Bongo

Bongo is a word game played like a hand of Scrabble on a tiny board. At the bottom of the screen is a rack of tiles, each showing its point value. Above it is a grid of a few rows where you place them, with squares that multiply what is placed on them; a ×3 appears among them. At the top of the board are the current score and, just below, a value labeled Par. Three buttons control the round: Submit, Best and Clear. The right-hand column unfolds a list of objectives labeled by difficulty, from the simplest, placing a tile on the board, to the most demanding, writing a word on every row, including objectives such as writing a word on the bonus line, placing a word before the last two rows, finishing the grid, and submitting your best solution.

1. Drag tiles from the rack to the rows on the board; the keyboard works too, since letters typed on it place themselves automatically.
2. Form a word on each row, watching the multiplier squares and the value printed on each tile.
3. Attend to the bonus line, which appears as a separate objective from the other rows in the right-hand list.
4. Clear the board with Clear to try a different arrangement, then confirm with Submit.

Bongo takes a single grid and turns it into multiple games, thanks to its column of objectives labeled by difficulty: placing a tile is enough to get started, writing a word on every row is another matter, and the bonus line is handled separately. Because each tile has a value and some squares multiply, you're not looking for a single word, you're looking for a placement, which makes the same grid endlessly replayable thanks to the Clear button. The Par shown under the score sets the day's ambition without saying how to reach it.

The board doesn't say right or wrong; it scores. Each placed tile displays the points it earns in that position, multiplier squares modify that number, and the total is reflected at the top of the board next to the Par. The objectives column provides a second form of feedback: its lines are checked off as you go, and the first two check themselves off after a few letters are typed, the list then advancing to the next objective.

Core play

A single default puzzle, the day's grid, opens directly into play. The screen presents a small board with a rack of valued tiles, multiplier squares, a score display with a Par beneath it, an objectives column (Easy/Medium/Hard), a timer with Pause, and the three round controls: Submit, Best and Clear. There are no alternate modes, menu of variants, or separate play types.

• The same letter isn't worth the same thing depending on where it lands: tiles have a value and some squares multiply it. Moving a word by one square can be worth more than extending it.
• The bonus line has its own objective in the right-hand column, distinct from 'write a word on any row.' It's a point to treat separately, not a side effect.
• No need to do everything with the mouse: letters typed on the keyboard are placed on the board.