5spell

About 5spell

5spell is built around one choice repeated every round: spell or discard. You hold a set of letter tiles. If they make a five-letter word, you can play it. If they do not, or you want to hold out for something better, you discard one of your tiles instead. Over the game, the aim is to make as many five-letter words as you can.

The maker describes two ways to play. The daily is the solo game: one game for the day, in which you try to get as many words as possible, with a results screen at the end. Versus is the multiplayer mode, which the maker compares to Riichi Mahjong, the tile game of drawing and discarding.

5spell runs in the browser and is free. It comes from davy.games, the small site of David L., whose other game, Scrokkle, does a similar thing with playing cards and poker hands.

How to play 5spell

1. Open 5spell and start the daily.
2. Each round, look at your letter tiles.
3. If they spell a five-letter word, play it; if not, discard one tile.
4. Keep going and make as many five-letter words as you can, then compare your daily result.

Tips

• Hold on to common letters such as E, S, A and R; they fit into many words.
• Discard awkward letters early instead of waiting for a rare word.
• Think about which tile to keep for the next word as well as this one.

Questions