Truncate
Spell words tile by tile across an island map, battle the enemy's words and cut through to their town.
Every day: One numbered daily board (Truncate Town Day N), the same for everyone, played against the computer. New puzzle: Midnight in your own time zone (the day number uses local time).
Truncate is a word strategy game on a pixel-art map of islands and towns. Each turn you place one letter tile, building words that grow towards your opponent's side; when words touch they battle, longer valid words beat shorter ones, and the loser's word is removed. The daily puzzle gives everyone the same board against the computer.
About Truncate
Truncate is a free, open-source word game in the browser that plays more like a board game of territory than a word puzzle. Two sides start on opposite edges of a small map of grassy islands with towns and docks, and each player builds outwards by placing one letter tile per turn.
It was created by Liam Bigelow and Blake McAlevey-Scurr, with art contributions credited on the site, and the client and server code are published on GitHub.
Your words read top to bottom and left to right, while your opponent's read the other way. When two players' words touch, they battle. A valid word beats an invalid one whatever its length, and between valid words the longer one wins; the losing word is removed from the board, which can cut off whole branches. The aim is to break through and conquer the enemy town.
The Daily Puzzle is a numbered board, Truncate Town Day N, generated from the day's seed so every player faces the same map against the computer. Outside the daily you can play online against friends. It suits players who like Scrabble-style vocabulary but also enjoy tactics and blocking.
How to play Truncate
- Open Truncate and choose the Daily Puzzle.
- Place one letter tile on your turn, extending your words towards the other side.
- Read your words top to bottom and left to right.
- When your word touches an enemy word, make sure yours is valid and longer so it wins the battle.
- Cut through to the enemy town to win.
Tips
- A short invalid word is a weak point: guard it, since any valid word beats it.
- Lengthening a word by one letter just before contact can win a battle.
- Removing an enemy word can cut off everything built beyond it, so aim at their links.
Questions
Is the Truncate daily puzzle the same for everyone?
Yes. Each day has a numbered board generated from that day's seed, played against the computer.
Which word wins a battle?
A valid word beats an invalid one, and between two valid words the longer one wins.
Can I play other people?
Yes, there are online games against friends as well as the daily puzzle.
Is it free?
Yes. It is free in the browser and the code is open source.
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