How to play Word Reef
Word Reef is a word-finding puzzle with several complete input paths. Choose a difficulty, inspect the word list, and trace a straight line across the grid to submit a candidate. Words may run horizontally, vertically, or diagonally depending on the selected mode. Correct finds remain marked and leave the list; an incorrect line clears so you can try again without losing the board.
The puzzle can be played with a mouse by dragging from the first letter to the last, or entirely from the keyboard. Keyboard selection is especially useful for precise diagonal lines: move the focus to the first letter, begin a selection, extend it cell by cell, and submit. Gamepad navigation follows the same focus model. Browser touch events may map to the pointer path, but real-device drag behavior still needs verification before touch is advertised as approved.
Difficulty changes more than font size. Easy uses an 8-by-8 board with six words placed horizontally or vertically. Medium expands to a 12-by-12 grid with ten words and introduces diagonal directions. Hard uses a 15-by-15 grid, fourteen words, and the full direction set. A timer provides a clean completion target, while the New Puzzle command generates another arrangement so replay does not depend on memorizing one grid.
Controls
| Device | Input | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Mouse | Drag from the first letter to the last | Preview and submit a straight-line word selection |
| Keyboard | Arrow keys | Move the focused cell through the letter grid |
| Keyboard | Enter | Start a selection, then submit it from the current cell |
| Keyboard | Escape | Cancel the active selection without changing the board |
| Keyboard | F1 / F2 / F3 | Start an Easy, Medium, or Hard puzzle |
| Keyboard | R or F5 | Generate a fresh puzzle at the selected difficulty |
| Touch | Drag across letters | Pointer-compatible behavior exists; physical-device verification is pending |
| Gamepad | Directional pad and confirm button | Move focus, start a selection, and submit it |
Rules and objective
- Find every word shown beside the board to complete the puzzle and stop the timer.
- A selection must form one straight horizontal, vertical, or allowed diagonal line from its first cell to its last.
- Words may be read in either direction. Reverse selections are accepted when they trace the same hidden word.
- Submitting letters that are not in the active list cancels that attempt but does not remove progress already made.
Scoring and progression
- Easy
- 8 × 8 grid, six hidden words, horizontal and vertical placement.
- Medium
- 12 × 12 grid, ten hidden words, with diagonal placement added.
- Hard
- 15 × 15 grid, fourteen hidden words using the full supported direction set.
- Completion time
- The timer runs until all listed words have been found; lower times are the primary result.
- Fresh puzzle
- Generating another board preserves the rules but changes the arrangement for a new solve.
Modes and features
- Three difficulties
- Board size, word count, and allowed directions scale together.
- Multiple input paths
- Pointer, keyboard, and gamepad selection all reach the complete puzzle loop.
- Visible progress
- Found words stay marked on the grid and leave the outstanding list.
- Generated layouts
- A new board changes the search problem without requiring a page reload.
Tips for a better run
- Scan for unusual first letters before common vowels; they create fewer false starts in a dense board.
- After finding one endpoint, check all allowed directions before abandoning it, especially on Medium and Hard.
- Use keyboard focus for long diagonals when pointer movement makes the intended line difficult to hold.
- Cross found words off mentally by region as well as by list; completed lines often reveal distinctive letter clusters nearby.
From the workbench
Gigabite selected this project because it already offers more accessible input coverage than most of the arcade slate. Word Reef is the intended original presentation, with authored themed word packs and aquatic art still planned. The mechanics, difficulty definitions, and full control map are documented now; touch behavior and the final visual identity must pass later quality gates before indexing.
Updated September 13, 2026: Integrated the SHARK browser head, documented all three difficulties and input paths, and added the first complete crawl-visible guide for the game.