How to play the word sort game
Word Gathering gives you 16 words. Find four groups of four words that share a clear theme. The game has 10 original collections, with four categories in each collection.
Find a group
- Tap or click four words that you think belong together. A selected word turns dark green.
- Choose Check group. A correct group moves above the remaining words and shows its theme.
- Keep finding groups until all four have been found. Choose Next level to open the next collection.
You can select or deselect a word by tapping it again. You may also drag a word into the selection bar below the board. Only four words can be selected at one time.
A simple example
All four are fruits. They form one group in the first collection.
Each word belongs to exactly one intended group in its level. Look for category membership: what are these things, where would you find them, or what do they do? The game uses straightforward vocabulary categories rather than hidden letter tricks.
When a guess does not match
A wrong group adds one miss, but no words disappear and there is no mistake limit. If three selected words belong to one group, the game tells you that one word belongs elsewhere. Change a word and check again.
Helpful controls
- Deselect clears the current selection.
- Undo reverses the last recorded move, including a solved group. Repeated Undo presses move farther back through the current level.
- Shuffle changes where available words appear. It keeps your selected words and found groups.
- Hint names one remaining category and selects two words from it. Find the other two words yourself. Each use adds one hint.
There is no timer. Misses and hints are local play counters, not a competitive score.
Keyboard controls
Use Tab to move to a word, and Enter or Space to select it. Arrow keys move among the available word buttons. Tab also reaches Check group, Deselect, Undo, Shuffle, Hint and the level picker. Dragging is optional.
Choose or restart a level
The numbered collection buttons open any of the 10 levels. A check mark means you have completed that level in this browser. Switching away from an unfinished collection asks for confirmation because its current moves are replaced. Restarting also asks for confirmation.
Your current level, move history and completed-level marks save in this browser when storage is available. Shuffled tile positions are not saved; reload restores the original arrangement without losing your selection or found groups. Read the privacy page for storage details.