minimum 30% questions have images
□ Cash values vary
□ Tags added (searchable later)
□ Set to Private unless you want fame
□ Played once in Preview mode yourself
Do these six things and your kit will be legitimately better than anything trending this week.
Close this tab.
Open Gimkit.
Build one kit using this exact system tonight.
Tomorrow, when a kid says “Mrs. Rivera, your kits are the only ones that don’t suck,” screenshot it, print it, and hang it above your desk.
You’ve officially made it.
Now go make something your kids will remember longer than your lectures ever could.
(I’m still waiting for someone to beat my French Revolution high score. It’s been two years. Clock’s ticking.)