Daily word puzzle

Hidden Ladder

Change one letter at a time. Each word gives you a clue to the hidden destination.

October 1, 2026
Moves0
Optimal—
Par—

Type a whole word that changes exactly one letter from the current word, then press Enter.

About Hidden Ladder

A word ladder with a hidden destination.

How to play

Start with the given word and change exactly one letter per move. Every entry must be a valid word. Your goal is to reach the hidden target.

What makes it different

Each guess also gives feedback about the hidden target, so every move has two jobs: move through the word graph and reveal information about where you are headed.

Daily puzzle and archive

A new Hidden Ladder puzzle unlocks each day, with archived puzzles available after their release date. Practice replays let you revisit a solved route without replacing your original result.

See all of today’s games

How to play

Start with the word shown. Enter a real word of the same length that changes exactly one letter. Green means the letter is in the hidden word and in the right place. Yellow means it is in the word elsewhere. Gray means it is not in the word.

Each valid word costs one move. Undo and Restart let you explore, but do not refund moves. Redo restores an undone move for free. Find the hidden word to reveal its connection to the starting word.

Use the on-screen keyboard or type. Enter submits, Backspace edits, Escape clears, and Ctrl/Cmd+Z and Ctrl/Cmd+Y undo and redo.

Hidden Ladder archive

Past puzzles stay playable. Replay a solved puzzle for practice without changing its original score.

All guesses

Use this word again?

You already used on this route. Reusing it is allowed and costs another move.