Word War: Duel

A daily word puzzle you play against your friends.

Download on the App Store

iPhone

How it works

One five-letter word a day, six guesses, the same green and yellow feedback you already know. What changes is what happens to your result afterwards. Fewest guesses takes the round, and when two people finish level, the faster solve takes it.

Rounds stack up. First to ten round wins takes a battle, and a war is the best of five battles. That structure is there so one bad Tuesday costs you a round instead of the whole thing. You can lose a day and still be well ahead on the week.

You don't have to recruit anybody first. Every player has a war running against the Universe, which is the average of everyone who played that day, and it starts on its own. So the game works on the first morning, before you've talked a single friend into installing it. Once you do have people, you can war one of them directly, or split into teams, where each side averages its members' guesses against the other side's.

Common questions

What is Word War: Duel?

It's a daily word game for iPhone. Everyone gets the same five-letter word, you get six guesses, and the fewest guesses wins the round. The puzzle is the familiar one. The scoring layered on top of it is the part that's different.

Do I need friends playing before it's any good?

No. Every player has a war running against the Universe, which is the average of everyone who played that day. It runs by default, so there's no empty lobby waiting on an invite. Warring a specific friend, or a team, is something you add later if you want it.

How does the scoring work?

Fewest guesses takes the round, and ties break on solve time. First to ten round wins takes a battle, and a war is the best of five battles. In a team war each side averages its members' guesses against the other side's, so the result reflects everyone who played rather than the best player alone.

Is there an Android version?

Not at the moment. It's iPhone only for now.

Is this Wordle?

No. Word War: Duel is an independent game and isn't affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Wordle or The New York Times Company. Calling it Wordle-style is the quickest honest way to describe the format, and that's the whole of the claim.

What does it cost?

Free to download on iPhone, with an optional subscription.

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