How to play Word Search
Each level is a grid of letter tiles with five words hidden in it. Find all five to finish the level. There are no moves to run out of and no way to lose; the faster you find them, the more stars you earn.
Finding a word
- Swipe from the first letter to the last across touching tiles. Tiles touch sideways, up and down, and corner to corner.
- A word you find clears from the grid. Each cleared tile gets a new letter where it stood; nothing falls, so the rest of the board stays where you saw it.
- The list of words changes only where you found a word, so keep an eye on the new one that takes its place.
- A real word that is not on the list still counts: it earns 3 marbles.
Stars
The clock runs only while you play; it stops when you pause. Find all five words in under 45 seconds for three stars, under 90 seconds for two. Every level is the same size with five words to find, so levels do not get harder; what changes is what is on the board.
What is on the board
Each level puts one special on stage, in turn. The first time each one appears, a hand shows what to do with it.
- Bombs: a word next to a bomb sets it off, and every tile around it clears. A blast that reaches another bomb sets that one off too.
- Gold tiles: a gold tile in a word you find earns 3 marbles.
- Burst tiles: a long word leaves a burst tile where it ends. Spell through it to clear every tile around it.
- Ink wells: a word through an ink well clears its whole row.
- Stains: a word next to a stain wipes it away.
- The Gold Quill: spell a word through the quill to clear stains.
- Wild tiles: a ? tile becomes whatever letter your word needs.
Tools
Tools sit beside the grid for when a word will not come: Shuffle gives the board new letters, Hammer smashes one tile, and Swap trades two touching tiles. More tools join them as you climb.
More ways to play
At level 15, three more modes open. Classic sets a score to reach before your moves run out, and longer words score more. Rush gives you a clock, and every word adds time to it. Zen has no clock and no moves. The Daily board is the same for every player each day.
Tips
- Scan for the rare letters first. A word with a J, Q, X or Z has few places it can start.
- Find a word near a bomb or an ink well early: the clear-out often lines up the letters of the next word.
- Words can bend. A word that does not run in a straight line may still be there as a path of touching tiles.
- Spend a tool on a stuck corner rather than waiting: the clock does not stop for a long look.