Words march at your desk, a few at a time. Throw words back to destroy them before they reach you: each one that gets through costs ❤️ health, and the run ends when it runs out.
A run is a 📖 book of 12 chapters, one per wave. Finish chapter 12 to win the book; the epilogue then goes on until you fall.
2 ⌨️ Throwing words
Type an English word of 3 letters or more and press Enter. It flies at the closest enemy; ← → pick another.
Each word can be used only once per run, and never an enemy’s own word.
The line under your typing shows what a word will do before you throw it.
3 🔥 Elements and counters
Every word has up to three of 13 elements, worked out from its meaning. An enemy’s card shows its own.
Throw a counter word: volcano ← tsunami, zombie ← holy, tree ← flamethrower. A super-effective hit does far more damage, knocks the enemy back and builds your streak; a resisted one barely scratches it.
The 📖 Chart (F1) lists what beats what.
4 🔤 Letters are ammo
You start with 2 of each letter, and every word spends its letters: the keyboard shows what you hold.
Defeated words drop some of their letters; a super-effective finishing blow drops the whole word. Each new wave brings one of every vowel and 20 common letters.
🃏 Wildcards stand in for letters you’re missing, but score nothing.
5 💥 Damage
A word scores 🔷 chips: its might/10 plus each letter’s Scrabble value (rare Q Z X J K score big). Rarer, mightier words hit harder, but cost more letters.
Your multiplier is the number of shots: ×3 fires three, closest enemies first. Chains, momentum and glyphs raise it.
Each shot hits for its chips × the matchup: super effective, neutral or resisted.
6 🔗 Chains and word shapes
Chain words: start a word with the last letter of the one before (fire → ember → rain). Each link adds +15% shots (up to +60%), and every 3rd link’s first letter is free.
👊 Jabs (up to 4 letters) build momentum for your next longer word, 🔨 heavy words (8+) crush armor and stagger, and 📌 double letters pierce shields.
7 💧 Statuses, reactions and traits
A strongly elemental word leaves a status (💧 Soaked, ❄️ Chilled, 🔥 Burn…). Hit it with the right element for a reaction: Soaked + ⚡ = Shock, Chilled + 🔥 = Melt ×2. The full list is in the 📖 Chart.
A seal holds an element’s help: Inferno, Tide, Rampart… Throwing words of its element charges it; press its key (1–5) to call it. The more it’s charged, the stronger it is.
Some characters bring their own seal, and merchants sell more. You start with 2 seal slots; the Seal slot upgrade adds more, up to 5.
9 🛒 Between waves
Spending letters and defeating words earns ✨ XP. On a level-up, your next Enter lets you pick 1 of 3 rewards (keys 1–3).
Kills earn 🪙 coins. A random merchant then deals cards: letters, 📈 letter level-ups, 🔮 glyphs (lasting bonuses like 🪞 ×4 for palindromes), seals, 🃏 wildcards, repairs, 🗼 towers, booster packs and risky deals. One card is on sale, 🔓 locked cards wait for your next visit, and unspent coins earn interest. Each merchant has a quirk: the 🦊 Fox is cheap but sells one fake…
🗼 Towers zap enemies for you, but wear down their loot (★★★ → ☆☆☆): finish enemies with your own words to keep their letters.
10 👑 Chapters and bosses
Most chapters have a twist (one element, a banned letter, a swarm…): the shop names the next one. Every 4th chapter ends with a boss that plays by its own rules: you’ll learn them when you meet it. Beat it for a 🎁 chest of 1, 3 or 5 rewards.
11 🏛️ Between runs
Every run earns ✒️ ink for permanent 🏛️ upgrades. Most start hidden: discover them by playing, and some only through 🔮 secret words…
Beating a boss unlocks a new character with its own way to play. The 📖 Codex keeps everything you’ve found.