How to Play

Hop from the start word to the target word, one related word at a time — in as few hops as you can.

Give it a go

Every turn shows you a handful of words related to where you are. Click one to hop to it, and a fresh set of options appears. Keep hopping until you reach the target. Try it below — get from cat to dog.

0 path0 hops
2
cat
kitten
mouse
pet
dog

Anatomy of the board

cat
Where you areYour currently selected word, highlighted in green.
1
pet
A word you've hopped throughPart of the path you've travelled. The number is its distance, in hops, to the target — lower is closer.
puppy
A word you can hop toAn option related to your current word — click it to hop, if it gets you closer.
3
owner
A wrong turnA word you tried that didn't get you closer. It costs a hop and can't be picked again.
dog
The targetThe word you're trying to reach. Get here to win.

Hopping & wrong turns

Each chosen word shows a small number — its distance to the target, in hops. It's your compass: lower is closer.

You can only hop to a word that gets you strictly closer. Pick one that doesn't and it still costs you a hop — the word burns(greys out and can't be picked again) and you stay put, with a shake to mark the wrong turn.

So every hop that lands moves you forward, and fewer hops means a better score. The skill is reading which option actually gets you closer.

Stars

The closer you get to the perfect path, the more stars you earn.
Solved in the fewest possible hops — perfect!
Within 1.5× the fewest hops.
Within 2.5× the fewest hops.
Within 4× the fewest hops.
You got there in the end.

XP, levels & streaks

Finishing a puzzle earns XP — more for solving quickly, in fewer hops, and with more stars. XP builds up your account level.

Complete the daily puzzle every day to build a streak. Sign up for a free account to save your stats, level and streak.

Ways to play

  • Daily — one puzzle everyone shares each day.
  • Daily Hard — a tougher daily with a longer optimal path and more XP on the line.
  • Random — play as many fresh puzzles as you like.
  • Archive — replay past daily puzzles.

Share your win

Solved it? Share a spoiler-free summary of your run with friends.

WordHoppr 2026-07-06
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 hops!
🟩 cat -> 4 hops -> 🏁 dog
⏱ Solved in 42s
🔥 3 game streak!
🔗 https://wordhoppr.com
Ready to hop?
Created by Rory Brown (@rory660)