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60-second rounds · 3 min read
Play Word LinksWhat is Word Links?
Build a word chain by matching its connecting letters. The current word ends in the letter that must begin your next word. A rack contains every remaining link, shuffled out of order. This is an ordering challenge based on word boundaries rather than definitions, anagrams, or words that merely share any letter.
Rules and controls
- Select the unused rack tile beginning with the last letter of the current word. A valid tile becomes the current word and earns one objective. Continue until every rack tile has been used; the completed chain then gives way to a fresh one. An invalid selection records a mistake without consuming the tile or changing the current word. Used words cannot score again on the same chain.
- Controls respond only during active play. The countdown and the brief change between boards are pauses, not opportunities to submit the next answer early. Touch controls and native Tab/Enter button activation follow the same replay rules.
Use the controls displayed above the playfield. Touch buttons and keyboard shortcuts are shown before the round begins.
Scoring and rewards
The game scoreboard gives 100 for each correct linked words objective and subtracts 25 for a recorded mistake, with a minimum displayed score of zero. Only new, accepted objectives count; waiting or repeating completed work does not create achievements.
Reward points use verified performance against this game’s reference pace rather than its raw scoreboard. The reference is: Inspect the rack, then place one matching word every 900 milliseconds. Full reference performance corresponds to 40 base reward points and 60 XP per minute; the account’s level bonus is applied separately.
Points and XP scale with objective performance, precision, and round length. At full reward performance, a 60-second round earns up to 40 base points and 60 XP. Each level gained adds a 0.1% point bonus. Guest practice has no reward balance.
For eligible rewarded rounds, points remain pending until the sponsored claim’s 12 seconds of focused time and fresh hCaptcha are complete. No ad click or purchase is required.
How difficulty changes
Higher difficulty increases the number of words in a chain. The rack is generated so its required first letters do not create an ambiguous immediate choice, leaving one available continuation at each stage. More links demand longer concentration, but the reference pace accounts for the number of words rather than assigning a blanket bonus to longer racks.
Difficulty increases after every three starts of this game during a UTC day, up to level 10, and resets at 00:00 UTC. Your player level and its point bonus are separate from the game’s daily difficulty.
Strategy
Plan the next move
Isolate the final letter visually before scanning the rack. Say the letter to yourself if helpful, then look only at the beginning of each candidate. Comparing whole word meanings adds work the rules do not require.
Check before committing
After each selection, reset your search to the new word’s final letter. A word that was irrelevant one step earlier can become the only valid option after the current word changes.
A worked example
- Start with STAR and a rack containing NEST, RAIN, and TREE.
- STAR ends in R, so choose RAIN. RAIN ends in N, so NEST follows.
- NEST ends in T, allowing TREE to finish the chain. Each unused link earns one objective.
Common mistakes
- Matching the first letter of the current word is not the rule; inspect its last letter.
- A shared letter in the middle of a candidate does not connect that word.
Questions
Does word meaning matter?
No. Connections depend on the exact last and first letters printed on the tiles.
Can I use a tile again later?
No. Every rack word can become a validated link only once before that chain is replaced.
