Word Code (Szókód) is a daily word-guessing game with three levels. Each day you crack three hidden words, from a shorter, easier word to a longer, harder one.

After every guess you get coloured feedback on each letter, so you can narrow down the options with logic and vocabulary.

How to play

1. Type a valid word of the right length for the level and submit it.
2. Green means the letter is in the right spot, yellow means it is in the word but elsewhere, grey means it is not in the word.
3. Each level gives you the word length plus two guesses (for example 7 guesses for a 5-letter word).
4. Tap the level cards to switch between levels at any time. Once all three words are solved, you get a summary of the day.

Tips

• Open with a word that has several common vowels and consonants.
• Never reuse grey letters, and move yellow letters to a new position.
• Use your later guesses to test letters you have not tried yet.

Strategy

• Your second guess does not have to aim for the answer. If the first word left plenty of options open, a word built from five fresh letters often teaches you more than a near-miss attempt at the solution.
• Watch out for double letters. A green letter can still appear a second time, and if you type a letter twice the colours tell you exactly how many copies the word contains. The on-screen keyboard always shows the best result each letter has achieved so far.
• On the longer levels, think in chunks rather than single letters. English words lean on common beginnings and endings such as RE-, UN-, -ING, -ED, -TION and -ER, and once the last few tiles turn green the list of candidates shrinks fast.
• Treat the guess budget as a resource. With the word length plus two tries you can afford one or two pure information guesses early on, but by the last couple of rows every guess should be a word that could actually be the answer.

A worked example

Here is an example on the five-letter easy level, where you have 7 guesses. You open with STARE. The A turns green in the middle, the T turns yellow, and S, R and E are grey. So the word has A in the third spot, contains a T somewhere other than second, and has no S, R or E.

For the second guess you try LIGHT. The L is yellow, I, G and H are grey, and the T is green at the end. Now you know the pattern is _ _ A _ T with an L somewhere, but not first. PLANT fits every clue, and it turns the whole row green. Three guesses, and the medium level is next.

History of the game

Code-breaking games with coloured feedback are far older than smartphones. The pencil-and-paper game Bulls and Cows had players deduce a secret number from hints about right and wrong positions, and in 1970 the board game Mastermind turned the same idea into coloured pegs. The TV game show Lingo later applied it to words.

The genre exploded when Josh Wardle released Wordle in October 2021. Within months it was a daily habit for millions, and The New York Times bought it in early 2022. Word Code takes the format further with three words a day, each longer than the last.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of words are the answers?

Everyday dictionary words, without proper nouns or obscure jargon. The word lists are reviewed and corrected regularly.

Can I replay earlier days?

Yes, every past day can be started from the archive.

What happens if my word is not in the word list?

The game tells you it is not in the word list and the guess is not counted. Just try another real word.

Can I switch between levels?

Yes, tap the level cards above the board to move to another level at any time. Your guesses on each level are kept, so you can pick up where you left off.