Words Across — How It Works

Welcome! In Phase 1 we’re running a single shared board where everyone plays live. It’s not turn-based: when you place tiles and commit, the move lands instantly if the spaces are still open.

1) The Basics

A single, always-on board that updates in real time.
Your rack holds up to 7 letters and refills after a valid commit.
Place words horizontally (left→right) or vertically (top→bottom) so they connect to existing tiles.
Every commit must create at least one valid dictionary word; if it doesn’t, it’s rejected.
If two players try to use the same cell, the first valid commit wins that spot.

2) Credits & Costs

Per-tile pricing: each tile used costs 1 Play Credit — this applies to tiles placed on the board and tiles you discard.
Daily login bonus (free users): 10 Play Credits each calendar day you log in.
New signup bonus: 100 Play Credits that never expire (one-time), so you can truly try the game.
Running out: You can still browse and chat, but you’ll need more credits to play or discard.

Tip: Be strategic—discarding helps shape your rack, but it still costs credits.

3) Memberships & Banking (coming soon)

Membership tiers will grant a larger daily login bonus.
Select tiers will allow banking unused daily credits (limits vary by tier).
Anyone can also buy one-time Play Credit packs that never expire and work with any membership level.

4) Valid Plays & Scoring

Your commit score is the sum of all new words formed in that play.
Special board cells may award letter or word bonuses; bonuses apply to tiles placed in that commit only.
Already-on-board tiles don’t pick up bonuses again.

5) Discards

You can discard 1–7 tiles from your rack to draw replacements.
Each discarded tile costs 1 Play Credit.
Discarding doesn’t change the board; it just refreshes your rack.

6) Live Etiquette

Be kind in chat. Friendly competition is the vibe.
No harassment, hate speech, or spam. We moderate and may mute/ban offenders.
One human per account; no bots or automated word-finders.

7) Technical Notes

The board and chat update in real time.
Racks auto-refill back to 7 after a valid commit.
If a spot is taken while you’re placing, your commit will fail gracefully—just try another line.

8) Fair Play & Bugs

If you encounter a bug or exploit, please report it instead of using it. We’ll fix issues quickly so everyone has a fair game.