Fourbe

Four definitions, four answers to write letter by letter, and a fifth word that nobody explicitly asks for: the Fourbe, the hidden subject that links the other four. The subtlety lies in the type of link. In the tutorial example, the four answers have nothing to do with each other until you notice that they all point to the same universe, one of them by a simple piece of its answer.

1. Solve each definition letter by letter. The four answers are neither the same length nor in the same register.
2. Once the answers are entered, name the Fourbe, that is, what links all four.
3. If you get stuck on this final round, three hints are available: CATEGORY gives the Fourbe's category, CONTEXT shows how each answer connects to it, VOWELS reveals the vowels. Each costs an attempt.

It's the kind of puzzle played in two stages: first a straightforward definitions task, then a switch where you have to reread your own answers looking for what they have in common. The best moment is when you've had the four answers in front of you for a minute and nothing comes to mind.

The tutorial shows validated answers as green tiles aligned to the right of their definition, one per letter. The final-round hints are not free: the rules panel states in black and white that each consumes an attempt, which makes them a currency rather than an aid.

Daily

The day's grid, dated on the home screen, launched from the Play the Daily button.

• The link may concern only part of an answer. In the example provided by the tutorial, it's the word ROAST hidden in SUNDAY ROAST that points to the Fourbe, not the whole answer.
• Because each hint costs an attempt, save CATEGORY for the moment when the four answers are entered and the link still isn't obvious.