Word Relay: Free Online Word Guessing Game
Guess five hidden English words in a relay. Each answer is passed on as the next word's first guess, and the last word must be found from all four in three tries.
Quick facts
- Category
- 🧩 Puzzle
- Price
- Free, no download or sign-up
- Plays on
- Computer, phone and tablet
- Screen
- Portrait
- Provided by
- After School Play
- Added
About Word Relay
Word Relay is our own word-guessing game, played as a relay of five legs. In each leg you guess a hidden five-letter English word. Type a word and press Enter, and each letter turns over to tell you how close you are: a blue tile means the letter is in that spot, a white tile with a blue ring means the letter is in the word somewhere else, and a dark tile means it isn't in the word at all. The two marks differ in shape as well as colour, so they are easy to tell apart.
When you solve a leg, its word is passed on like a baton. It becomes the first guess of the next leg, already played and already marked, so every new word starts with a clue. Legs one to four have six rows each. The last leg is the anchor: it starts with all four answers on the board, and you have three tries to find the final word. Every relay is built so that those four answers narrow the anchor down to just a few possible words, so careful reading of the board always gets you there.
Missing a leg doesn't end the relay. The answer is shown, the baton still passes on, and that leg simply scores nothing. A word that isn't in the list, a word that is too short or one already on the board only shakes the row and never costs a try. The on-screen keyboard keeps the best mark each letter has had, and a physical keyboard works too.
The daily relay is the same five words for everyone that day. It changes at midnight UTC, and finishing it each day builds a streak. Practice relays are endless, with new words every time, and your progress is saved after every guess. Three kinds of help cost gems: show one letter in its spot, rule out three letters, or buy one more row for a leg that ran out. Hints never lower your score, and a leg solved on a bought row scores nothing, so gems never buy points.
Only the daily relay posts to the leaderboard. Each leg scores 1,000 plus 150 for every row you didn't need, and the anchor scores 2,000 plus 1,000 for every try left. Accepted guesses come from the public-domain ENABLE list and the hidden words are everyday words from SCOWL, with offensive words left out of both. Word Relay is free to play in your browser with no download or sign-up, and its art, sound effects and music are made for the game.
Want more? Browse Puzzle games.
How to Play
- Pick the daily relay or a practice relay.
- Type a five-letter English word and press Enter.
- Blue means the letter is in that spot, white with a blue ring means it is elsewhere in the word, dark means it isn't in the word.
- Solve the leg and its word becomes the next leg's first guess, already played.
- Legs one to four have six rows. A missed leg still passes the baton.
- The anchor leg starts with all four answers. Find the last word in three tries.
Tips
- Read the baton row first. It is free information: every blue and ringed letter in it is a clue for the new word.
- Use your first own guess on new letters. Common ones like E, A, R, T and S rule out a lot at once.
- Letters can repeat. If a word fits every mark but one letter is missing, try a double letter.
- On the anchor leg, look at all four rows together. A letter in place in one row and ringed in another narrows things fast.
- Fewer rows mean more points, but a solved leg always beats a miss. Don't rush the last row.
FAQ
- Is Word Relay free?
- Yes. It is free to play in any modern browser, with no download and no sign-up.
- What is the baton?
- The answer of the leg you just finished. It is played for you as the first guess of the next leg, so you start every new word with a marked row of clues.
- What happens if I miss a leg?
- The word is shown, the baton passes on anyway and the relay continues. That leg scores nothing, and you always get to play the anchor.
- What is the daily relay?
- Five words that are the same for everyone that day. It changes at midnight UTC, and finishing it each day builds your streak. Practice relays are unlimited.
- How is the score worked out?
- Each of the first four legs scores 1,000 plus 150 for every row left, and the anchor scores 2,000 plus 1,000 for every try left. The best possible relay scores 10,550. Only the daily relay posts, once a day.
- Are hints free?
- No. Showing a letter, ruling out three letters and an extra row all cost gems. Hints never lower your score, and a leg solved on a bought row scores nothing.
