Word Game

A language puzzle. For Android, desktop, and browser.

1. Choose a place on the board. Type there a letter that's part of a word - read in any directions, like in a maze.
2. Pick letters in order as in your word, except diagonally.
3. Press OK to end your move, or Del to clear it and start from 1.
4. Singular common nouns are allowed.
5. When the board is full, the sum of word lengths defines the winner.

• Click a previously played word to see its definition on Wiktionary
• For a fine tuned level of challenge, use Custom difficulty in settings
• Choose a color theme in settings

Browser version and Android app:

Example:

Starting with a random initial word:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           | S | N | A | K | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places p for snap, arrows show the directions of reading:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   | P |   |   |
           +---+---+-^-+---+---+
           | S > N > A | K | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places s for span:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   | P < S |   |
           +---+---+-v-+---+---+
           | S | N < A | K | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

See the rest of this game.

Player 1 places m for spam:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   | P < S |   |
           +---+---+-v-+---+---+
           | S | N | A | K | E |
           +---+---+-v-+---+---+
           |   |   | M |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places r for maker:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
           |   |   | P | S |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           | S | N | A > K > E |
           +---+---+-^-+---+-v-+
           |   |   | M |   | R |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places i for mire:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       |   |   | P | S |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           | S | N | A | K | E |
           +---+---+---+---+-^-+
           |   |   | M > I > R |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   |   |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places e for name:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       |   |   | P | S |   |  name
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           | S | N > A | K | E |
           +---+---+-v-+---+---+
           |   |   | M | I | R |
           +---+---+-v-+---+---+
           |   |   | E |   |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places t for kite:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       |   |   | P | S |   |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+---+
           | S | N | A | K | E |
           +---+---+---+-v-+---+
           |   |   | M | I | R |
           +---+---+---+-v-+---+
           |   |   | E < T |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places m for item:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       |   |   | P | S |   |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+---+  item
           | S | N | A | K | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   |   | M | I | R |
           +---+---+---+-v-+---+
           |   | M < E < T |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places e for meme:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       |   |   | P | S |   |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   | E > M | I | R |
           +---+-^-+-v-+---+---+
           |   | M | E | T |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places o for memo:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       |   |   | P | S |   |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           |   | E | M | I | R |
           +---+---+-v-+---+---+
           | O < M < E | T |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places c for comet:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       |   |   | P | S |   |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +---+---+---+---+---+
           | C | E | M | I | R |
           +-v-+---+---+---+---+
           | O > M > E > T |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places t for scent:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       |   | T | P | S |   |  name
kite       +---+-^-+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +-v-+-^-+---+---+---+  scent
           | C > E | M | I | R |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           | O | M | E | T |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places a for ascent:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       | A | T | P | S |   |  name
kite       +-v-+-^-+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +-v-+-^-+---+---+---+  scent
ascent     | C > E | M | I | R |
           +---+---+---+---+---+
           | O | M | E | T |   |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places e for tire:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       | A | T | P | S |   |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +---+---+---+---+---+  scent
ascent     | C | E | M | I > R |  tire
           +---+---+---+-^-+-v-+
           | O | M | E | T | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places m for merit:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   |   |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+---+---+  maker
mire       | A | T | P | S | M |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+-v-+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +---+---+---+---+-v-+  scent
ascent     | C | E | M | I < R |  tire
merit      +---+---+---+-v-+---+
           | O | M | E | T | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places a for asker:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   | A |   |  span
spam       +---+---+---+-v-+---+  maker
mire       | A | T | P | S | M |  name
kite       +---+---+---+-v-+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K > E |  memo
comet      +---+---+---+---+-v-+  scent
ascent     | C | E | M | I | R |  tire
merit      +---+---+---+---+---+  asker
           | O | M | E | T | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places w for wasp:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   |   | A < W |  span
spam       +---+---+---+-v-+---+  maker
mire       | A | T | P < S | M |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +---+---+---+---+---+  scent
ascent     | C | E | M | I | R |  tire
merit      +---+---+---+---+---+  asker
wasp       | O | M | E | T | E |
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places m for mask:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   |   | M > A | W |  span
spam       +---+---+---+-v-+---+  maker
mire       | A | T | P | S | M |  name
kite       +---+---+---+-v-+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +---+---+---+---+---+  scent
ascent     | C | E | M | I | R |  tire
merit      +---+---+---+---+---+  asker
wasp       | O | M | E | T | E |  mask
           +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 1 places o for atom:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       |   | O > M | A | W |  span
spam       +---+-^-+---+---+---+  maker
mire       | A > T | P | S | M |  name
kite       +---+---+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +---+---+---+---+---+  scent
ascent     | C | E | M | I | R |  tire
merit      +---+---+---+---+---+  asker
wasp       | O | M | E | T | E |  mask
atom       +---+---+---+---+---+

Player 2 places b for sabot:

Player 1:  +---+---+---+---+---+  Player 2:
snap       | B > O | M | A | W |  span
spam       +-^-+-v-+---+---+---+  maker
mire       | A | T | P | S | M |  name
kite       +-^-+---+---+---+---+  item
meme       | S | N | A | K | E |  memo
comet      +---+---+---+---+---+  scent
ascent     | C | E | M | I | R |  tire
merit      +---+---+---+---+---+  asker
wasp       | O | M | E | T | E |  mask
atom       +---+---+---+---+---+  sabot

The board is full, the game is over. Total words length is

Player 1: 44
Player 2: 44

It's a draw.

Game in action, example

A computer vs computer game on Android:

example.mp4

Build, run, play

Get source code for all target platforms below:

git clone https://github.com/alex-vt/WordGame.git
cd WordGame

Android

Requirements: Java, Android SDK

Signing setup:

• Put your keystore.jks to the project's root folder for signing the app.
• Create a signing.properties in the project's root folder with keystore.jks credentials:

signingStoreLocation=keystore.jks
signingStorePassword=<keystore.jks password>
signingKeyAlias=<keystore.jks alias>
signingKeyPassword=<keystore.jks key password>

Run on ADB connected device:

./gradlew installRelease

Build installable APK

./gradlew assembleRelease

Install build/outputs/apk/release/WordGame-release.apk on Android device.

Desktop Linux

Requirements: Java

Run on desktop:

./gradlew run

Build executable:

./gradlew createDistributable

Folder with the game will be build/compose/binaries/main/app/WordGame.

To run the game, in the game folder execute bin/WordGame

Browser version

Note: this is experimental.

Requirements: Java

Run in browser:

./gradlew jsBrowserRun

Build deployable:

./gradlew jsBrowserExecutableDistribution

Folder with the game will be build/developmentExecutable.

To play in browser, host the game folder contents, for example on GitHub Pages.

Play online

The deployable game folder contents hosted on GitHub Pages of user alex-vt in wordgame folder is playable on https://alex-vt.github.io/wordgame.

Development

Tech stack: Kotlin, Compose Multiplatform

Target platforms: Android, Desktop, JS/Web/Browser

Build system: Gradle

License

MIT License