Game rules

1. The game in brief

Every player secretly submits one word at the same moment. The words are then revealed together. If two or more players submitted the identical word, they have matched. If not, everyone tries again, this time aiming for a word that bridges the words just revealed. The match is only where the path ends. The near-misses and unexpected leaps along the way are the game.

A game is built from three choices:

Classic modes are the relaxed original: no score and no winner. Arena modes are competitive and are kept in their own section so that Classic stays as it is.

2. Glossary

3. Universal rules (every mode)

• U-1

  Simultaneous play. In each Round every player submits exactly one word without seeing anyone else’s. Words are revealed together once everyone has submitted or the Round Timer runs out.

• U-2

  Valid word. One word made of letters only. No spaces and no digits. One apostrophe or hyphen is allowed inside the word, never at either end. Maximum 24 characters; anything longer is trimmed.

• U-3

  Filter. Slurs and explicit profanity are rejected. The player is asked for a different word, and the rejected word does not count as a submission.

• U-4

  Exact matching. Two submissions match only if they are identical after ignoring capital letters and surrounding spaces. “Light” matches “light”. “Light” does not match “lights”. Synonyms and near-matches never count. The fuzziness belongs to the players, not the referee.

• U-5

  No chat. Players cannot talk or message each other during a game.

• U-6

  First instinct (spirit rule). Players should send the first word that comes to mind, not the cleanest synthesis. This is not enforced.

• U-7

  No repeats (all modes). A word that has already appeared in the game, as a Seed word or as a submission in an earlier Round, cannot be submitted again. Players may still submit the same word as each other within one Round, since matching is the goal. In Classic modes this also means a reference word from the previous Round cannot be submitted. In Duos the rule works per team (D-5).

• U-8

  Missed submission (Arena). If a player has not submitted when the Round Timer ends, they have no submission in that Round and cannot match. Their Last word does not change.

4. Classic modes

4.1 Classic Pair (2 players)

• C-1

  Round 1. Round 1 opens with a starting Seed word (A-3): a random common word that fits the Theme (if on), shown to both players. Nobody submits it and it can never be submitted (U-7). Each player submits the first word the Seed word brings to mind.

• C-2

  Round 2 onward. Each player submits a word that bridges the two words revealed in the previous Round.

• C-3

  End. The game ends the first time both players submit the identical word. The game then shows the path of words they walked. There is no score and no winner.

• C-4

  Finding a partner. A stranger match waits about 12 seconds for another player, then an AI partner joins and plays on instinct. The screen says when this happens.

• C-5

  Friend rooms. One player creates a room and a six-digit code appears. The other player enters the code. The code expires after 5 minutes if nobody joins. When both are connected, both screens flash the same random word for half a second as proof they share a room. There is no AI takeover in a friend room: if someone leaves, the room ends.

4.2 Classic Triangles (3 players)

• T-1

  Same game, three minds. Triangles follows C-1 to C-3, except that all three players must submit the identical word in the same Round. Two out of three matching does not end the game.

• T-2

  Reference words. From Round 2, each player bridges the three words revealed in the previous Round, their own included.

• T-3

  Seats. A stranger game fills empty seats the same way as C-4: after about 12 seconds AI partners take any empty seats. A friend room (C-5) needs three humans and has no AI.

• T-4

  Near-miss. If exactly two of the three match, the game continues. The Reveal may highlight the matching pair as an encouragement.

5. Theme (optional, any mode)

• TH-1

  Switch. Theme can be turned on for any mode, Classic or Arena. It is chosen before the game starts and cannot change during it.

• TH-2

  Choosing. In a friend room or an Arena room the host picks a category from the built-in list or types their own. In a stranger Classic match the category is picked at random. Built-in examples: food, weather, fear, animals, the ocean, space, childhood, travel.

• TH-3

  What must fit. Every Seed word and every submitted word must fit the Theme.

• TH-4

  Lenient check. A word is accepted if a reasonable person could link it to the Theme. Only clear misfits are rejected. A rejected word is not a submission (like U-3); the player may try another while the Round Timer, if any, is running.

• TH-5

  Combined rules. All other rules still apply. In Arena a Theme shrinks the pool of usable words (U-7), so broad categories work best.

6. Arena: shared mechanics

These rules apply to Elimination, Points and Duos unless a mode says otherwise. Classic modes do not use them.

• A-1

  Purpose. Arena modes are competitive. Classic stays the default and keeps no score.

• A-2

  Players. Elimination 3 to 10, Points 2 to 10, Duos 2 to 5 teams of 2. Rooms use a six-digit code as in C-5. Whether AI may fill seats in Arena is an open decision (Section 13).

• A-3

  Seed word. A Seed word is a random common word that fits the Theme (if on) and has not been used in the game. It is shown to every player who needs one. Nobody submits it, and it can never be submitted later (U-7).

