Smush
New
- Genre Educational games
- Players 1
- Session 7 min
- Price Free
- Updated
A word game with a resource constraint, which is rarer than it should be. Nine letters sit on the board — one in the centre and eight around it — and the outer letters wear out after a handful of uses. That turns word building into planning: a long word early may spend three of your most useful letters and leave the board unable to produce anything worthwhile afterwards. Points reward length and reward using the whole board, so the strongest play is usually a sequence rather than a single impressive word. A fresh board arrives daily, which makes comparing results with other people meaningful.
| Keyboard | Type the word |
|---|---|
| Mouse | Click the letters in order |
| Touch | Tap the letters |
| Enter | Submit the word |
How to play Smush
- Count the uses left on each outer letter before submitting. The budget is the game.
- Spend the common letters last. Words that need a rare letter are hard to find once the common ones are gone.
- Look for a word that uses the whole board early, since the bonus for it is large and it becomes impossible later.
- Build several medium words rather than one long one, unless the long one uses letters you have plenty of.
- Submit steadily rather than waiting for a perfect word. Unused uses at the end are wasted points.
Tips
- The centre letter has no budget, so plan around building words that lean on it heavily.
- Plurals and past tenses are the cheapest way to reuse a good stem, but check what the ending costs you.
- A board that looks exhausted usually still has short words in it, and short words still score.
Questions about Smush
How does the letter budget work?
Each outer letter can be used a limited number of times before it is no longer available.
Is there a new puzzle each day?
Yes, a fresh board arrives daily, which is what makes comparing scores worthwhile.
What is a full-board bonus?
A word using every letter available scores a substantial bonus, and it is usually only possible early.
Is there a timer?
No. The constraint is the letters, not the clock.
Does it need a keyboard?
No, though typing is faster than clicking.
Is it hard?
It is approachable to play and difficult to score well in, which is a good combination for a daily puzzle.
