How to play Word Search
- Press Start and read the theme and word list under the grid (or beside it on a wide screen).
- Find a listed word in the grid and drag from its first letter to its last. You can also tap the first letter, then tap the last.
- A correct word is circled and crossed off the list. A wrong line flashes red and costs nothing but time.
- Look for the bonus word: its first letter and length are shown with a star. It is not required, but it adds a star.
- Find every listed word to finish. Finish under the target time for three stars.
About Word Search
This is a themed word search. Each level gives you a square grid of letters and a list of words that belong to one topic, such as ocean life, a bakery, castles or spices. Every listed word is hidden somewhere in the grid along a straight line, and your job is to find them all by dragging from a word's first letter to its last. Found words stay circled in their own color and are crossed off the list. From level four on, each grid also hides one bonus word from the same theme that is not on the list: you only get its first letter and its length, and spotting it earns an extra star. The early grids are six letters wide and words only run across or down. As you climb through the five chapters the grids grow to ten by ten, the lists grow to twelve words, words start running on diagonals and finally backward, and more of the filler letters are borrowed from the hidden words to make false starts. Every grid is built so that each word appears exactly once.
Controls
| Input | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drag | Circle a word from first letter to last |
| Tap, then tap | Mark the first letter, then the last |
| Arrow keys | Move the cursor |
| Space or Enter | Mark the first letter, then the last |
| H or the bulb | Circle the first letter of a word (costs a star) (3 per level) |
Tips and strategy
- Hunt for rare letters first. A word with a Q, Z, X, J or K is far quicker to spot, because those letters appear only a few times in the grid.
- Look for double letters. Words like APPLE, COFFEE or BALLOON have a pair of matching letters side by side, which stands out when you scan a row.
- Scan one direction at a time. Read every row left to right, then every column top to bottom, before you start checking diagonals.
- From the diagonal chapters on, check all eight neighbors of a first letter for the second letter. The pair tells you which way the word runs.
- In the later chapters, words also run backward. Read rows from right to left as if they were new words, and the reversed spellings start to jump out.
- Find the long words early. They cross many other lines, and once they are circled the short words are easier to separate from the noise.
Questions and answers
What is a word search?
A puzzle where words are hidden in a grid of letters along straight lines. You find each word from a list and circle it. Word Search groups its words by theme so you can guess what to look for.
Which directions can words run?
Across and down in the first chapter, then diagonally down and up, and in the last two chapters also backward and on every diagonal. The level map shows which chapter you are in.
What is the bonus word?
An extra word from the same theme that is hidden in the grid but not listed. You see its first letter and length. Finding it is optional and adds a star.
How are stars awarded?
Finish under the target time for three stars, under twice the target for two, and any finish earns one. The bonus word adds a star back, and each hint takes one away.
Is there a daily puzzle?
Yes. Every day there is a new ten by ten grid with ten words on one theme, the same for every player, and you can share your time as a short emoji line.
Do I need an account?
No. Word Search runs in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, and your stars and unlocked grove themes are saved on your device.
