Game Rules & Updates
Updated July, 2024
Here you’ll find all the rules for Wordshake, explained in detail.
If you encounter any issues, please contact us!
Daily Games
Daily Wordshake
Solve the puzzle by finding the Wordshake! It's the longest word on the board, and is featured with a clue and the first letter shown.
For every word you find, you'll start to reveal letters of the Wordshake, as well as earn Hints. Hints reveal the definition of a word on the board along with its starting letter. You can also reveal this hint word on the board by tapping the "show" button, but won't earn points for it.
To get the maximum points in each game, find every word in the board!
At the end of the game, you'll see a gauge display that tracks every completed game, and shows a running total in single % increments. Logged-in players get a full leaderboard of the top scores.
BONUS WORDS
Obscure or archaic words earn you points as well! Finding these Bonus Words will reveal Wordshake letters and hints, but don't advance the game progress bar.
Note: The Expert word list is not available for the Daily Wordshake due to the Bonus Words feature. This keeps the game fair for all players.
Daily Puzzle Words
A spin on the daily puzzle for word association lovers. You have 7 tries to find all theme words or all words in a classic phrase. If you don't find every word, you get no points.
Each word found is +25 points, and each reveal used subtracts 25 points. A +10 point bonus is awarded for unused tries.
To achieve maximum points, find every word without using hints or exhausting your tries. It's a challenge!
Other Games
Boggle, Live, and Quest
Before becoming a daily puzzle, Wordshake started as an online Boggle game, then expanded into a Quest of levels, two Daily Puzzles, and a Live Game. Click "How to play" at the top of any these pages for respective game rules and information. The Quest features built-in tutorials as you progress.
The final Quest levels are coming in September 2024, along with a full refresh of the game.
The Live Game is currently being redeveloped on a new technology stack for improved performance and scalability. I'm proud of the community this game has grown over the years, and will post updates here soon!
Word Lists
Standard and Expert
Wordshake uses a standard word list accessible to all players, with built-in definition tooltips. It excludes alternate spellings and obsolete words. On the Boggle and Live game pages, you can access more extensive word options by pressing the "Expert" toggle in the dictionary icon at the top of the page. Inspired by the 2020 NASPA dictionary, this list includes many more words, but not all have definition tooltips yet.
If you find a word that should be added to the Standard list, please get in touch. The goal is to strike a balance between fun and challenging.
Note on swear words: Wordshake excludes them and won't be adding them to either list.
Word Points
Letter values and Scoring
Each word's value is based on its letters:
A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T, R = 1 point
D, G = 2 points
B, C, M, P = 3 points
F, H, V, W, Y = 4 points
K = 5 points
J, X = 8 points
Q, Z = 10 points
Longer words score more:
5 letters: 2x points
6 letters: 3x points
7 letters: 4x points
8+ letters: 5x points
Example: "QUIZZES" = (10 + 1 + 1 + 10 + 10 + 1 + 1) * 4 = 136 points!