Letter Brew (TED Games)

About Letter Brew (TED Games)

Letter Brew is one of the games on TED's games site, described there as a game of potion crafting, linguistic transformations and aha moments. Each day's puzzle starts with words to transform letter by letter. Every step has a clue: on the day seen here, the word BURN sat above the clue "The ___ of the Screw" (Henry James novella), and the answer is one letter away. Words such as RUN and PERTAIN waited in the cauldrons below.

You type each new word on the on-screen keyboard and press enter. Once your three words are transformed, you place them in the right categories, and together they point to the day's final word. A light-bulb button gives hints, and a help button explains the rules. The puzzles are dated, with the date taken in US Eastern Time, and some days add a bonus level.

The game is free in the browser, and TED offers a daily email with the puzzle. It suits players who like word ladders but want clues that also test their general knowledge.

How to play Letter Brew (TED Games)

1. Read the starting word and the clue under it.
2. Change one letter to make the word the clue describes, and press enter.
3. Keep transforming each of the day's three words, step by step.
4. Place the finished words into the right categories.
5. Use them to work out the final word; tap the light bulb for a hint.

Tips

• Read the clue before thinking about letters: the answer usually differs by just one letter from the word shown.
• Fill-in-the-blank clues, such as book titles, are often the quickest steps.
• Keep the category stage in mind: the words you make are clues to the final answer.
• Use hints sparingly, for the step that blocks the rest.

Questions