How to Play Chainlink — Full Rules & Strategy Guide

This page is the complete rules and strategy guide for Chainlink, a free daily word-chain puzzle. If you just want to play, jump straight to the daily puzzle. If you want to understand the puzzle deeply, read on.

The core rule

A Chainlink puzzle has sixteen words arranged in a four-by-four grid. Hidden inside are four chains of four words each. Two adjacent words in a chain share a clear connection. Solving the puzzle means identifying the four chains and putting the words in the correct order within each chain.

Step-by-step play

1. Select four words. Tap or click four tiles you think belong to one chain.
2. Submit the group. The game tells you if the group is correct. Wrong groups can be tried again.
3. Order the chain. Once a chain is found, drag its words into the correct sequence.
4. Repeat for remaining chains. Solve the other three to finish the puzzle.

What counts as a "link"

Links between adjacent words can take many forms. Common types include:

• Two halves of a compound word or common phrase ("bus" then "stop")
• Synonyms or near-synonyms in a softening or intensifying sequence
• Members of a category arranged in scale order
• Steps in a process or stages of a life cycle
• Words that share a hidden double meaning that the next word reveals

Strategy tips

• Look for "obvious" category groups first to free up the grid.
• If two words seem clearly chainable, hold them aside and look for the connecting partners.
• Treat ordering as its own puzzle — once a chain is locked in, the order clue is sometimes more interesting than the grouping clue.
• Use the help button sparingly; it reveals one connection but spoils the satisfaction.

Mega mode

Mega Chainlink uses the same grid but the entire board forms one giant chain instead of four smaller ones. Every adjacent tile in the final order is linked. Mega puzzles publish less often and are noticeably harder.

Ready to play? Play today's Chainlink.