Wrdler Gameplay Guide
Version: 0.0.2 Last Updated: 2025-01-31
Welcome to Wrdler!
Wrdler is a simplified vocabulary puzzle game where you discover 6 hidden words on an 8×6 grid. The game combines strategic letter guessing with word deduction to maximize your score.
Game Overview
The Grid
- Size: 8 columns × 6 rows (48 cells total)
- Words: 6 hidden words, one per row
- Composition: Exactly 2 four-letter words, 2 five-letter words, and 2 six-letter words
- Direction: All words are horizontal (left to right)
- Goal: Discover all 6 words before revealing all their letters
Scoring Tiers
Your final score determines your tier:
- Fantastic: 42+ points 🌟
- Great: 38-41 points ⭐
- Good: 34-37 points ✓
- Keep practicing: < 34 points
How to Play
Step 1: Free Letter Selection
At the start of every game, you get 2 free letter guesses!
- A letter selection interface appears with circular green buttons
- Click any letter to reveal ALL instances of that letter in the grid
- Choose strategically - common letters (E, A, R, T) may appear more often
- After selecting 2 letters, the interface disappears and regular gameplay begins
Example:
- You choose E → All E's in the grid are revealed
- You choose A → All A's in the grid are revealed
- Now you can see some patterns in the words!
Step 2: Reveal Cells
Click on any unrevealed cell to discover what's underneath:
- Letter cells show the letter (blue background)
- Empty cells show blank (dark background)
Strategy Tip: Reveal cells near already-revealed letters to build word patterns.
Step 3: Guess Words
After revealing at least one letter:
- A guess form appears on the right side
- Type your word guess (case-insensitive)
- Click "Guess" or press Enter
Correct Guess:
- ✓ Word is marked as found
- Points awarded based on word length and unrevealed letters
- All remaining letters in that word are revealed
- You can immediately guess another word (Classic mode)
Incorrect Guess:
- ✗ Guess is added to incorrect history
- No points awarded
- 10 incorrect guess limit per game
Step 4: Complete the Game
The game ends when:
- All 6 words are guessed (best outcome!)
- All word letters are revealed (auto-complete triggers)
Your final score and tier are displayed in a popup.
Scoring System
Base Points
- Each word is worth points based on its length:
- 4-letter word: 4 points
- 5-letter word: 5 points
- 6-letter word: 6 points
Bonus Points
- Unrevealed Letter Bonus: +1 point per unrevealed letter in the word
- Example: If you guess a 6-letter word with 3 letters still hidden:
- Base: 6 points
- Bonus: 3 points
- Total: 9 points
Maximum Possible Score
- 6 words × ~8 average points = ~48 points (Fantastic tier!)
Game Modes
Classic Mode (Default)
- Guess as many times as you want after each reveal
- Chain multiple correct guesses together
- Best for maximizing score
Too Easy Mode
- Only one guess allowed after each reveal
- Must reveal another cell before guessing again
- More challenging gameplay
Change mode in the Settings sidebar
Features & Controls
Settings Sidebar
Word Lists:
- classic: Carefully curated words (recommended)
- fourth_grade: Elementary-level vocabulary
- wordlist: Full word list (harder)
Game Options:
- Game Mode: Classic or Too Easy
- Word Spacing: How much space between words
- Show Incorrect Guesses: Toggle incorrect guess history
Audio:
- Background Music: Ocean-themed ambient music
- Music Volume: 0-100%
- Sound Effects Volume: Hit/miss/correct/incorrect sounds
Challenge Mode
Share puzzles with friends:
- Complete a game
- Click "Share Challenge" in the game-over popup
- Copy the short URL (e.g.,
?game_id=abc123) - Friends can play the same wordlist and compare scores!
Leaderboard:
- Top 5 players displayed
- Sorted by: Highest score → Fastest time
- Submit your result to join the leaderboard
Tips & Strategies
Free Letter Selection
- Common letters (E, A, R, T, O, I, N, S) appear more often
- Vowels (A, E, I, O, U) help identify word patterns
- Consonants (R, S, T, N) are versatile
- Avoid rare letters (Q, X, Z) unless you see a pattern
Cell Reveal Strategy
- Start near free letters to build word patterns
- Reveal cells at word boundaries (edges of rows)
- Look for common word endings (-ING, -ED, -ER, -LY)
- Use process of elimination for remaining letters
Guessing Strategy
- Guess words with more unrevealed letters for bonus points
- Don't rush - each incorrect guess counts against your limit
- Use word patterns (CVC, CVVC, etc.) to narrow possibilities
- If stuck, reveal one more letter to confirm your guess
Maximizing Score
- Select strategic free letters (E + R or A + T)
- Guess words early while letters are still hidden
- Use revealed letters to deduce other words
- Minimize unnecessary reveals
Visual Indicators
Cell States
- Unrevealed: Gray with "?" symbol
- Letter (revealed): Light blue background, white text
- Empty (revealed): Dark gray background
- Completed word: Dark blue background (all letters guessed)
Free Letter Buttons
- Available: Green gradient, circular
- Disabled: Gray, after 2 selections
Guess Form
- Enabled: After revealing at least one letter
- Disabled: Before any reveals
Progressive Web App (PWA)
Install Wrdler on your device:
Desktop (Chrome/Edge):
- Click the install icon in the address bar
- Click "Install"
Mobile (iOS Safari):
- Tap the Share button
- Tap "Add to Home Screen"
Mobile (Android Chrome):
- Tap the menu (three dots)
- Tap "Add to Home Screen"
Once installed, Wrdler works offline with basic caching!
