BENDWORDSHow to play Bendwords
Bendwords is a word search where the words bend. Each puzzle gives you a list of words on one theme and a grid of letters. Your job is to find where every word is hidden.
The rules
- Every word in the list is hidden in the grid.
- A word runs through cells that share an edge. It can go straight, or turn a corner as often as it likes: an L, a U, a zigzag or a snake.
- Words never run diagonally, and a word never uses the same cell twice.
- Every letter belongs to exactly one word, so the words fill the whole grid. Gray cells are not used.
- There is exactly one way to fill the grid.
Playing online
On the daily puzzle page, drag your finger or mouse across the letters to trace a word, or tap the letters one by one. A correct word stays colored. The word list shows only the length of each word at first; tap Show words to see the words themselves.
Stuck? Each Hint lights up the next letter of a word. Restart clears the puzzle. Use the arrows next to the date to play earlier days.
The shapes
Classic
A square grid. Each letter touches up to four others: up, down, left and right.
Triangles
Small triangles inside a big triangle. Each cell touches up to three others, so words zigzag.
Hexagons
A honeycomb. Each hexagon touches up to six others, which opens many more paths.
Spiderweb
Rings cut by spokes around a center cell. Words can run around a ring or along a spoke.
Mystery Mosaic
On mosaic days the words come in color groups, and each group names things of one color. When you find a word, pick its color from the paint pots under the grid and tap the word to paint it. Paint every word in the right color and a hidden pixel picture appears.
Tips for solving
- Start in the corners. A corner cell has the fewest neighbors, so only a few words can pass through it.
- Look for rare letters. Letters like Q, Z, X, J or K usually belong to just one word in the list.
- Count the cells. The word lengths add up to the number of white cells. A small pocket of cells must be filled by a word of exactly that size.
- Don't cut the grid. If a word would leave a few cells sealed off that no remaining word can fill, it is in the wrong place.
- Easy days first. Puzzles get harder through the week: Monday and Tuesday are easy, Wednesday to Friday are medium, and the weekend is hard.