diff --git a/src/games/trivia.js b/src/games/trivia.js
index 73a3f88..824a622 100644
--- a/src/games/trivia.js
+++ b/src/games/trivia.js
@@ -69,13 +69,18 @@ async function playRound(context, round = 0) {
 		});
 
 		// replace space with U+2003 Em Space to separate words, since a single space separates the placeholders, and double spaces are removed during Markdown render
-		context.sendMessage(`${style.bold(style.green(`${Math.floor(game.timeout / 3) * 2} seconds`))} left, first hint for ${style.bold(style.purple(`question ${round + 1}/${game.questions.length}`))}: ${style.bold(`${question.answer.slice(0, 1)} ${question.answer.slice(1).replace(/\s/g, ' ').replace(/[^\s]/g, '_ ').trim()}`)}`, context.room.id);
+		if (question.answer.length >= 3) {
+			context.sendMessage(`${style.bold(style.green(`${Math.floor(game.timeout / 3) * 2} seconds`))} left, first hint for ${style.bold(style.purple(`question ${round + 1}/${game.questions.length}`))}: ${style.bold(`${question.answer.slice(0, 1)} ${question.answer.slice(1).replace(/\s/g, ' ').replace(/[^\s]/g, '_ ').trim()}`)}`, context.room.id);
+		} else {
+			// giving the first letter gives too much away, only give the placeholders
+			context.sendMessage(`${style.bold(style.green(`${Math.floor(game.timeout / 3) * 2} seconds`))} left, first hint for ${style.bold(style.purple(`question ${round + 1}/${game.questions.length}`))}: ${style.bold(`${question.answer.replace(/\s/g, ' ').replace(/[^\s]/g, '_ ').trim()}`)}`, context.room.id);
+		}
 
 		await timers.setTimeout((game.timeout / 3) * 1000, null, {
 			signal: ac.signal,
 		});
 
-		if (question.answer.length > 3) {
+		if (question.answer.length >= 4) {
 			context.sendMessage(`${style.bold(style.green(`${Math.floor(game.timeout / 3)} seconds`))} left, second hint for ${style.bold(style.purple(`question ${round + 1}/${game.questions.length}`))}: ${style.bold(`${question.answer.slice(0, 1)} ${question.answer.slice(1, -1).replace(/\s/g, ' ').replace(/[^\s]/g, '_ ')}${question.answer.slice(-1)}`)}`, context.room.id);
 		}