How to play
- Players take turns. The first word can be anything starting with the letter shown.
- Each word after that must start with the last letter of the word before: duck, kite, egg, goose…
- Words need three letters or more, must be in the word list, and can only be used once a game.
- A word that doesn’t count is turned away and you can try again while time lasts. If time runs out you lose a life, and the next player gets the same letter.
- Lose all your lives and you’re out. The last player left wins.
Tips
Plan your ending, not just your start: words that end in X, Z, Q, J or V leave the next player with few choices, while words ending in E or S are easy to follow. Keep a few long-shot words in mind for awkward letters, like “xylophone” or “zebra”.
About the game
Word Chain is an old word game played around the world, known in Japan as shiritori. Words are checked against a public word list of everyday and less common English words.