If you’ve conquered Wordle and are looking for your next challenge, Octordle is calling your name. This mind-bending word puzzle takes the familiar mechanics of Wordle and multiplies them by eight, creating a brain-teasing experience that rewards strategy and vocabulary skills. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to refine your technique, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about playing Octordle.
What is Octordle?
Octordle is an advanced word puzzle game created by Kenneth Crawford that challenges players to guess eight five-letter words simultaneously within 13 attempts. Unlike Wordle, where you focus on a single word, Octordle requires you to juggle eight separate grids at once, with each guess applying to all boards simultaneously.
Think of it as playing eight Wordle games at the same time—sounds overwhelming, right? But with the right approach, it becomes an incredibly rewarding challenge that sharpens your vocabulary and strategic thinking.
Basic Rules of Octordle
Understanding the Color-Coded System
Just like Wordle, Octordle uses a color-coding system to provide feedback on your guesses:
- Green Tiles: The letter is correct and in the right position
- Yellow Tiles: The letter exists in the word but is in the wrong spot
- Gray Tiles: The letter is not in the word at all
The key difference is that these color hints apply independently across all eight grids. A letter might be green on one grid, yellow on another, and gray on the remaining six—all from the same guess.
Game Mechanics
Each time you enter a valid five-letter word, it appears simultaneously on all eight grids. You have exactly 13 guesses to solve all eight words. The challenge lies in managing multiple puzzles at once while maximizing the information you gain from each guess.
Start playing now on our Octordle game page and test your skills.
Step-by-Step Guide to Playing Octordle
Step 1: Choose Your Starting Word
Your first word sets the foundation for the entire game. Choose a word packed with common vowels and frequently-used consonants. Popular starting words include:
- CRANE or SLATE (balanced consonants and vowels)
- AUDIO or ADIEU (maximizes vowel coverage)
- ROAST or LEAST (common letter combinations)
The goal is to eliminate as many letters as possible and identify which vowels appear in your target words.
Step 2: Analyze All Eight Grids
After your first guess, don’t focus on just one grid. Scan all eight boards to see where letters appear. This panoramic approach helps you identify:
- Which grids have the most green or yellow letters
- Common letters appearing across multiple grids
- Grids with minimal information that need more exploration
Step 3: Make Strategic Second and Third Guesses
Your second and third guesses should use completely different letters from your first word. This strategy helps you cover more of the alphabet quickly. For example, if you started with CRANE, follow up with words like MOIST or PLUMB to test additional common letters.
Step 4: Tackle Easier Grids First
Once you’ve gathered enough information (usually after 3-4 guesses), identify which grids are easiest to solve. These typically have multiple green letters or clear letter patterns. Solving easier grids early creates momentum and reduces the number of puzzles competing for your attention.
Step 5: Manage Your Remaining Guesses
As you solve each word, you’ll have fewer grids to focus on, but be mindful of your remaining attempts. A good rule of thumb: never let the number of unsolved grids exceed your remaining guesses. If you have three grids left, make sure you have at least three guesses remaining.
Different Octordle Game Modes
Daily Mode (13 Guesses)
The classic Octordle experience where everyone worldwide solves the same eight words. This mode refreshes daily and is perfect for comparing scores with friends.
Check out today’s Octordle daily answers if you get stuck.
Sequence Mode (15 Guesses)
In Sequence mode, you must solve one grid at a time. The next grid only becomes visible after solving the previous one. This mode offers 15 guesses to compensate for the increased difficulty and requires a more focused approach.
Learn winning strategies in our Octordle Sequence guide.
Rescue Mode (9 Guesses)
The game provides four random starting words, and you must complete all eight grids with just nine total guesses. You’re essentially “rescuing” someone who started poorly—it’s challenging but excellent for honing efficiency.
Chill Mode (16 Guesses)
Perfect for beginners, Chill mode offers extra guesses (16 total) and slightly easier word combinations, allowing you to enjoy the game without intense pressure.
Extreme Mode (12 Guesses)
For seasoned players only, Extreme mode reduces your attempts to 12 while featuring tougher word combinations. This mode separates casual players from true word puzzle masters.
