Daily word games, compared

Guess a five-letter word in six tries, with colour feedback after each guess.

Skip it if: Anyone who wants more than one puzzle, or who finds a single daily attempt frustrating rather than exciting

Sort sixteen words into four hidden groups of four, with only four mistakes allowed.

Skip it if: Anyone who wants a quick win before coffee, or who finds ambiguous categorisation annoying rather than fun

Make as many words as possible from seven letters, always using the centre one.

Skip it if: Anyone who wants a defined finish, or who resents a puzzle rejecting words they know are real

A themed word search where one answer spans the whole board.

Skip it if: Anyone who dislikes word searches, or who wants the tight time box that Wordle gives

A five-by-five crossword built to be finished in about a minute.

Skip it if: Anyone wanting a puzzle that lasts, or who finds American proper-noun clues alienating

Four Wordles at once, sharing every guess, with nine attempts.

Skip it if: Anyone who finds Wordle already sufficient, or who plays mostly on a small phone

The tile-laying board game where letter values and board bonuses decide the score.

Skip it if: Anyone looking for a five-minute solo puzzle, or who does not have a willing opponent

Use all twelve letters around a square, never twice from the same side.

Skip it if: Anyone who wants a puzzle with a guaranteed finish in five minutes, or who finds constraint-juggling stressful rather than satisfying

Guess a secret word using how close in meaning your guesses are, not their letters.

Skip it if: Anyone who wants a bounded puzzle with a clear finish, or who finds open-ended guessing maddening rather than absorbing

Swap letters around a waffle-shaped grid to spell six words in fifteen moves.

Skip it if: Anyone looking to expand their vocabulary, or who prefers guessing at unknowns over rearranging knowns

Eight Wordles at once, sharing every guess, with thirteen attempts.

Skip it if: Anyone who found Quordle already excessive, or who wants a puzzle finished inside five minutes

Seven clues, and a pile of letter tiles that combine into the answers.

Skip it if: Anyone who wants risk in a puzzle, or who dislikes trivia-flavoured clues mixed into word play

Shake sixteen letter dice and find words in the grid before the timer runs out.

Skip it if: Anyone who dislikes timers, or who wants a puzzle with one correct solution rather than an open hunt

Give one-word clues to lead your team to the right words and away from the assassin.

Skip it if: Anyone playing alone or in a pair, and anyone who wants a puzzle rather than a social game

The original semantic guessing game, and considerably harsher than its successors.

Skip it if: Anyone who wants to finish reliably — Contexto is the friendlier entry point to the same idea

Scrabble without the board, the turns, or the waiting.

Skip it if: Anyone who prefers considered turns to a race, or who wants Scrabble's positional scoring

Find words in a rising tile grid, clearing the board before it reaches the top.

Skip it if: Anyone unwilling to pay for a word game, or who wants a puzzle with a single daily answer to discuss

Find the two-letter meld that completes four word fragments at once.

Skip it if: Anyone who mostly wants the social side of daily puzzles — comparing scores with friends who already play the same game