How to Play Wordplete Unlimited

Unlimited mode gives you a fresh random Wordplete puzzle whenever you want one, in any size from 4x4 to 8x8. Pick a size from the menu at the top, then tap New puzzle for another. The rules are the same as the daily puzzles.

Wordplete is a daily word logic puzzle. Every row and every column of the letter grid hides an English word, and the rest of the letters are filler. Use the numbers around the grid to work out which letters are filler, then cross them all out to solve the puzzle. There are no clues and no guessing: every Wordplete puzzle can be solved with logic alone.

The rules in three steps

1. Read the numbers. The number at the end of each row tells you how many letters in that row are part of a word. The number under each column does the same for the column. A letter can count for its row, its column, or both.
2. Mark the letters. Tap a letter once to cross it out as filler. Tap it again to circle it as part of a word. Tap a third time to clear it. On a computer, right-click circles a letter straight away.
3. Match every number. Cross out every filler letter and the puzzle is solved — the letters left standing are the words. You never have to circle them.

What the marks mean

• X: this letter is filler. The X's are what the puzzle is checked against.
• Circle: this letter belongs to a word. Circling is a note to yourself — the game fills in any you skipped once you solve the grid.
• Blank: undecided. Blank letters count as kept when the puzzle is checked, so only your X's have to be right.

Shortcuts

• Once a line's circles equal its number, tap the number to cross out the rest of that line. A line whose number is 0 crosses out in a single tap this way.
• Once you have crossed out enough letters that the ones left equal the number, tap the number to circle the rest.
• Undo steps back one move. Reset clears the grid so you can start the same puzzle over (it asks first). New puzzle, under the puzzle number, loads a fresh grid. Check flags any wrong marks, Hint walks you to the next deduction in three steps (where to look, what to notice, what to mark) and can make the marks for you, and Reveal shows the whole solution.

Strategy tips

• Start with the extremes. A row or column marked 0 is all filler. One whose number equals its length is all word letters. Mark both kinds first.
• Work the longest word first. A line that needs nearly every letter leaves very few possibilities, so it anchors the rest of the grid.
• Cross-check rows against columns. Every circle you place also counts toward a column. If a column already has its full number, every other letter in it is filler.
• Count what is left. If a row needs three circles and has exactly three unmarked letters, they are all word letters. If it already has three circles, everything else in that row is filler.
• Read the circled letters in order. They should spell the hidden word. If a combination spells nothing, it is wrong even when the count works out.
• Cross out freely. An X never counts against you, so eliminate aggressively and let the numbers close in.

Game modes

• Daily 5x5: one new puzzle every day. Everyone gets the same board, so you can compare times with friends.
• Daily 7x7: the bigger daily board, with longer words and more overlap between rows and columns.
• Unlimited: play as many puzzles as you like, in any size from 4x4 up to 8x8.

Who makes Wordplete

Wordplete is a collaboration between Jeff Chen and Hey, Good Game! Jeff built the original prototype: the rule that the letters you keep in each row and column must spell a word, and the first program to make puzzles from it. He also chose the words. Every hidden word comes from a list of about 12,000 that Jeff curated.

Jeff has had more than 150 crosswords published in The New York Times, including a record 120-plus collaborations with other constructors, and for ten years he wrote a daily review of every Times crossword at XWord Info. He edits the daily Mini Crossword and Midi Crossword, and created Squeezy and Pair Down.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wordplete like Wordle?

Not really. Wordle is a guessing game: you type words and use the color feedback to narrow down the answer. Wordplete shows you the whole grid up front and asks you to deduce which letters belong to the hidden words. Fans of Wordle, Strands and Connections tend to enjoy it, but it plays more like Sudoku, Nonograms or Sumplete than like Wordle.

Do I need a big vocabulary?

No. The numbers do most of the work, and the hidden words are everyday English. Spotting the word helps you confirm a line, but every puzzle can be solved by counting alone.

Is Wordplete free?

Yes. The daily puzzles and Unlimited mode are free to play in your browser, with no download and no account required. A free Hey Good Game account saves your streaks and stats across devices.

Can I play more than once a day?

Yes. The daily boards refresh once a day, and Unlimited mode has a fresh puzzle whenever you want one.

Are there hints?

Yes. Every board has Hint and Check buttons, including the daily puzzles. Hint reads the marks you have already made, works out the next step you could have found yourself, and explains it before it fills anything in; Check flags any marks that contradict the solution. Unlimited mode adds Reveal on top. Any hints you use are counted on your result card and in your shared score, so a clean solve still shows.

Where did Wordplete come from?

Crossword constructor Jeff Chen built the first prototype, and he and Hey, Good Game developed it into the game you are playing (more about Jeff). Wordplete is the word-based sibling of Sumplete, the daily number logic puzzle from Hey, Good Game. It is the same idea with letters instead of numbers: instead of deleting numbers to hit a sum, you delete letters to reveal a word.