How to play Spliinter

1. Join a room

Choose a username, then create a room or join one from the public list. You can also enter a room code from a friend. Rooms hold two to twelve players, and a room can be public (listed in the browser) or private (join by code or link only). The host chooses between one and ten rounds and starts the game once at least two players are ready.

2. Read the base word

At the start of each round, the base word appears as a row of letter tiles. Every word you submit must be made from those tiles, and a letter can only be used as many times as it appears in the base word. As you type, the tiles dim to show which letters you've already used, which helps you spot what's left.

For example, PLAYGROUND has ten different letters and no repeats, so each letter can be used at most once. That means:

• PLAY is valid because each letter is available.
• GROUND is valid for the same reason.
• ROUNDUP is not valid: it needs two Us, but PLAYGROUND has only one.

3. Submit words before time runs out

Type a word and press Enter or choose Add word. A submission must:

• be at least three letters long,
• be made only from the base word's letters, without exceeding how many of each letter it has,
• appear in the game's dictionary, and
• not be the base word itself.

You also can't submit the same word twice in one round. The server checks every rule, so the timer and dictionary are identical for everyone. Nobody's browser can be more lenient than anyone else's.

4. Score unique finds

When the timer hits zero, everyone's word lists are revealed at once. Scoring works like this:

A word found by exactly one player scores a point for them. A word two or more players both found is crossed out and scores nothing for anyone, so common, obvious words are often worth less than the shorter or more obscure ones nobody else thinks of. The best score in the round wins gold, the next silver, then bronze. Ties share a medal and skip the next one (two golds means no silver that round), and a score of zero never earns a medal.

5. Win the game

Round points add up across the game. After the final round, the player with the highest total wins. Tied totals share the result, and the final standings table shows every player's per-round scores and medal counts.

Room roles

Whoever creates a room is its host. Only the host can start the game, choose the number of rounds, and start a new game once one finishes. If the host disconnects, the next player who's been in the room longest automatically becomes host, so the room never gets stuck. Everyone else just plays.

Playing with friends

Use the room's Copy link button to share a private invite. Anyone who opens it is asked for a username and dropped straight into your room. Public rooms appear in the browser until they fill up or a game is already underway. If you get disconnected mid-game, refreshing the page in the same browser tab reconnects you to your room with your words and score intact.

Frequently asked questions

Why was my word rejected even though it looks right?

Check the letter counts, not just which letters appear. If the base word has one T and your word needs two, it won't be accepted even though every letter it uses is technically in the base word.

Can two players submit the same word without it cancelling?

No. If it's found by two or more players, it's crossed out for everyone, with no exceptions.

What happens if I lose connection mid-round?

Reconnecting in the same browser tab picks up exactly where you left off. Other players see you marked as disconnected until you're back, but your submitted words still count.

Does the dictionary include informal or coarse words?

Spliinter uses a large English word list, so some everyday but coarse words may be accepted if the letters allow it, the same way they'd be valid in a physical word game.

Related guides

Learn how repeated letters cause rejected words and what the server checks when you submit.

Start playing

Choose a username and open the room browser, or read the word strategy guide before your first round.