Word

Linxicon

Link the day's two corner words with a chain of words close in meaning.

Every day: One pair of random words a day, the same for everyone: connect them by adding words close in meaning until a chain links the two, using as few words as you can, within fifty. New puzzle: Midnight UTC.

Play Linxicon on linxicon.com
Linxicon's logo: interlocking chain links in a ring shading from blue to red

Linxicon gives everyone the same two unrelated words each day, pinned in the corners of a board. You add words that are close in meaning to ones already there; links form between similar words, and you win when a chain joins the two corners. Fewer words is better, and the board ends at fifty.

About Linxicon

Linxicon starts every player on the same board each day: two unrelated words pinned in opposite corners. Your job is to join them. You type words, and each one lands on the board and links to any word already there that is close enough in meaning. When a chain of links runs from one corner word to the other, you have won.

The links are worked out by turning each word into an embedding, a list of numbers that captures its meaning; two words link when their cosine similarity is above 40 percent. Click any word to see how similar it is to the others. A word that links to nothing is too far from everything on the board, and a word with many links can see some of them break, so the FAQ advises building chains rather than piling words in the middle.

The aim is to connect the corners with as few words as possible, and for an extra challenge to keep the average strength of each link high. The board holds at most fifty words; reach that without a chain and the game is over. After 25 words a Clue button appears, offering a word another player used to beat that day's puzzle. Short words under three letters, very long ones, proper nouns, hyphenated words, contractions and profanity are not accepted.

A practice mode lets you play extra boards without clues. Linxicon is made by Trainwreck Labs and is free with ads. It suits players who like Semantle and Contexto but would rather build a path than hunt for one word.

How to play Linxicon

  1. Open linxicon.com and read the two words in the corners of the board.
  2. Type a word related in meaning to one of them; it appears on the board and links to any word that is similar enough.
  3. Keep adding words that bridge the gap, building a chain out from one corner towards the other.
  4. Click a word to see how similar it is to its neighbours if a link does not form.
  5. Win when a chain connects both corners, ideally with as few words as possible and before the board reaches fifty.

Tips

  • Build from both corners at once and look for a meeting point in the middle.
  • Choose plain, common words: they tend to sit close to many others.
  • Build a line rather than a cluster; a word with too many links can lose some of them.
  • Save the Clue button for when you are stuck: it only appears after 25 words, and it is someone else's route, not necessarily the shortest.

Questions

How does Linxicon decide whether two words link?

Each word is turned into an embedding, a list of numbers that captures its meaning, and words are compared by cosine similarity. A link forms when the score is above 40 percent.

Can you lose at Linxicon?

Yes. The board holds at most fifty words, and the game ends if the corners are not connected by then.

Is there a hint?

After 25 words a Clue button appears and suggests a word another player used to solve that day's puzzle. Clues are not available in practice mode.

Which words are not allowed?

Words under three letters or over fifteen, proper nouns, hyphenated words, contractions and profanity.

Games like Linxicon

More daily word games