Why our word game has no timer

Many word games put a countdown on the screen. We decided not to. This is the reasoning, written for people who find timers stressful and for people who wonder what the game does instead.

Updated 2026-10-23

Wordnook is not released yet. This page describes how it is designed.

What a timer does to a word game

A countdown rewards speed. Speed in a word game mostly means finding the short, obvious words quickly and giving up on the long ones. The pressure also changes how it feels. For many people it turns a pleasant puzzle into something to get through. We wanted the opposite for this game: you can look at a grid for as long as you like, wander off and come back.

Who this is for

We built it for people who like word puzzles and want a small, calm part of their day. If you enjoy the quick, competitive format, there are plenty of games that do it well. This one is made for people who want to take their time.

What replaces the timer

• One grid a day. The game has a natural end, because there is only the day's grid. See a daily word game.
• Milestones. You see your progress at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the words in the grid, so you know when you have had a full game.
• Longer words score more. Instead of rewarding speed, the score rewards finding words that take some thought.
• Rarer words give bonus points. Spotting an unusual word is worth something extra.
• Hints. When you are stuck, a hint shows the first letters of a word you missed, so being stuck does not end the game.

A streak that is easy to keep

The streak counts a day if you found at least one word. We made it that low on purpose. We want you to come back, and we do not want a missed target to feel like a failure.

Comfort

Letters are large, text size is adjustable, there are light and dark themes and the device vibrates gently as you swipe. These details are about the same idea: playing should be easy on your eyes and your patience.

Is it too easy without a timer

You decide how much of the grid to find. Reaching the 100% milestone means finding every word in the grid, and that is hard. You can stop at 50% and still have had a good game, or push for everything.

Tell us what you think

If you want a timer mode, or you think our choices are wrong, we want to hear it. Use the feedback page.