• A-4

  Reference words. What players bridge in a Round depends on N, the number of players submitting in that Round:

If a required Last word does not exist yet (for example in the first Round of a game), a fresh Seed word is used instead.

• A-5

  Round Timer. Each Round has a time limit, default 20 seconds. If it ends, rule U-8 applies.

• A-6

  Match groups. After the Reveal, players are grouped by identical submitted word (U-4). Each group of two or more is a Match group. A player alone in their word is unmatched.

• A-7

  Group scoring. Where a mode awards points, every member of a Match group of size k scores k minus 1 points. A pair scores 1 each, a group of three scores 2 each, a group of four scores 3 each, and so on.

• A-8

  First-to-Type. Whenever a rule must pick among players who submitted a word, the earliest Timestamp ranks first. If Timestamps are exactly equal, the Round is replayed.

• A-9

  Sudden death. Used when players are tied for a win. Only the tied players play. Each Round follows A-4 using the number of tied players, and the first Round uses a fresh Seed word. The winner is the player whose submission is shared with at least one other tied player and has the earliest Timestamp among such submissions (A-8). If no tied players match, another Round is played. After the stalemate cap (default 8 Rounds) with no match, the tie stands as a draw.

7. Arena: Elimination

Up to 10 players start together. In each Stage the players who match are safe and the rest keep trying until the Quota has been eliminated. Stages repeat until two players remain, who play a Final.

• E-1

  Players. 3 to 10. Points are not used. The game ends with one winner.

• E-2

  Quota. The host sets Q, the number of players eliminated per Stage (1 to 3, default 2). The effective Quota never leaves fewer than two players: effective Q = the smaller of Q and (Active players − 2). With 10 players and Q = 2 the field goes 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and then the Final.

• E-3

  Start of a Stage. Let A be the number of Active players and Q the effective Quota. The Stage has S = A − Q safe spots. Every Active player starts the Stage Pending.

• E-4

  Rounds inside a Stage. Run the Standard Round procedure with all Pending players, where N is the number of Pending players:

  1. Pending players submit and the words are Revealed. Reference words follow A-4: a fresh Seed word each Round while 4 or more are Pending, and the Last words of the others once 3 or 2 are Pending.
  2. Form Match groups among Pending players.
  3. Matched players claim safe spots in First-to-Type order (earliest Timestamp first) until all S spots are filled. A player who claims a spot becomes Safe and sits out the rest of the Stage. A matched player who finds no spot left stays Pending.
  4. If all S spots are filled, the Stage ends and every player still Pending (exactly Q players) is eliminated. Otherwise the Pending players play another Round.
• E-5

  Next Stage. All Safe players become Active again with a clean slate and the next Stage begins (E-3). This repeats until exactly two Active players remain.

• E-6

  The Final. The two remaining players play ordinary Rounds (A-4 with N = 2). The Final ends the first time both finalists submit the identical word in the same Round.

• E-7

  Winner. The finalist whose submission of the shared word has the earlier Timestamp wins (First-to-Type, A-8). Equal Timestamps mean the Round is replayed.

• E-8

  Placings. The winner is first and the other finalist second. Players eliminated in the same Stage share a placing, and later Stages rank higher.

• E-9

  Stalemate cap. If a Stage reaches the stalemate cap (default 8 Rounds) with spots still open, the open spots go to the Pending players in order of earliest Timestamp in the last Round, and the rest are eliminated.

• E-10

  Spectators. Eliminated players may watch the rest of the game. Spectators see Reveals but cannot submit.

8. Arena: Points

Everyone plays every Round and nobody is eliminated. Bigger matches score more.

• P-1

  Players. 2 to 10 in one room.

• P-2

  Rounds. The Standard Round procedure runs continuously with all players (N = all players). Reference words follow A-4.

• P-3

  Scoring. Each Match group scores under A-7. Several groups can score in the same Round. Unmatched players score 0. The scoreboard is shown after each Reveal.

• P-4

  Endings. The host chooses one:

  • Timer. The game runs for a set time (default 5 minutes, 1 to 15). When it reaches zero the Round in progress is voided: no words are revealed and no points are awarded. The player with the most points wins.
  • Target. The first player to reach the Target score (default 20, 5 to 100) wins. A Round is always fully scored before the Target is checked. If more than one player reaches the Target in the same Round, the higher total wins.
  • Timer and Target. Whichever comes first. If someone reaches the Target before the clock ends, Target rules apply. If the clock ends first, Timer rules apply.
• P-5

  Ties. Players still tied for first place after P-4 (equal totals at the buzzer, or equal totals after both reach the Target in the same Round) go to sudden death (A-9). The winner is the first of the tied players to submit a word shared with another tied player.

• P-6

  Strategy note. Because of U-7, obvious words get used up. This is intended: it pushes players toward more distinctive common ground.

• P-7

  Odd One Out. The host may switch on the Odd One Out toggle, which changes how each Round is scored. See Section 14.

9. Arena: Duos

Teams of two race against other teams. Each team tries to match within itself as often as possible.

