How to Play Wortex

Game Overview

Wortex is a daily word puzzle where you reconstruct a famous quotation from a swirling vortex of words. Each puzzle features a Mystery Quote (the famous quotation you'll assemble) and a pre-assembled Hint Phrase (a playful spoof version) that provides clues and adds extra words to the vortex to increase the challenge.

Phase 1: Word Collection

In the first phase, your goal is to collect all the words needed for the Mystery Quote:

• The Hint Phrase is displayed at the top, already assembled, to give you context
• Words from both the Mystery Quote and the Hint Phrase swirl together in the central vortex
• Drag words from the vortex to the green assembly area in the middle
• Don't worry about word order yet - just collect all the words you think belong in the Mystery Quote
• Words you don't need can be dismissed by dragging them to the right edge
• Phase 1 ends automatically when you've collected all the required words for the Mystery Quote

Tip: The Hint Phrase provides valuable clues about the meaning and theme of the Mystery Quote!

Phase 2: Word Arrangement

In the second phase, the vortex disappears and you focus on arranging the Mystery Quote:

• The Hint Phrase remains visible at the top to guide you
• Your collected words appear in the green assembly area in the middle
• Drag words to reorder them into the correct sequence
• Arrange the quote from beginning to end, leaving any unnecessary words at the end of the phrase
• Each word movement costs 0.25 points
• Three hint buttons appear below to assist if you get stuck (0.5 points each)
• The phrase border turns green when correctly assembled

Hints (Phase 2 Only)

Three hint types are available in Phase 2. Each hint costs 0.5 points:

• Unnecessary Word Hint: Identifies a word that doesn't belong in the Mystery Quote and moves it to the end
• Correct String Hint: Reveals a sequence of consecutive words already in the correct order
• Next Word Hint: Shows which word should come next in the phrase

Vortex Speed Control

The speed slider on the left side of the screen allows you to adjust vortex rotation. Each speed setting has trade-offs:

Note: Playing at speeds other than 1.0x moves your score to Boosted Rankings instead of Pure Rankings.

Bonus Question

After assembling the Mystery Quote, you'll face a multiple-choice question about the quote's source. Answer correctly for a 10% score reduction!

• Literary quotes: Answer format is Author Name and Book Title
• Historical & Poetry quotes: Answer format is Person's Name and Year

Scoring System

Your score is calculated based on efficiency. Lower scores are better!

• Words Seen: Total number of word instances you viewed from the vortex (including repeats)
• Unique Words: Number of distinct words needed for the Mystery Quote
• Reorder Moves: Each word movement in Phase 2 costs 0.25 points
• Hints Used: Each hint costs 0.5 points
• Bonus Correct: Reduces your final score by 10%

The perfect score is 1.0 - achieved by seeing every word exactly once with no reordering or hints. Vortex speed does not directly affect your score, but playing at speeds other than 1.0x places you in Boosted Rankings.

Leaderboards

Two types of leaderboards track your progress:

• Pure Rankings: First play of each puzzle at standard speed (1.0x only)
• Boosted Rankings: Repeat plays or games with adjusted speed (any speed other than 1.0x)

Daily and Global leaderboards are available to compare your performance with other players!

Game Controls

• Vortex Speed Slider: Adjust rotation speed (left side) - affects fog and color coding
• Dismiss Zone: Drag unwanted words to the right edge to remove them from view
• Drag & Drop: Works with both mouse and touch input for word movement
• Word Reordering: In Phase 2, drag words within the assembly area to rearrange them

Pro Tips

• Study the Hint Phrase carefully - it provides valuable context for the Mystery Quote
• At slower speeds, use the fog strategically to focus on specific words
• At faster speeds, the color coding (green/red) helps you quickly identify needed words
• Dismissed words can be retrieved from the right edge if you change your mind
• In Phase 2, plan your word arrangement carefully to minimize moves and save points
• Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and context when ordering words
• The Hint Phrase often contains a humorous twist on the original quote's theme