Side Stage
Rate itSort sixteen word slips into four hidden groups of four, with no limit on wrong guesses.
on reallybadstudio.com
Side Stage is a free daily grouping puzzle from Really Bad Studio. Each day sixteen word slips hide four groups of four, and you pick four that belong together and stage them. Wrong guesses never end the game; they only lower your score, and hints are there if you want them.
About Side Stage
Side Stage is one of the Dailies, two small free word puzzles a day from Really Bad Studio. It plays in the browser with no account, and your streak is kept in the browser you play on. Its sister puzzle, Setlist, gives five clues whose answers chain letter to letter, and finishing either one keeps the shared streak going.
Each day's board shows sixteen words written on paper slips laid out on a dark stage floor. Four groups of four are hidden among them, from an easy one to a devious one, and some slips are placed to fool you. You pick four slips, press Stage these, and learn whether they form a group. When three of your four are right, the game tells you that you are one away.
What sets Side Stage apart from Connections and its many cousins is that there is no mistake limit. Every wrong guess costs three points, so a clean board scores highest, but the game never ends early. The hint button works in three steps: a nudge, then the name of a group, then placing that group's four slips for you, with the first two costing six points each and a placed group scoring nothing.
New puzzles arrive at midnight where you are. Past days wait in an archive and a set of practice warm-ups is there for learning the ropes; neither changes your streak. When you finish, you can copy a result to share. It suits players who like Connections but would rather finish every board than lose it on a fourth wrong guess.
At the end you see about what share of players you beat. No names. That figure comes from an anonymous tally of finished boards, kept by the studio without any leaderboard or account behind it.
How to play Side Stage
- Open Side Stage and read the sixteen word slips on today's board.
- Look for four slips that share something: a meaning, a sound, a hidden word or a phrase they complete.
- Tap four slips to pick them, then press Stage these.
- If the four are a group, they leave the board; if the game says one away, three of your four belong together.
- Use Shuffle to rearrange the slips, or Hint for a nudge, then a group's name, then its four slips placed.
- Keep going until all four groups are staged, then copy your result from the Dailies page if you want to share it.
Screenshots
Tips
- Each wrong guess costs three points and each of the first two hint steps costs six, so a guess you are unsure of is cheaper than a hint.
- Some slips are there to fool you: when five or more words fit one idea, look for the group that can only take one of them.
- Stage the group you are surest of first; fewer slips on the board make the devious group easier to see.
- Shuffle when you are stuck: slips next to each other can hide links across the board.
Questions
When does Side Stage get a new puzzle?
At midnight in your own time zone. A puzzle you have already started stays open, so you can finish it after midnight.
Is there a limit on wrong guesses?
No. Wrong guesses never end the game. Each one takes three points off your score, so a clean board scores higher.
Do I need an account to play Side Stage?
No. It is free with no sign-up, and your streak is saved in the browser you play on.
Can I play earlier puzzles?
Yes. The Dailies keep an archive of earlier puzzles and a set of practice warm-ups. Neither changes your streak.
Ratings and reviews
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