Chainlink — Free Daily Word-Chain Puzzle

What Chainlink is

Chainlink is a free daily word-chain puzzle from Donutsorelse Games. Every day, sixteen words are laid out in a four-by-four grid, and your job is to uncover four ordered chains of four words each. Adjacent words in a chain share a clear connection — a synonym, a category, two halves of a common phrase, or a logical next step. Solving a Chainlink puzzle is part grouping puzzle, part ordering puzzle, and part word-association puzzle, which makes it different from any other daily on the web.

How to play

The grid contains sixteen words that belong to four hidden chains of four words each.
Select four words you think form one chain. The game tells you if the group is correct.
Once a chain is found, drag the words into the correct order within the chain.
Repeat for the remaining three chains until the puzzle is solved.

Example puzzle (walkthrough)

Suppose the grid contains these sixteen words:

SPARK   FLAME   BLAZE   INFERNO
SEED    SPROUT  SAPLING TREE
DRIP    STREAM  RIVER   OCEAN
WHISPER TALK    SHOUT   ROAR

Four hidden chains emerge once you scan the categories:

Fire intensity: SPARK → FLAME → BLAZE → INFERNO
Plant life cycle: SEED → SPROUT → SAPLING → TREE
Water flow: DRIP → STREAM → RIVER → OCEAN
Volume: WHISPER → TALK → SHOUT → ROAR

Each chain is correct because adjacent words sit in a clear progression. Real Chainlink puzzles use mixed grids where the chains share overlap words to make grouping harder.

Scoring and win condition

No timer on the standard daily puzzle — solve at your own pace.
Wrong groups do not end the game; you can keep trying until all four chains are found.
Win condition: all four chains identified and ordered correctly.
Streaks are saved locally for anonymous players and synced to your account if you sign in.

Mega mode

Mega Chainlink replaces the four-chain format with a single sixteen-tile chain. The whole grid is one long sequence from start to finish, where every adjacent pair of words is linked. It is significantly harder and is published less often. If you have been playing regular Chainlink for a while and want a stronger challenge, Mega mode is the answer.

Tips for solving faster

Scan for obvious category words first. If you see violin, trumpet, and drum, look for a fourth instrument before guessing pairs.
When a chain is found but the order is unclear, look for the natural starting point — beginnings of phrases or smallest members of a sequence usually go first.
The trickiest chains involve two meanings of one word. "Bat" can be an animal or sports equipment. Try both interpretations.
Use the help button sparingly — it reveals one correct connection without spoiling the chain.

How Chainlink is built

Each Chainlink puzzle is authored manually, not generated. The puzzle designer picks four themes that are interesting to solve in sequence and then chooses overlap words that could plausibly belong in multiple chains, which is what creates the "aha" moment when you commit to one chain over another. The daily release schedule is planned weeks in advance so the same theme does not repeat too soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chainlink free?

Yes. Chainlink is completely free to play with no account required. Sign-in is optional and only used to sync streaks across devices.

How long does a Chainlink puzzle take?

Most players finish a standard daily Chainlink puzzle in five to ten minutes. Mega mode usually takes longer.

How often do new Chainlink puzzles release?

A new Chainlink puzzle releases once per day in your local timezone. Mega puzzles publish less often.

What happens if I guess a wrong chain?

Nothing punishing. Wrong groupings unlock and you can try again. There is no game-over state on the standard daily puzzle.

Does Chainlink work on mobile?

Yes. Chainlink uses a touch-friendly layout that fits on phones, tablets, and desktop browsers.

Other daily puzzles

Sortcery — find four hidden sets, then sort each by a hidden rule.
Pairadox — fast pair-matching against a 150-second timer.
The Curator — spot anachronisms in historical scenes.

▶ Play today's Chainlink puzzle

Need more detail? Read the full Chainlink rules and strategy guide, or see all daily games at /daily-games.