How to play FINZO!

Two players build one word, one letter at a time. Whoever finishes it — and can back it up — scores.

Your turn

Every round opens with a dealt letter, so nobody gets to pick the start. Words need at least 3 letters.

• Add a letter and hit Enter. The letters so far must still lead to a real word.
• Add a letter and hit FINZO! if you think it completes the word — and nothing longer can be made from it.
• FINZO! with no letter when your opponent finished a word without noticing. "That's already a word — you missed it."
• Challenge the letters on the board if you don't believe any word starts with them. They have to type one, and you watch it appear as they type. The dictionary decides on the spot: a real word scores for them at 2×, anything else scores for you.

Answering a FINZO!

• Concede — they score the word.
• Not a word! — if you're right you score, if not they do. Either way it's doubled.
• Longer word — type a longer word that starts with theirs; they see each letter as you type. The dictionary decides the moment you submit: a real word scores for you at double points, a made-up one scores their word for them at double. Either way the round is over.

Scoring

Letters score in brackets, like tax: the first five letters are worth 1 point each, letters 6–10 are worth 2 each, letters 11 and up 3 each. A longer word never changes what its earlier letters were worth — it just earns more for each one you add. Every challenge then adds one more multiple: 2×, 3×, 4×… A single round pays at most half the target (38 in Classic, 50 in word-count games), so one monster word can't end the game by itself.

Top row: letters. Bottom row: points for the whole word. Whoever wins a round always scores at least 1.

What counts as a word

Almost anything in a big English word list (about 115,000 words) — obscure words included. Proper names don't count, and neither do -S/-ES forms like CATS or RUNS (otherwise every word ends with S). Custom games can turn -S forms back on.

Modes

• Classic — quick match, first to 75 points, 30s turns, power-ups on. When the queue is quiet you may be matched with a computer opponent so you're never left waiting.
• Ranked — always another person, matched by rating. Most points after 6 words, played in mirrored pairs: the same dealt letter twice, each of you starting once, so nobody wins by moving first. No power-ups.
• Custom — your rules, your friend. Share the link.

Power-ups

Equip up to three in the shop. Use one per turn — including when you've been challenged to prove a word. After a Bomb, Swap or Transform you must add a letter: you can't challenge or call FINZO! on letters you just rearranged.

• 💣 Bomb — Blow up any one letter.
• 🔀 Swap — Switch two letters that sit side by side.
• 🪄 Transform ray — Zap a letter into a random new one.
• ⏳ Hourglass — Add 15 seconds to your clock.
• 👀 Peek — See how many words still start with these letters.

Clock

Run out of time mid-word and the round goes to your opponent for 1 point. Run out while answering a FINZO! or a challenge and you concede it. Twice in a row and you forfeit the game.