Word Hunt: free online word grid game with a timer
Play Word Hunt, a free online game in the style of the classic Boggle letter grid. Sixteen letter dice are shaken onto a glowing neon board and you have three minutes to swipe out as many words as you can, connecting letters that touch, even diagonally. Try the bigger 5×5 board, take on the daily board that everybody plays, and send a friend the exact same grid to see who scores more. When time is up, every hidden word is revealed.
How to play Word Hunt
- Pick the daily board or a random 4×4 or 5×5 board.
- Swipe across touching letters (sideways, up, down or diagonally) to spell a word, then lift your finger.
- Each tile can be used once per word; words need at least 3 letters (4 on 5×5).
- Find as many words as you can before the timer runs out. Longer words score far more points.
- At the end, compare your score with every word hidden in the board and challenge a friend to beat it.
If you swipe too far, slide back to the previous letter to undo it. Valid words flash green, words you already have flash yellow and invalid words flash red. Your words appear in the list beside or below the board, newest first.
Scoring
| Word length | Points |
|---|---|
| 3 or 4 letters | 1 |
| 5 letters | 2 |
| 6 letters | 3 |
| 7 letters | 5 |
| 8 letters or more | 11 |
Because long words are worth so much more, one eight-letter word can beat a dozen short ones. The results screen also shows what share of the board's total points you collected, which makes it easy to compare a small board with a rich one.
Boards and dice
The 4×4 board uses sixteen dice modelled on the classic letter distribution, so vowels and common consonants appear often and rare letters like J, K, X and Z only now and then. The 5×5 board uses twenty-five dice, a four-minute timer and a four-letter minimum, just like the "big" edition of the board game. Every board is checked in advance, and boards with too few words are re-rolled, so you always have plenty to find.
Tips for higher scores
- Look for endings first. Find letter groups like -ED, -ER, -ING, -EST and -S near each other, then build words backwards from them.
- Grow words. Once you find RATE, check for RATES, GRATE, CRATE or RATED nearby. Each version is a new word.
- Scan around vowels. Vowels are the hubs of the board. Pick one and try every consonant pair around it.
- Do not forget diagonals. Many players see only straight lines; diagonal paths hide lots of words.
- Use plurals and verb forms. If there is an S on the board, almost every noun next to it has a plural.
- Study the missed words. After each round, tap a few long words you missed to see their path. You will start spotting the same patterns next time.
A short history
The letter-grid word game was invented by puzzle designer Allan Turoff and released as the board game Boggle in 1972. Players shake a covered tray of letter dice, then race against a three-minute sand timer to write down words. Its simple rules made it a classroom and family favourite, and it inspired many digital versions. Word Hunt brings the same idea to your browser, adding instant word checking, a list of every word you missed and friend challenges.
More word games on Util.Ninja: Word Hive, Word Search, Hangman and Ninja Wordly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Word Hunt free?
Yes. Word Hunt is free to play in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download, sign-up or limit on games.
How do I make a word?
Swipe your finger or mouse across neighbouring letters. Letters can connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally, and each tile can be used only once in the same word. Lift your finger to submit. On a computer you can also type the word and press Enter.
How are words scored?
Words of 3 or 4 letters score 1 point, 5 letters score 2, 6 letters score 3, 7 letters score 5, and 8 letters or more score 11 points.
How long is a round?
A 4×4 game lasts three minutes and a 5×5 game lasts four minutes. The timer pauses when you open a menu, switch tabs or press pause.
Which words are allowed?
About 29,000 common English words of at least three letters (four on the 5×5 board). Names, abbreviations, hyphenated words and offensive words are not accepted.
What does the Qu tile mean?
The letter Q always comes with a U on the same tile, because almost every English word with Q is followed by U. The tile counts as two letters, so QUIT uses three tiles.
Is this the same as Boggle?
Word Hunt follows the classic letter-grid rules made famous by the Boggle board game, but it is an independent free game. Util.Ninja is not affiliated with Hasbro.
Can I see the words I missed?
Yes. When the round ends you see every word hidden in the board, with the ones you found marked in green. Tap a word to see its path flash on the board.
How do challenges work?
After a round, tap Challenge a friend and share the link. Your friend plays exactly the same board with the same timer and sees your score to beat.
Is there a daily board?
Yes. Every day there is one 4×4 board that everyone plays. You get one go per day, so make it count!