The basic rule
- The board has 6 columns and 8 rows, 48 letters in all. Above it sits the theme of the day as a short, slightly playful clue.
- A word is made of neighbouring letters: side by side, up and down or diagonally. Within one word each cell can be used only once.
- Drag across the letters and let go. Or tap the letters one by one and tap the last one again to submit.
- Each puzzle hides 6 to 8 theme words plus one bridge word. Together they use exactly 48 letters.
The bridge word
The bridge word names the theme itself and crosses the board from one edge to the opposite one: left to right or top to bottom. When you find it, it glows amber.
For example, under the clue “Feline fine” the bridge is BIG CATS and the theme words are:
LION TIGER JAGUAR LEOPARD CHEETAH OCELOT COUGAR BIG CATS
How hints work
Words that are not on the theme but are in the dictionary (4 letters or more) also count: every 3 of them earn a hint. A hint outlines the letters of one theme word with a dotted ring. Use another one and it also shows the order of those letters.
Hints carry no penalty; the result just shows how many you used.
Language notes
- On the Uzbek board SH, CH, O‘ and G‘ share one cell: SHAMOL takes 5 cells.
- On the Russian board Ё is written as Е.
- Puzzles are written separately for each language rather than translated: 96 in English, 101 in Russian and 96 in Uzbek.
FAQ
What happens if a word is wrong?
The trail shakes and a short message says “Not in the word list” or “At least 4 letters”. There is no penalty.
Can I trace a word backwards?
A word always reads from its first letter to its last, but the trail itself can run any way across the board: right to left, bottom to top or diagonally.
What if I slip while tracing?
Move back onto the previous letter and the last one is removed. In tap mode, tap any letter already in the trail and it shortens back to that letter.
