How to play Bookends
A free word race for two. No sign-up. Plays in your browser.
The idea
- Each player locks a secret letter.
- At GO, both letters flip.
- The first valid word that starts with one letter and ends with the other wins. Either way round.
Example: with A and T, "about" and "tuna" both count. Words must be at least 3 letters.
A game
- First to 5 rounds wins. Your first game is first to 3.
- Golden rounds are worth double. Lightning rounds last 20 seconds.
- Twist rounds add a rule, like "no E". Steal rounds let the other player beat the first word with a longer one.
- After each round you can pick a power-up card, such as Freeze or Clue.
Ways to play
- Find a Game: a ranked match against a simulated opponent near your rating. The game says they are simulated.
- Play a friend: make a room, share the code or link, and race a real person.
- Party: 2 to 8 players. The slowest players lose lives. Last one standing wins.
- Daily Pair: one pair of letters a day, the same for everyone. 60 seconds, as many words as you can. Share your score without giving away the words.
- Gauntlet: eight opponents, three lives, and a relic after each win.
- Practice: drill the letter pairs you are weakest on.
Progress
- Ranks run from Bronze to Master, with an Elo rating.
- You earn XP and levels. Every level unlocks something: pets, props, frames, titles and more.
- Stats show where you stand against the whole ladder.
Questions
Is it free? Yes. No ads and no purchases.
Do I need an account? No. Progress is saved on your device. A transfer code moves it to another device.
Are the opponents real? In Find a Game they are simulated. Friend rooms and Party are real people.
How is it different from Wordle? Wordle is a puzzle you solve alone. Bookends is a race against another player.
Which words count? About 60,000 common English words. Offensive words are removed.