• D-1

  Teams. 2 to 5 teams of exactly 2 players (4 to 10 players). The host or the players form the teams. Teammates play together and see only their own team’s words.

• D-2

  Racing. Every team plays at its own pace at the same time as the others. A team does not wait for other teams between Rounds.

• D-3

  Legs. A Leg starts with a Seed word. In the first Round of a Leg both teammates bridge the Seed word. In later Rounds they bridge the Last words of both teammates (A-4 with N = 2). The Leg ends when both teammates submit the identical word in the same Round.

• D-4

  Scoring. A completed Leg scores the team 1 point. The team then starts a new Leg at once with a fresh Seed word. The first Seed word is the same for every team. Later Seed words are drawn per team.

• D-5

  No repeats, per team. U-7 applies to each team on its own: a team cannot reuse a word that either teammate has already submitted in this game, and cannot submit its own Seed words. Other teams’ words do not block it, so no team can learn what another team has played.

• D-6

  Endings. Same three options as P-4 using team scores: Timer (default 5 minutes), Target (default 7 points), or Timer and Target. A Leg in progress when the Timer ends is voided.

• D-7

  Ties. If two teams reach the Target, the team whose Leg-completing submission (the later of the two teammates’ words) has the earlier Timestamp wins. If teams are tied on points when the Timer ends, the tied teams play sudden death: each gets the same fresh Seed word, and the first team to complete a Leg (earliest Timestamp) wins. After the stalemate cap with no match, the tie stands as a draw.

• D-8

  Theme. If a Theme is on, all teams share it.

10. Settings and defaults

Defaults are starting values and should be tuned through playtesting.

11. Worked examples

12. Edge cases

13. Assumptions and open decisions

These were not fully specified when the rules were written. They are proposals to confirm or change.

• AI in Arena. AI fill-ins are proposed for Classic only. In Arena all seats should be human, with an optional solo practice mode. To decide: is a minimum player count enough, or should AI fill small rooms?

• Disconnects in Arena. Proposed: in Elimination a player who leaves counts as eliminated. In Points they keep their score and stop playing. In Duos the team forfeits its remaining Legs.

• Duos structure. Teams are read as racing in parallel on their own Legs, one point per completed Leg. The alternative is teams matching against each other within shared Rounds.

• Final rewards speed. The Elimination Final and all tie-breaks use First-to-Type, so quick typing counts alongside intuition. This is as specified. Playtest to see whether it feels fair.

• No-repeat scope. Applied to every mode, Classic included, and per team in Duos, so teams cannot spy on each other. Within one Round players may share a word (that is the match).

• Voided Round at the buzzer. Proposed so that no one gains or loses from a half-finished Round.

• Case and accents. Case is ignored and accents are not. Proposal.

• Theme checking. Needs a method: a word list per category, an AI judge, or both. Leniency is the rule either way (TH-4).

• Odd One Out points. Proposed at 1 point per lone player. Playtest whether it should scale (for example with group size), and whether Replace or Bonus should be the default.

• Numbers. All timers, targets and caps are starting values.

• Decided by Manuel on 25 Oct 2026: Classic opens Round 1 with a starting Seed word (C-1), and U-7 (no repeats) applies to Classic modes as well (No-repeat scope above). Decided

• Name. “Meld” is a placeholder title. Pick an original name and branding before launch.

14. Rule toggle: Odd One Out

A toggle is an optional switch a host can add to a mode, like Theme. Odd One Out flips what Points mode rewards: instead of matching, you score for landing on a word that nobody else chose.

• OO-1

  Availability. Points mode with 3 to 10 players only. It is not available in Classic, Elimination or Duos. It can be combined with Theme and with any Ending (Timer, Target, or both).

• OO-2

  Lone player. A player who made a valid submission in the Round, where no other player submitted the identical word (U-4). A player who missed the Round (U-8) is not a lone player.

• OO-3

  Herded Round. A Round is herded if it contains at least one Match group (A-6). Lone players only score in herded Rounds, so a Round where everyone is unique scores nothing.

• OO-4

  Replace (default when on). Match groups score nothing (A-7 is switched off). In a herded Round each lone player scores 1 point. In a Round that is not herded, nobody scores.

• OO-5

  Bonus (alternative). Match groups score normally under A-7, and in a herded Round each lone player also scores 1 point.

• OO-6

  What players do. Reference words (A-4) and everything else about a Round are unchanged. Players still bridge the reference words, but the aim is to be the only one on their word while others cluster. Reading the crowd is the skill.

• OO-7

  Endings and ties. Timer, Target and tie rules (P-4, P-5) work as normal using the scores above. Sudden death (A-9) is always played with the toggle off, using ordinary matching.

• OO-8

  Other rules. U-7 (no repeats) and Theme apply as normal.

15. Planned variants (not yet specified)

Suggested build order: Blackout and Chain Reaction first (small changes), then Daily Meld if player retention matters.