Odle
Write a short ode to the day's topic using only the letters in its title.
Every day: One topic phrase a day, the same for everyone, to write an ode about using only the letters contained in that phrase. New puzzle: 10pm US Eastern time.
Odle is a daily creative writing game. Everyone gets the same topic phrase each day, and you write an ode to it using only the letters that appear in the phrase, as often as you like. There is no score and no wrong answer; the fun is in what you can say with a cut-down alphabet.
About Odle
Odle mixes an anagram constraint with a bit of poetry. Each day there is a new topic phrase, and the on-screen keyboard shows only the letters that phrase contains. You can use each letter as many times as you want, but nothing else, so the challenge is to write an ode, serious or silly, to the topic within those limits. The game's own example, for the topic 'Odles', is 'Ode to ODLES: do oodles o' odd odles.'
There are no rules beyond the letters and no scoring. You can write more than one ode a day, take as long as you like, and share the result as text or as an image. A new phrase goes up every evening at 10pm US Eastern time, and everyone writes from the same phrase, which makes it fun to compare with friends or in the game's Facebook group.
It suits writers, word-game players who enjoy lipograms and constrained writing, and anyone who wants a gentle creative break rather than a puzzle to solve.
How to play Odle
- Open Odle and press Play to see the day's topic phrase.
- Use the keyboard, which shows only the letters in the phrase, to write an ode to the topic; repeat letters as often as you like.
- Clear and start again, or write several odes.
- Share your favourite as text or as an image.
Screenshots
Tips
- List the words you can make from the available letters before you start writing.
- Short words and repetition are your friends when the letter set is small.
- Lean into silliness; alliteration often comes easily with a limited alphabet.
- Compare with friends: everyone writes from the same phrase each day.
Questions
Is there a right answer in Odle?
No. There are no rules beyond using only the topic's letters, and no wrong answers.
When does the Odle phrase change?
Every day at 10pm US Eastern time.
Can I reuse letters?
Yes, each available letter can be used as many times as you want.
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