Word Search is a digital puzzle game, a version of the classic newspaper word puzzle where you find words up, down, forward, backward, and on the diagonal. If you liked newspaper puzzles, then you will love this simple but classic game.
How to Play Word Search
You start the game by choosing your language. The game can be played in six languages: English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Try one or more if you want to practice your language skills.
There are also multiple themes you can choose from: fruits, computers, countries, vegetables, music, and animals. Choose one and get ready to find hidden words.
Once you’ve chosen your language and themes, you will see a grid of letters and a list of hidden words to locate. The objective is to highlight all the listed words as quickly as possible by relying on observational skills, but don’t worry too much; the list of words you’re meant to find is listed above the scrambled letter grid.
Words can be hidden in straight lines horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and the interesting part is that they can be in any direction, including backwards. The challenge lies in spotting them with a ticking timer breathing down your neck.
How to Lock in Your Word
- Desktop: Click and drag the left mouse button across the letters of a word to highlight it.
- Mobile: Swipe your finger across the word.
Once selected, the game usually auto-confirms a correct word by crossing it off the list or changing its color in the grid.
Tip: Make sure you cover the entire last letter. Half a letter the wrong way will result as a wrong spelling.
Simple Gameplay
Word Search stays true to its puzzle roots, ideal for puzzle purists. There are no hints, no boosts, and no special abilities. It’s just you, a grid, the word list, and your skill. The only pressure you will meet will come from the clock. Each round will have you wanting to beat your personal best.
There is no time limit to your game, though there is a timer. The time tracks how long it takes you to finish a game, but there is no limit to how much time you can spend on a game. The measure of success is time, but you decide what that success looks like. The reward is the satisfaction of solving puzzles and improving your times.
There are no progressive levels, and each level is a new grid which can be easier or harder than the last, depending on your search skills and the vocabulary theme chosen. Fruits may seem easier than animals to some, but easier to others. There is no intrinsically set difficulty level.
Word Search offers a simple, timeless format with endless grids, no progression pressure, and pure observational challenge. It’s a perfect game for a casual coffee-break game that you have five minutes to play, or for a Sunday at the park game where you have idle hours to play.
Tips
- Scan methodically. Rather than darting your eyes around the puzzle randomly, use a systematic approach. A tried and true technique is to scan row by row for the first letter of each word on your list. Once you spot that letter, check in every direction around it (forwards, backwards, vertically, and diagonally) to see if it connects into the word you need.
- Look for unique letters. Some words are easier to find because they contain distinct letters. Looks for a Q, X, or Z, or special letter combinations such as double letters like “ee” in lychee. These tend to stand out visually in a sea of more common letters. By identifying the unique “anchors” in a word, you can track them down faster in the grid and often complete the word in seconds.
- Look up, down, and all around. When you are stuck on a word, make sure to check backwards and diagonals as well. If you’re looking for the word “banana”, you should also be looking for the word “a-n-a-n-a-b”, banana in reverse.
Release Date
December 2017
Developer
Word Search was made by Code This Lab.
Features
- A fun word-searching game
- Six language options
- Six categories
Platform
Web browser (desktop and mobile)
Controls
Drag left mouse button.