What is Looplink?

Looplink is a daily word-grouping puzzle that arranges twelve tiles in a circle. You must form four groups of four words, but the puzzle uses only twelve tiles because four of them belong to two groups at once. Each group contains two words it owns outright and two shared link tiles that connect it to neighboring groups, forming a closed chain rather than separate piles.

How to play Looplink

Read the twelve tiles arranged in a circle and look for possible themes. Click four tiles to form a group; selected tiles darken. Press Submit to check your choice. The button stays inactive until you select four tiles.

Keep playing until the counter in the center reaches 4/4 GROUPS. Use Shuffle to rearrange the ring, or Deselect to clear your selection before submitting.

The double-belonging structure

Looplink punishes the usual instinct to make one perfect group at a time. A set of four that matches a theme exactly is probably wrong, because some tiles must belong to two themes. Those overlapping tiles are central to the puzzle: each one connects two groups, showing which groups are next to each other in the ring. If the groups you identify do not form a complete circle, at least one of your thematic groupings is wrong.

Identifying owned words versus link tiles

Words that fit only one theme form the core of their group. Words that could fit two themes are link tiles. Separate the tiles into these two categories before confirming the groups. A link tile shared by two themes also places those themes next to each other in the circle. Sorting the tiles this way makes the ring easier to see and limits guesswork.

Feedback and mistakes

Selection gives immediate visual feedback. Tiles darken as you click them, but the central counter and Submit button remain inactive until four tiles are chosen. All feedback appears after you validate. A row of four pips labeled MISTAKES sits below the board and tracks incorrect submissions.

Tips for solving the ring

  • If all four words in a group fit the same theme without ambiguity, you have probably misread the board. Each group contains two words and shares two link tiles, so a quartet with one clear theme is a sign that the grouping is wrong.
  • Use Shuffle when the circular layout makes misleading neighbors seem connected. It changes the tile positions without using a validation attempt.
  • Check the neighborhoods. If the links you find do not form a closed loop, reconsider the themes you assigned.
  • A quartet that seems completely certain may still be missing a second connection. Because the groups contain double-belongings, clearly separated groups usually indicate that one link has been overlooked.

Account and access

The daily puzzle opens without sign-up. The site offers a free account and a subscription, but neither is required to play the board. Progress is stored locally in the browser.