anoun

About anoun

anoun hides one noun each day. There is no letter grid and no word length to work from: you type the name of any thing, and the game answers with a commonality between your guess and the answer. Guess a toaster when the answer is a kettle, and you might learn that both are kitchen appliances, run on electricity or make a noise. Each clue is shown with a small emoji, and the clues you collect build a picture of the answer.

The skill is in choosing guesses that split the world well. A broad first guess tells you roughly what kind of thing you are after, and later guesses test single traits. You can give up and see the answer if you are stuck. At the end the game shows how many guesses you took and the percentage of other players you beat that day, where losses, give-ups and wins with more guesses count as beaten.

The daily word turns over at midnight in your own time zone, and your streak is kept on your device or, if you sign in, on your account, which also lets you go back to earlier days. Beside the daily game there is a list of custom anouns made by other players, and you can set your own word for friends. It is free in the browser. It suits players of Semantle, Contexto and other games about meaning rather than spelling.

How to play anoun

1. Type any noun as your first guess.
2. If it is wrong, read the clue: something your guess has in common with the secret noun.
3. Use each new clue to choose a guess closer to the answer.
4. Keep guessing until you name the noun, or give up to see it.
5. Check how your result compares with the day's other players and share it.

Tips

• Start broad with something everyday, like a common object, animal or food, to learn which kind of thing it is.
• Read clues for what they rule out as well as what they share.
• Once you know the category, guess items that differ in one way, such as size or material, to narrow it down.
• Signing in keeps your streak across devices and lets you play past days you missed.

Questions