Wordiply

Wordiply gives a short starting word and allows five guesses to find the longest word that contains it. The starting word must appear exactly as is, letters in sequence, anywhere in the answer. There is not a single correct answer: there is a longest word, and the score shows how close you are to it, plus a second counter that adds up all the letters used.

1. Read the starting word, shown on pink tiles at the top of the screen.
2. Type a word that contains it in one piece: a badge to the right of the field displays the length in real time.
3. Confirm with Submit, up to five times.
4. A Reveal button accompanies Submit below the input field.

It's the Guardian's daily word game, it fits into a one-line instruction, and its scoring structure makes it more than a contest of length. You can't find a big word on the first try and then stay quiet: the five guesses feed a second counter, so going the distance pays off even knowing you won't reach the record. And since the only constraint is to keep the starting word intact, each day becomes a hunt for prefixes and suffixes rather than a deductive puzzle.

The only feedback visible while typing is a length counter, housed in a badge to the right of the field, which rises letter by letter. The rules then announce a double score: a length score, higher the closer you get to the longest word, and a letters score, which accumulates all letters used. The screen also includes a “Your guesses so far” area, empty as long as nothing has been submitted, and the game save keeps track of the letters to highlight in each guess.

Daily game

One starting word per day, with five guesses.

Warm up

A Warm up button offered next to Play on the rules screen.

• The starting word stays in one piece: this is not an anagram game, the letters do not move. Look for prefixes and suffixes to attach around it.
• The length counter displays while typing: it lets you separate two candidates even before submitting.
• Two scores are in play, the length of the best word and the total of letters used. The five guesses therefore aren’t something to hoard; an average word you submit still contributes to the second counter.