Expert Strategies for Winning Octordle
Strategy 1: The Vowel-First Approach
Start with two words containing all five vowels (A, E, I, O, U). For example:
- First guess: AUDIO
- Second guess: LOUIE or ARISE
This approach quickly identifies which vowels appear in each grid, narrowing your options significantly.
Strategy 2: The Consonant Coverage Method
Use your first three guesses to cover the 20 most common letters. Example sequence:
- ROAST
- FIEND
- MULCH
These three words test 15 unique letters, leaving only rare letters like Q, X, Z, and J unexplored.
Strategy 3: Focus on Difficult Grids Early
Counterintuitively, tackle the grids with fewer clues first. Grids with many green letters are easier to solve later, while ambiguous grids need more guesses to clarify. This prevents getting stuck with impossible grids at the end.
Strategy 4: Watch for Double Letters
If a grid seems stuck with 3-4 correct letters, consider words with double letters (GLASS, PUPPY, SPEED). Double letters are common stumbling blocks that become obvious once you consider them.
Strategy 5: Use the Keyboard Color Coding
Pay attention to Octordle’s keyboard, which divides into eight sections corresponding to each grid. This visual aid helps track which letters have been confirmed or eliminated for specific grids.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Focusing Too Long on One Grid
Getting tunnel vision on a nearly-complete grid wastes precious guesses. If a word doesn’t come to mind within one guess, move on and return later.
Repeating Eliminated Letters
Always check the gray letters before guessing. Reusing letters you’ve already eliminated wastes opportunities to test new ones.
Ignoring Word Patterns
English follows predictable patterns (-ING endings, -ED suffixes, common letter pairs like TH, CH, ST). Leverage these patterns when you have partial information.
Panicking with Few Guesses Left
Stay calm when approaching your final guesses. Rushing leads to careless mistakes. Take a moment to think through each remaining grid logically.
Tips for Different Skill Levels
Beginners
- Start with Chill Mode to build confidence
- Use the Free Octordle practice mode for unlimited attempts
- Don’t worry about scores initially—focus on completing the puzzle
- Learn common five-letter word patterns
Intermediate Players
- Experiment with different starting word combinations
- Track your average score over a week to measure improvement
- Challenge yourself with Daily Mode
- Study high-frequency letter combinations
Advanced Players
- Master Extreme Mode and Rescue Mode
- Aim for “no clocks” (solving all words in 10 or fewer guesses)
- Develop multiple strategic approaches for different scenarios
- Compete with friends by sharing results
Tracking Your Progress
Octordle displays your performance using emoji grids showing how many guesses each word required:
- Numbers (5️⃣, 7️⃣, 🔟): Guesses needed for that word
- Clock emoji (🕐): More than 10 guesses needed (failed to solve efficiently)
Lower numbers indicate better performance. The ultimate goal is solving all eight words with no clock emojis, demonstrating efficient gameplay across all grids.
Why Play Octordle?
Beyond being an entertaining challenge, Octordle offers genuine cognitive benefits:
- Vocabulary expansion: Regular play exposes you to diverse five-letter words
- Pattern recognition: Improves your ability to spot linguistic patterns
- Strategic thinking: Develops multi-tasking and resource management skills
- Mental exercise: Provides daily brain training in an engaging format
Studies have shown that word puzzle games can enhance cognitive function, making Octordle both fun and beneficial for your brain.
For more information on cognitive benefits of word games, check out this article from Psychology Today.
Getting Started Today
Ready to dive into Octordle? Here’s your action plan:
- Visit octordlegame.net and choose your preferred game mode
- Start with Chill or Free mode if you’re new
- Use the starting words recommended in this guide
- Focus on gathering information in your first 3-4 guesses
- Stay patient and strategic—Octordle rewards thoughtful play
Remember, everyone struggles at first. Even experienced Wordle players need time to adjust to managing eight grids simultaneously. With practice, you’ll develop intuition for letter patterns and strategic guess sequencing that makes the game increasingly manageable—and addictive.
Explore our comprehensive Octordle strategies guide for advanced techniques and daily tips
