Word Spill

About Word Spill

Word Spill gives everyone the same board of letter tiles each day: 5 by 5 most days, and a bigger 6 by 6 board on Sundays. You spell a word by dragging through tiles that touch, across, up, down or diagonally, using each tile once and at least three letters. When you submit, those tiles disappear, the letters above fall into the gaps and any empty column slides to the left. No new letters come in, so every word changes what is left to spell.

Each tile shows a point value. A word scores the sum of its tiles, multiplied by 1.5 for four letters and by 2 for five or more. A word of five letters or more also starts a Surge: the tiles touching its path turn purple and are worth double in your next word. You have three swaps per puzzle to trade two neighbouring tiles, which can rescue a stuck board. Clearing every tile adds a point per starting tile, 25 on a normal day, and each unused swap adds 5 more.

There is no timer. Undo is free while you play, and restart brings back the original board and all three swaps, though a restart after your first word means the attempt no longer counts as a first try. If no word can be reached even with your remaining swaps, the attempt ends and you keep your score.

The puzzle changes at midnight Eastern Time, and your progress is saved in the browser. The site also has a strategy page for planning moves.

How to play Word Spill

1. Open Word Spill and look over the day's board of letter tiles.
2. Drag through touching tiles, in any direction including diagonals, to spell a word of three letters or more.
3. Press spell: the tiles vanish, the letters above fall and empty columns slide left.
4. Use your three swaps to trade neighbouring tiles when the board gets stuck.
5. Keep spelling until the board is clear or no word is left, then compare your score.

Tips

• Spell five-letter words to set off a Surge, then use the purple tiles in your next word for double value.
• Think about how the board will fall before you submit; clearing a column can strand letters on the left.
• Save swaps for the end: each unused one is worth 5 points, and they are most useful when the board is nearly empty.
• Use the free undo to test a word and see where the letters land.

Questions