Word Hunt
Find as many words as possible in the letter grid!
How to Play
Goal
Find as many words as possible in the 4×4 letter grid before time runs out.
Gameplay
All players search for words simultaneously. Letters must be adjacent (horizontal, vertical, diagonal). Each cell can only be used once per word.
Points
3-4 letters = 1 pt, 5 = 2, 6 = 3, 7 = 5, 8+ = 11. Words found by multiple players score 0 points!
Winner
The player with the most points after scoring wins.
Strategy & tips
Look for endings first, not beginnings. Finding the letter sequences of common suffixes in the grid and working backwards uncovers far more words than starting afresh at every letter.
Long words are worth disproportionately more. The scoring curve rises steeply: one eight-letter word is worth as much as eleven short ones. When you spot a promising long chain, it is worth half a minute of your time.
Write down uncertain words too. Only valid ones score, and a wrong entry costs nothing in this version. Words found by several players are struck out, so the obscure ones are exactly the ones worth noting.
Variants
Larger grid
A 5×5 field produces considerably more long words and rewards systematic searching.
Long words only
Words under five letters do not count, shifting the game from quick grazing to genuine searching.
Cooperative
Everyone plays together towards a target score instead of against each other. Much more relaxed and good for mixed groups.
How it works
1. Create a game
Click "Create Game" and receive a 6-digit code.
2. Share the code
Share the code with your friends – via WhatsApp, Telegram, or just tell them.
3. Play instantly
Your friends enter the code and you start playing immediately. No login required!
Origin
The grid format with rolled letter dice was devised in 1972 by Allan Turoff and published by Parker Brothers. The distribution of letters across the dice is not random but tuned to their frequency in English.
That is precisely why grids feel wrong in other languages: a distribution optimised for English yields too few of the letters other languages lean on and too many rare consonants.
Frequently asked questions
How must the letters connect?
Adjacently — horizontally, vertically or diagonally. No cell may be used twice within the same word.
How is it scored?
The longer the word the more points, on a steeply rising curve. Words found by several players are struck out.
How long is a round?
A few minutes. Everyone searches simultaneously, so there is no waiting.