How to Play Cloodle

Cloodle is a daily semantic word puzzle. Each day, a new hidden word is chosen, and your job is to figure out what it is using meaning-based clues. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

The Basic Rules

A new puzzle every day. Cloodle publishes one puzzle per day. Everyone gets the same word on the same day.
Read the semantic clues. When you open the puzzle, you’ll see a set of clue words or short phrases. These clues describe the hidden answer by meaning — they’re conceptually related to the target word.
Type a guess. Enter a word you think matches the clues. You’ll be told whether your guess is correct or not.
Limited attempts. You have a set number of guesses to find the answer. Use them wisely.
More clues unlock. After each incorrect guess, additional clues may appear to give you more information.
Share your result. Win or lose, you can share a spoiler-free summary of your attempt.

What Are Semantic Clues?

Unlike traditional word games that give feedback based on letter positions, Cloodle uses semantic clues. These are words that relate to the answer through meaning, context, or association.

For example, if the answer were a word meaning a type of weather, your clues might include words like “clouds,” “wet,” “umbrella,” and “forecast.” They point you toward the concept without telling you anything about the spelling.

This makes Cloodle a test of vocabulary, lateral thinking, and word associations rather than letter elimination. For a deeper explanation, see What is Cloodle?

What Counts as a Valid Guess?

Your guess must be a recognised English word. Cloodle checks guesses against a dictionary, so made-up words or random letter strings won’t be accepted. Proper nouns are generally not valid answers, though this may vary.

The game displays the number of letters in the hidden word, so make sure your guess is the right length. If you enter a word that’s too short, too long, or not in the dictionary, the game will prompt you to try again without using up a guess.

Difficulty Through the Week

Cloodle gets progressively harder as the week goes on because the answer words get longer. Monday’s puzzle is designed to be approachable, and later puzzles increase the challenge primarily through word length. The number of semantic clues remains the same (five) throughout the week.

This weekly rhythm means there’s a good entry point for everyone. New players can start on Monday, and seasoned solvers can look forward to the weekend puzzles.

Sharing Your Results

After you finish a puzzle, Cloodle generates a shareable result card. It shows how many guesses you used without revealing the answer, so you can post it on social media or send it to friends without spoiling the puzzle for anyone who hasn’t played yet.

Sharing is entirely optional, but it’s a fun way to compare performance and encourage others to play.

Streaks and Statistics

Cloodle tracks your streak — how many consecutive days you’ve solved the puzzle. It also records your overall playing history. All data is stored locally in your browser, so no account is needed.

Ready to Play?

Play today’s Cloodle and put your semantic reasoning to the test. If you have more questions, check the FAQ.