Hinge (Mind Loft)
Fill a chain where each pair of neighbours makes a compound word.
Every day: One compound-word chain a day, the same for every player: given the first and last words and the letter counts between, fill a chain where every neighbouring pair makes a compound or a familiar phrase. New puzzle: Midnight US Eastern Time.

Hinge is a free daily word chain from Mind Loft. You get the first and last words of a six-word chain and the length of each word between; fill the gaps so every neighbouring pair forms a compound word or common phrase, like FIRE then PLACE then MAT.
About Hinge (Mind Loft)
Hinge plays the before-and-after game as a ladder. The day's chain might run from GOLF to GROUND with four words to fill, and every adjacent pair must join into a compound word or a phrase everyone knows: FIRE and PLACE make fireplace, PLACE and MAT make placemat, and so on down the chain.
Only the letter counts are fixed, not the words. Any chain the game's vocabulary accepts counts, and when you finish you see your chain beside the setter's. A real word that does not join its neighbour is a detour: it stays on the board struck through, and detours break ties on the leaderboard, where the clock is the score. Tapping a word you placed clears it and everything below it for free, and the board tells you as soon as no chain can reach the end from where you are.
Weekday chains are six words with four to fill. The Sunday Edition has eight words with six to fill and one of them printed. A new chain arrives every day at midnight Eastern.
How to play Hinge (Mind Loft)
- Open Hinge and press Start to see the first and last words and the letter counts.
- Type a word that joins the word above it into a compound or familiar phrase.
- Keep going down the chain; the last filled word must also join the final word.
- If you get stuck, tap a placed word to clear it and the ones below, and try another route.
Screenshots

Tips
- Work from both ends: think of words that join onto the last word as well as the first.
- Common joiners like BOARD, LINE, HOUSE and BALL fit many pairs.
- Letter counts rule out many candidates quickly, so check length before typing.
Questions
What time does Hinge reset?
A new Hinge puzzle goes up every day at midnight US Eastern Time, the same for every player. The Sunday Edition is eight words with six to fill, one of them printed.
Is Hinge free?
Yes. Hinge plays in the browser on Mind Loft with no app and no account. Signing up with a display name (no password) puts your result on the daily leaderboard; an email is optional.
Can I play earlier Hinge puzzles?
Yes. Mind Loft keeps an archive of past Hinge boards together with each day's standings.
Does Hinge accept only the setter's chain?
No. Any chain the game's vocabulary accepts counts, and you see the setter's chain beside yours at the end.
Games like Hinge (Mind Loft)

Rechain
Fill a chain where every neighbouring pair makes a compound word

ChainWhich
Build a chain of compound words and spot the decoys

Cluexy
Build a chain of word pairs, one compound at a time

Couples
Fill a chain where each neighbouring pair makes a phrase

Traindle
Chain compound words and phrases against the clock

Garble (Mind Loft)
Mind Loft's daily word scramble

Anon (Mind Loft)
A daily acrostic with no clues: fill an unsigned passage and find its author.

Crux (Mind Loft)
A crossword with no clues: guess words to reveal letters, then sort them into four categories.