What is Zigzag?
Zigzag presents a four-row, five-column letter grid where every valid word must use exactly one letter from each column, left to right, allowing the row to change between columns. All words are five letters long. The game tracks two separate word lists: ten bonus words paired with definitions, and ten basic words to discover without clues. A score counter totals your progress.
How to play Zigzag
Open the daily grid, which contains twenty letters in four rows and five columns. Form a five-letter word by choosing one letter from each column, moving up or down between rows as you go from left to right.
The five slots below the grid show your word as you build it. Use Backspace to remove the last letter or Shuffle to reset the grid.
Begin with familiar words you can spot in the grid, then use the ten definitions in the left column. Submit each word when it is complete. The counters track basic words, bonus words, and your total score.
The dual counters create opposing search patterns. Bonus words require you to start with a definition and find the letter path that matches. Basic words let you explore paths freely and recognize valid words as they form. This alternation between top-down and bottom-up discovery keeps the grid engaging beyond the initial finds, even though the editor notes that only a few dozen real words exist in the constrained space.
Reading the feedback
The dashboard shows three counters: BASIC 0/10, BONUS 0/10, and SCORE 0. Bonus words appear as five dashes followed by their definition until discovered. Basic words display an encouraging message when the list is empty. According to the editor's published scoring, each bonus word earns seven points and each basic word earns three points, for a maximum of one hundred points per day.
Tips for efficient searching
The two outer columns define possible starting and ending letters. Reviewing these four initials and four finals before searching narrows the field significantly.
Work by variation once you find a word. Change a single column and test whether the result remains valid. The four-choice-per-column geometry makes this systematic approach practical.
Cash in basic words first. They are worth fewer points but require no definition matching, and finding them teaches you which letter combinations exist in the grid before you tackle the harder clued words.
Popular questions
Can a word use two letters from the same column?
No. The rule requires exactly one letter per column, left to right, which fixes word length at five letters.
How many words must be found?
The counters show ten definition words and ten free words, twenty total.
Do you need an account to play?
No. The grid is playable without an account, though the portal offers optional free accounts and leaderboards. The browser retains progress locally.
Can you give up and see the answers?
Yes. A button below the grid reveals all words.