How to host a remote word game night with Spliinter

Choose a group size and pace

A room holds two to twelve players. Two people make a simple head-to-head game; a larger room means more word lists to compare at the end. The game does not adjust scoring for group size: a unique word is still one point and a shared word still scores zero.

The host chooses between one and ten rounds. For a first session, a short game is an easy way to learn the reveal and medal rules. Longer games give players more rounds to settle into a rhythm. Each standard round is two minutes; a short server-controlled break separates rounds. Exact total session length depends on the configured intermission and the time people spend joining and talking.

Set up the call and room

1. Start a voice or video call in the service your group already uses.
2. One person creates a Spliinter room, chooses its player limit, and decides whether to list it publicly.
3. Share the room invite link in the call chat. Friends who open it choose a username and join.
4. Wait until everyone is in the lobby, explain the two-minute round and unique-only scoring, then let the host start.
5. Keep the call open during play if your group likes the quiet suspense; talk through the reveal once the submitted words appear.

Spliinter does not join or control the call. Screen sharing is optional; each player can use their own browser tab and submit privately.

Explain the rules before the first timer

Give the group three details up front: words need at least three letters, each letter is limited to the number of copies in the base word, and only a word found by one player scores. A word that more than one player submits is crossed out for everyone, but it does not remove points already earned.

Point new players to the full how-to-play page. If somebody asks why a word was rejected, the letter-count guide has concrete examples.

Keep the game welcoming

Agree that the goal is to have fun, not to test spelling under pressure. Let players use usernames that do not identify them personally, and avoid commenting on somebody’s vocabulary or spelling. A player can skip a round and rejoin the next one if they need a break.

If one player is newer to word games, begin with fewer rounds and let everyone learn from the reveal. Because the same base word and timer apply to the whole room, nobody needs to wait for a turn to submit. The answer lists stay hidden until time is up.

Optional house rules

You can add informal rules outside the app, as long as everyone knows they do not change the score shown by Spliinter. For example, give the group a theme for usernames or keep a separate team tally on paper. If you invent a bonus for the longest unique word, track it separately and treat the app’s points and medals as the official game score.

Team play is also informal: a group can discuss answers together, but each browser session still represents one player and one submitted list. Avoid sharing a screen that exposes an individual player’s answers before the reveal.

Quick troubleshooting

• Someone loses connection: they can refresh in the same tab and attempt to reconnect while the room still exists.
• The host disconnects: the longest-present connected player becomes host automatically.
• The room is full: the host set its player limit, which can be between two and twelve. Start another room for a separate group.
• The service restarts: rooms are kept in server memory, so a process restart clears active games. A reconnect token cannot restore a cleared room.

Copyable checklist

Call link ready · Spliinter room created · invite link posted · round count agreed · two-minute timer explained · duplicate rule explained · everyone in the lobby · start when ready.

Related guides

Create a room and play, read the room and scoring rules, see why duplicate words cancel, or check the FAQ.