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Enter: Submit word guess (when guess form is focused)
- Escape: Dismiss game-over popup (if visible)
Troubleshooting
"You must reveal a cell before guessing"
- Click on an unrevealed cell first
- The guess form enables after your first reveal
"Incorrect guess" or "Not in word list"
- Check spelling (case doesn't matter)
- Verify the word is in the current word list
- Try revealing more letters for confirmation
Free letter buttons not appearing
- Refresh the page
- Start a new game
- Check that you haven't already used 2 free letters
Challenge Mode not working
- Ensure HF credentials are configured (see README)
- Check internet connection
- Verify the
game_idparameter in the URL
Scoring Examples
Example 1: Early Guess
- Word: STREAM (6 letters)
- Revealed letters: 2 (S, T from free letters)
- Unrevealed: 4 (R, E, A, M)
- Score: 6 (word) + 4 (bonus) = 10 points
Example 2: Late Guess
- Word: SMILE (5 letters)
- Revealed letters: 4 (S, M, I, L)
- Unrevealed: 1 (E)
- Score: 5 (word) + 1 (bonus) = 6 points
Example 3: Auto-Complete
- Word: FROG (4 letters)
- All letters revealed through cell clicks
- Automatically marked as found
- Score: 4 (word) + 0 (bonus) = 4 points
Game Flow Diagram
┌─────────────────────┐
│ START NEW GAME │
└──────────┬──────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│ Select 2 Free │
│ Letters (A, E) │
└──────────┬──────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│ Reveal Cells │
│ (Click grid) │
└──────────┬──────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│ Guess Words │
│ (Type + Enter) │
└──────────┬──────────┘
│
▼
┌──────┴──────┐
│ │
┌───▼──┐ ┌───▼──┐
│ ✓ OK │ │ ✗ NO │
└───┬──┘ └───┬──┘
│ │
│ ▼
│ ┌───────────────┐
│ │ Incorrect +1 │
│ └───────┬───────┘
│ │
└─────┬───────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────┐
│ All words │
│ guessed? │
└──────┬──────┘
│
┌────┴────┐
│ │
┌──▼──┐ ┌─▼──┐
│ YES │ │ NO │
└──┬──┘ └─┬──┘
│ │
▼ │
┌──────────┐ │
│ GAME END │◄──┘
│ Show │
│ Score │
└──────────┘
Advanced Tips
Optimal Free Letter Strategy
Research shows these combinations are most effective:
- E + A - Most common vowels
- E + R - Common vowel + consonant
- A + T - Versatile combination
- E + S - Vowel + plural ending
Speed Play
- Practice common word patterns (CVCC, CCVC, etc.)
- Memorize frequent word endings
- Use process of elimination quickly
- Don't overthink - trust your instincts
Challenge Mode Strategy
- Play multiple times with same word list
- Learn common words in each list
- Practice with classic list before challenges
- Aim for < 2 minutes completion time
Credits
Wrdler is based on BattleWords but simplified for a more accessible word puzzle experience.
Changes from BattleWords:
- 8×6 grid (was 12×12)
- Horizontal words only (no vertical)
- No radar visualization
- 2 free letter guesses at start
- Streamlined gameplay
Development:
- 7 sprints completed (v0.0.2)
- 100% integration test pass rate
- Mobile-responsive design
- PWA support
Support & Feedback
Having issues or suggestions?
- Report bugs: https://github.com/Oncorporation/Wrdler/issues
- Ask questions: See README.md
- Contribute: Pull requests welcome!
Quick Reference Card
| Action | How To |
|---|---|
| Select free letter | Click green circular button |
| Reveal cell | Click gray "?" cell |
| Guess word | Type in form + Enter |
| New game | Click "New Game" button |
| Change settings | Open sidebar (← icon) |
| Share challenge | Click "Share" in game-over popup |
| Install PWA | Click install icon in browser |
Enjoy playing Wrdler! 🎲