What is Rung?
Rung is a daily word puzzle built around a five-clue ladder. All five clues describe the same hidden answer, arranged from cryptic at the top to obvious at the bottom. Only the first clue is visible when you start; the remaining four stay locked under labels CLUE 2 through CLUE 5. Each rung you unlock reduces the point value of a correct guess, turning the game into a test of timing and confidence.
How to play Rung
- Read the clue and check the point value shown in the pill beside it.
- If you know the answer, enter it in the input field and press Guess. The button shows how many points you will earn.
- Press Skip to move to the next clue. The Skip button shows the value of the next lower rung, and skipping costs one point step.
- Keep reading clues or submitting guesses until you answer correctly or reach the final rung. The daily puzzle ends when you submit the correct answer.
Scoring and consequences
The five rungs are worth 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point from top to bottom. A correct answer collects the displayed points and closes the day's game. A wrong answer burns the current clue and drops you two rungs, so guessing incorrectly costs twice as much as skipping. That penalty difference is the core mechanic: hesitation is cheaper than a bad bet.
Tips for better scores
Skip when you are uncertain. Waiting for the next clue costs half as much as guessing wrong, so the math favors patience until you have solid evidence.
Treat the top clue as a riddle. Rung deliberately makes the first rung enigmatic and the last rung obvious, so do not expect a direct definition at the start. Look for wordplay, metaphor, or indirect references.
Modes and settings
Rung offers one daily puzzle shared by all players. There is no practice mode or alternate difficulty. Progress and streaks are saved locally in your browser without requiring an account or tracking. The game includes a colorblind-friendly palette toggle on the home screen, off by default.