Guess the day's five-letter word in six tries. Every guess gives you feedback on each letter. Use that feedback to narrow in.
The Board
Skein's board is six rows of five hex tiles. Each row holds one guess. You start at the top row and work down. The active row is the next unsubmitted row, and a single tile in it shows a faint amber pulse — that's your cursor.
Typing and Editing
Use your physical keyboard or the on-screen one. The cursor model is friendlier than strict left-to-right typing — fix mistakes without erasing your work.
- ·Type a letter — fills the cursor's slot, then advances to the next empty slot.
- ·Backspace — clears the cursor's slot if it's filled; if empty, retreats and clears the previous slot.
- ·Click a tile in the active row to move the cursor there.
- ·Enter submits the row. The row shakes if you're missing a letter or the word isn't in the dictionary.
Feedback States
After you submit, each tile flips to one of three states:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Correct | The letter is in the answer at this position. |
| Present | The letter is in the answer, but at a different position. |
| Absent | The letter isn't in the answer (after duplicates are accounted for). |
Duplicate Letters
Skein handles repeated letters the same way Wordle does. Suppose the answer is SLEEP and you guess EERIE:
- ·The first E is marked present (there's an E in the answer, just not at position 1).
- ·The second E is marked correct (it's at position 4 in both).
- ·The third E is marked absent — there are only two Es in the answer and they've already been accounted for.
Winning, Losing, and Coming Back
Solve it in any of your six guesses to win. Use all six without solving and the day ends with the answer revealed. Either way, the day is locked — come back tomorrow for a new puzzle.
The Weekly Thread
Mon–Sat puzzles are connected by a hidden theme. You play each day as a standalone puzzle — there's no penalty for not noticing the thread. On Sunday, the end-of-day modal reveals what tied the week together.
The thread is editorial. A new week is published in advance. If publication ever lapses, the most recent week's last day stays current until a new week is up.
Sharing
After the day's puzzle resolves, copy a spoiler-free grid to share. The grid uses brand glyphs — ★ correct, ◆ present, ○ absent — so the answer is never revealed.
Streaks and Stats
Skein tracks your stats locally on this device — no account, no login, no server. Solving a day extends your current streak. Missing a day or running out of guesses resets it. Stats follow you on this browser only.