Step Words A free word ladder game, three new ladders every day
Climb from one word to another, changing one letter at a time. Three new word ladders every day, with par, stars and a streak.
About Step Words
Step Words is a free word ladder game you can play in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer. You start with one word at the bottom of a wooden ladder and have to reach a different word at the top, changing exactly one letter at a time. Every rung has to be a real word. Turn COLD into WORD by going through CORD, or find your own way up.
To play, tap a letter in the big word on screen, then tap the letter you want instead. If the new word is in the dictionary and is not already on your ladder, a little climber hops up a rung and your new word becomes the next step. If it is not a word, the row shakes and a message tells you which word it tried. Letters that already match the goal word get a green bar, and the letter you changed turns gold on the rung below, so you can always see where you have been and how close you are. Undo takes back a step and restart begins the ladder again.
Every ladder has a par, the fewest steps it can possibly be done in. We check each ladder against a large word list to make sure there is no shortcut, so par is always the true shortest path. Finish in par without a hint and you earn three stars. Finish within two extra steps for two stars, or just make it to the top for one. If you are stuck, spend a hint coin to reveal the next rung of a shortest ladder from wherever you are standing. A hint keeps you to two stars, and coins are earned by solving daily ladders, by practising, or by watching an optional ad.
Each day brings three fresh ladders for everyone: a 4-letter ladder, a 5-letter ladder and a longer Stretch ladder. They start gentle on Mondays and grow harder towards the weekend. Solve at least one ladder every day to build a streak, and fill in the archive calendar to catch up on days you missed. Archive ladders add stars to your calendar without changing your streak. When you want more, Practice gives you an endless supply of random ladders.
Tips: work from both ends. Look at the goal word and notice which letters you already have in place, then think about which single change gets you one rung closer. Sometimes the shortest path goes through a word that looks further away, so do not be afraid to change a letter that already matches if it opens a better route. Swapping a vowel (A, E, I, O or U) is often the key that unlocks a ladder. The warm-up ladder teaches the idea in two taps, and you can replay it from the help sheet.
Step Words saves your stars, streak and unfinished ladders on your device, and to your account when you are signed in, so you can pick up where you left off. It works with touch, mouse and keyboard: use the arrow keys or the numbers 1 to 5 to pick a letter, type a new one, and press Backspace to undo. Esc pauses the game and F2 mutes the sound. The words are family friendly, the ladders are built from everyday English, and each puzzle takes just a minute or two, which makes it a good daily brain teaser for a coffee break or a commute.
How to play
Tap a letter in the big word, then tap a new letter on the pad to make a different real word. Keep going, one letter at a time, until you reach the golden goal word at the top of the ladder. A green bar means a letter already matches the goal; the letter you changed turns gold. Par is the fewest steps possible: match it without a hint for three stars. Stuck? Tap the lightbulb to spend a hint coin and see the next rung. On a keyboard, use the arrows or 1 to 5 to pick a letter, type a new one, and press Backspace to undo.
Controls and devices
- Controls: Touch, Mouse, Keyboard
- Works on: phones, tablets and computers
- Screen: portrait orientation
- Price: free, no download or sign-up
FAQ
- What is a word ladder?
- A word ladder is a puzzle where you change one letter at a time to turn a start word into an end word, and every step in between must be a real word. Step Words adds a par (the shortest possible ladder), stars, hints and three new ladders a day.
- Do I have to find the shortest ladder?
- No. Any valid ladder finishes the puzzle and earns at least one star. Finishing in par steps without a hint earns three stars, and within two extra steps earns two.
- What counts as a real word?
- Step Words accepts a large list of English words, including uncommon ones and both US and UK spellings, but not names, abbreviations or offensive words. If a word you expected is refused, try another route.
- When do the daily ladders change?
- At midnight UTC, the same moment for everyone. There are three each day: a 4-letter ladder, a 5-letter ladder and a longer Stretch ladder.
- How does the streak work?
- Your streak counts consecutive days on which you solved at least one daily ladder on that very day. Playing an earlier day from the archive fills in stars but does not change your streak.
- How do hint coins work?
- A hint costs one coin and shows the next rung of a shortest ladder from your current word. You start with three coins, earn one for each daily ladder you solve and one for every three practice ladders, and can watch an optional ad to earn one more.
- Does my progress save?
- Yes. Your stars, streak and unfinished ladders are saved on this device, and to your account when you are signed in.
Credits
- Game design, code, art and sound: Playora Games
- Word lists, filtered by Playora: SCOWL (Spell Checker Oriented Word Lists) (SCOWL license)