How to play Three Plays
The rules
- The board is 7 by 7 and starts empty. Your rack holds 7 letter tiles.
- You have three plays. In a play, put tiles from your rack in one row or one column, with no gaps (tiles already on the board can fill a gap).
- The first play covers the centre star. Later plays must join the tiles on the board.
- Every word the play makes, across and down, needs 3 letters or more and must be in the word list.
- After each play your rack refills to 7 from the day’s tile sequence.
- After three plays the game ends. Beat par to win the day.
Scoring
| Letters | Points |
|---|---|
| A E I O U L N R S T | 1 |
| D G H M | 2 |
| B C P Y | 3 |
| F K V W | 4 |
| J X | 6 |
| Q Z | 8 |
- 2× and 3× letter squares multiply the letter on them. 2× and 3× word squares, and the centre, multiply the whole word.
- A bonus square counts only on the play that covers it.
- A play scores its main word plus every word it makes across it. Use all seven tiles in one play for +20.
How to play here
- Drag a tile onto a square, or tap a tile and then a square. Tap a tile you just placed to take it back.
- The word and its points show under the board while you build the play. If the play is not allowed, the reason shows instead.
- Play scores it, Recall takes all placed tiles back, Shuffle mixes your rack, Pass skips the play (take placed tiles back first).
- Keyboard: Enter picks a tile, the arrows move to a square, Enter places it, Escape cancels.
- Hints show where a good play goes, then its size and score, then the word. There is no undo.
Difficulty levels
| Level | Letters | Par |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Common letters only | 50% of the computer’s score |
| Medium | Common letters only | 60% |
| Hard | All letters, with rare ones (J, Q, X, Z) | 70% |
| Expert | All letters, with rare ones (J, Q, X, Z) | 85% |
Tips
- Put high-value letters on the letter bonus squares, and long words across the word bonus squares.
- A play across the end of a word, or through a gap between tiles, can make a cross word too, and each word scores. A tile right beside a word makes a 2-letter run, and that play is refused.
- Keep a good mix of vowels and consonants on your rack for the next play.
FAQ
- Which words count?
- English words of three letters or more from our word list. Every word a play makes, across and down, must be in the list.
- Can I skip a play?
- Yes. Pass uses up one of your three plays and scores nothing. A pass keeps your rack as it is.
- How is par set?
- The computer plays the puzzle three times in a row, taking the best-scoring play each time. Par is part of that score: half on easy, 60% on medium, 70% on hard and 85% on expert.
- Is there a new puzzle every day?
- Yes. Each puzzle is built from the date, so every day brings a new tile draw at each of the four levels: easy, medium, hard and expert. Everyone gets the same puzzle that day, and earlier puzzles are in the archive.
- Do I need an account to play?
- No. You play right in your browser, with no sign-up and no cookies. Your progress is saved in your browser.