Word Quarry
How to play Word Quarry
Word Quarry is a daily word puzzle where you dig through a layered heap of letter tiles. Spell English words from the tiles you can reach: every word clears its tiles away and opens a path deeper into the pile.
Hunt for rare letters and long words, which score the most. Your best run of the day goes on the leaderboard, and when the day closes, the most valuable and rarest finds are listed for all to see. Everyone digs the same heap, and a new one opens tomorrow.
The rules
Free tiles
A tile is free when nothing rests on top of it and at least one of its sides, left or right, is open. Free tiles are bright; the others are dimmed. Taking a tile can free the tiles under it and beside it, so the order you dig in matters.
Spelling a word
Tap free tiles in order to spell a word. Submit lights up when the letters spell a word that counts: tap it to bank the word and clear its tiles. Undo puts the last letter back.
The pocket
The pocket holds tiles off the board for later. Tap an empty slot, then a free tile: whatever lay under it comes free, and the pocketed letter can go into any later word. The game shows how many tiles it holds.
The hint
Stuck? Hint numbers the tiles of one common word you can spell, in order. The game shows how many hints a run has.
Scoring
Each tile shows its letter's points. Longer words are worth more per letter, and the tiles show the raised value while you build, so the number you see is the number you bank. Finish ends the run and banks your score. Play again as often as you like: your best run of the day is the one that counts. Some days run other rules, and the day lists them before you start.
The day
A new heap opens every day at 00:00 UTC. While it is open it is ranked: your best score of the day sets your place on its leaderboard. When it closes, the day's lists show the most valuable, the rarest and the longest words found, and how many players found each. A closed day stays playable for 90 days, with the score kept for you alone.
Past days and keys
The calendar holds the last 90 days. Today is always free, and so is any day you have played. A key opens a past day you missed, for as many games as you like. You earn keys by playing; the game shows how.
Quarries
A quarry is a small level one player builds by hand from a few of their own words of the day, once their best score of the day has gone far enough. Its par is the builder's own score: score more to out-dig them. Others find it on Results → Quarries, or through a link the builder shares. Each quarry has its own leaderboard, apart from the daily one, and can be dug for 90 days.
Which words count
English words from the ENABLE word list, which is in the public domain, with a small list of our own additions. Plurals and verb forms count. Names, brands, abbreviations, contractions and text speak don't. The Words page in the game looks any word up.
Questions
Is it free?
Yes. Word Quarry is free to play in your browser, on a phone or a computer.
Do I need an account?
No. You start playing at once as a guest, and nobody asks for a name, an email or a password. An account, for 13 and over, keeps your game on every device and gives you a name of your choosing on the leaderboards.
Is my game saved?
A guest's game is kept in the browser it was played in. An account's game is kept with the account: log in on any device and it is there.
When does a new puzzle start?
At 00:00 UTC every day. The game shows how long today's heap has left.
Why was my word refused?
Either it isn't in the word list, or it is a kind of word that doesn't count, such as a name or a brand. The game says which. If you think a word should count, tell us: ⋯ → Feedback in the game.
How do I report a problem?
⋯ → Feedback in the game, where we answer under your message, or by email. See Contact.