What is Edgeless Words?

It is a word search game played on a grid with no edges. You find every word in a themed list, and the letters left over spell a hidden bonus word.

How do words wrap around the edges?

A word can run off one side of the grid and continue on the opposite side, in rows, columns or diagonals. A ghost ring around the board shows the opposite side, and you can drag the ring to slide the board when a word wraps by several cells.

How does the bonus word work?

The cells that no word uses spell the bonus word when read from the flag, left to right and top to bottom. After you find half the words you can pick it from three options, and a wrong pick costs points.

Is there a timer, and can I lose?

There is no countdown and no way to lose a grid. The clock only affects a time bonus and whether you earn the third star.

How does the Daily grid work?

Each UTC date has one Standard grid that is the same for everyone. Finishing it on consecutive days builds a streak, and only your first completion of a date counts for the streak.

Do I need to download anything, and does it work on a phone?

No download or account is needed, and your progress is saved in your browser. You can play with one finger on a phone, and the board is easiest to read when the phone is held sideways.

Edgeless Words

A word search game on a grid that wraps around, with a hidden bonus word.

About this game

Edgeless Words is a free word search game that runs in your browser with no download. The grid wraps, so a word can leave one edge and return on the opposite one. Find every word in a themed list, then use the leftover letters to guess a hidden bonus word. Twelve packs and a Daily grid.

Edgeless Words is a word search game with one twist: the board has no edges. A word can run off the right side and carry on from the left, or drop off the bottom and reappear at the top. It is a wraparound word search that keeps the familiar job of finding every word in a list, but a word you cannot see in a straight line may simply be hiding across the seam.

A one-cell ghost ring around the board shows the letters from the opposite side, so you can drag a line across the seam by one cell. For longer wraps, press on the ghost ring and drag to slide the whole board by whole cells, which moves the seam out of the way. A small flag marks the starting corner of the board and moves with it. Words can be read forwards or backwards in any of eight directions.

Every grid also holds a secret. The letters that no word uses are five, six or seven in number, and read from the flag, left to right and top to bottom, they spell a bonus word. Once you have found half of the words you can guess it early from three choices, and the unclaimed letters help you rule options out. A correct early guess scores more the sooner it comes, while a wrong guess costs 40 points, and two wrong guesses lock the guess for that grid. If you never guess, the word is revealed when the last word is found.

There are twelve themed packs: ocean, kitchen, space, weather, music, sports, travel, garden, science, city, camping and festivals. Each has three difficulties. Easy is a 7 by 7 grid where words run right, down or diagonally downward and where the fewest wraps are needed. Standard is 8 by 8 and adds an upward diagonal. Hard is also 8 by 8, with words placed in all eight directions and the longest word lists. Each pack and difficulty earns one to three stars, and every bonus word you complete is added to your collection.

There is no fail state and no countdown. Points grow with word length, a run of correct finds raises a multiplier, and words that cross the seam earn a flat bonus. Finishing faster adds a time bonus, but a slow grid is still a finished grid. An optional hint is there if you get stuck. The Daily grid is the same for everyone on a given UTC date, and playing it on consecutive days builds a streak. It plays with mouse, keyboard or touch, and your progress is saved in your browser.

How to play

Choose a difficulty and a pack on the menu, or press Daily grid for today's puzzle.
Read the word list on the right and scan the board. A word can run in any direction, forwards or backwards.
Press on the first letter of a word, drag along the line of letters, and release. A correct word locks in with a colour and is struck off the list.
If a word runs off one edge, keep dragging into the ghost ring to cross the seam by one cell. For longer wraps, drag the ghost ring to slide the board, then select the word.
When you have found half of the words, press Bonus and pick the bonus word from three options. The letters not yet claimed show which options fit.
Stuck? Use the Hint button to pulse the first letter of the longest unfound word.
Find the last word to watch the leftover letters spell the bonus word, then see your stars and score breakdown.

Controls

Action	Keyboard	Mouse	Touch
Select a line	see the next row	press on a cell, drag, release	same with one finger
Select a line with the keyboard	Arrow keys move the cursor (it wraps over the edges). Enter or Space drops the anchor. Then press a direction key: arrows for E, S, W, N and Q, E, Z, C for NW, NE, SW, SE. The same key again extends by 1, the opposite key shortens by 1. Enter confirms, Esc cancels.	-	-
Slide the board	W A S D (one cell)	press and drag on the ghost ring	same
Hint	H	click Hint	tap Hint
Bonus guess	B	click Bonus	tap Bonus
Pause / resume	Esc or P	click pause icon	tap pause icon
Mute	M	click speaker icon	tap speaker icon
Menu navigation	arrows move focus, Enter activates	click	tap

Tips

Check the edges first. The ghost ring shows the letters from the other side, so a word that starts near an edge may carry on at the opposite one.
When a word wraps by three or more cells, slide the board until the word sits in the middle, then select it in one drag.
Read in all directions. Words can run backwards and diagonally, so scan columns and diagonals as well as rows.
Use the bonus window as a filter. The true bonus word always fits the unclaimed letters in order, so an option that does not fit can be ruled out before you guess.
Avoid dragging random lines of four or more letters. A wrong line breaks your run of finds and can count against your stars.
Start on Easy to learn how wrapping works, then move up. The menu suggests the next level once you have two stars.

Frequently asked questions

What is Edgeless Words?: It is a word search game played on a grid with no edges. You find every word in a themed list, and the letters left over spell a hidden bonus word.
How do words wrap around the edges?: A word can run off one side of the grid and continue on the opposite side, in rows, columns or diagonals. A ghost ring around the board shows the opposite side, and you can drag the ring to slide the board when a word wraps by several cells.
How does the bonus word work?: The cells that no word uses spell the bonus word when read from the flag, left to right and top to bottom. After you find half the words you can pick it from three options, and a wrong pick costs points.
Is there a timer, and can I lose?: There is no countdown and no way to lose a grid. The clock only affects a time bonus and whether you earn the third star.
How does the Daily grid work?: Each UTC date has one Standard grid that is the same for everyone. Finishing it on consecutive days builds a streak, and only your first completion of a date counts for the streak.
Do I need to download anything, and does it work on a phone?: No download or account is needed, and your progress is saved in your browser. You can play with one finger on a phone, and the board is easiest to read when the phone is held sideways.