Word Wipe Strategy

[BradK250887]

I see every day that the leading scorers are in the 40,000 range.  I am far from illiterate, but I rarely score above 11,000.  Is there a strategy, a technique to get more time or more words?  The enormous but consistent discrepancy is a great curiosity.  Any advice?

[GloriaAnn]

Yes. I would definitely like to see some rules and instructions. I play it, but then I end up annoyed.

[SusanM351147]

It looks like you've already had 10 replies - why can't I see them? I read on another site that you should use bonus bombs to clear the board and double your score in early rounds. Apparently the bombs are easier to earn in early rounds - but hold a couple back for later. I find that at round 13 and beyond the time seems to run out more quickly, have been trying to find out about that... I've never gotten past 15. I save my bombs for the late rounds, because I'm really just competing against myself to see how far I can get. When I have odd letters at the end of a round I try to connect them every which way, have come up with some pretty strange combinations that end up being words!

[SusanM351147]

I finally bothered to look at the timer. Sheesh. You get 2 minutes through 12 rounds, then 90 seconds for round 13, 80 for 14... I need to calm myself with a crossword puzzle. The NYT has a timer but I ignore it.

[bluemailman53]

Round 15 is the highest I've gotten also.  My high game is 29,0400.  Ive been trying for a few months now to beet that score.  I would like to hit upon 30,000.  As far as long words I have found that I can make 3 or 4 short words in the time I might find a long word.  So I sort of think I'm better off with that strategy but I could be wrong.  I'd really like to hear from people that are scoring 50,000 or 60,000 points and find out how they do it.

[Dewb11]

I agree that it’d be great to hear from high scorers about how they do it.  My high score is 33,538 but I have never gotten past level 15 successfully even when once using 3 bombs that were left.  I don’t use pause once I select “begin” but I do look at words to make before hitting the “begin” button.  I definitely don’t look at that as cheating since I am only playing for my self enjoyment and it’s fun having time to figure out words and/or strategy.

[ReneeB720366]

• I figured out the scoring.  Certain letters are worth certain points.  Each time you add a letter to a word, the points are multiplied.  For example, for the word "GATE,"  G=10, A=2, T=8, E=2.  So, 10+2+8+2=22 and since it's. 4 letter word you multiply the 22 by 4 getting 88 points for the word. If you used the word "TAG," you would get 60.  (T=8, A=2, G=10, (8+2+10)X3=60. 

  Scoring

[Parmenion]

Well...just scored 462 for HIGHLANDERS. Didn't seem to make much difference as I only scored 1656 in clearing the board. Might as well just chase the little words!

[BruceT162999]

The best strategy is to use a lot of long words.  I don't know if uncommon words get you more points, but they ought to.  That way, when you get to the end of the board and use up all the letters (or use the bomb to get rid of them) you double an even higher score.  The most points I've had so far BEFORE the double is about 1900.  I find that getting about 25,000 is pretty easy for me, but going much over 30,000 is more difficult.  My biggest problem is using the mouse.  I have a problem with tremors in my hands, and every once in a while I get a big one and the mouse jumps all over the screen.  I can still type all right, though, so it would be nice if I could type in the words instead of mousing them.

[Dewb11]

If you get a tablet or iPad you just drag your fingers on the screen to make the word and you don’t need to use a mouse.  I’m at your playing level where I usually play between 23k-28k and have scored over 30k-33k about 8 times so far.  I use an iPad.

[BoiseEd]

"I don't know if uncommon words get you more points, but they ought to. "-- I believe they do, but I haven't found the exact algorithm for that.

[patlove50]

Thanks for the tips!

[dw61438379]

Did you ever get a reply to your word wipe question?

[WalterP808836]

Lousy > Slow to load. Often, will not open after loading. Frequently. quits in mid-game. Poor !!!!

[filedris]

At least otthers having t he same problems I've encountered.  Still wonder if it's me -- something I hit by accident?

[bluemailman53]

It is slow to load but don't think I have ever had it cut off in the middle of a game.

[joeysback]

I have played Word Wipe on different browsers and different web sites, and have had all of them except AARP freeze me out in the middle of the game!  It is so frustrating.

[linDue]

I had it cut off in the middle of a game—it just froze, no way to reactivate it that I could see. It was annoying, because for once I was doing well :-). The thing that truly irritates me about the "new games" (or new format) is the screen jumping constantly. If I click on Word Wipes on the "all" games menu, I get Mathdoku, three or four games above Word Wipes. Sometimes it takes two or three tries to get the right game. Also, the Mahjongg games begin to load, then stop, then start again, then go to a white screen, then have to be reloaded all over again. I do not have problems like this (the jumping screen for example) on any other website, so I have to assume it's something that happened with the changeover on the AARP site.

[n505228l]

I agree about the jumping around! Very frustrating when speed is of the essence!

[carolinajoy]

In anwer to the complaint about having trouble clicking on the right game.....I just book marked my two favorite games so I can go directly to them, if that suggestion helps.

[MaryanneP98749]

I find it slow to load, but it never quit mid-game on me.  That's just horrible.

[MaryanneP98749]

I can't get above 32,000 or the 15th level, but for what it's worth- You probably know if you clear the board, your score doubles.  Bigger words are worth more points.  You get a bomb after you clear lines in a certain amount of time (I think).  If you have three of the same letters in a row, you can clear them if you want to.  You get a minimum amount of points, but it comes in handy at times.  I feel like there has to be a lot more little things like this that we don't know.

[LindaP439124]

I am with you on all your pints.I also think but of course not sure, that the game seems to throw a un-penatratable game to you whenthey want to close you out. This website NEEDS to give complete instructilons or rules to know before you just have to wing it!  The last two weeks I can not get mush over 16,000 although my highest score due to pratice has been21,000.  Weird in my opinion as I am mus=ch faster than beore. Can't figure that one! Hang in there!!!!!

[bluemailman53]

I'm also sure that I am faster than before.  My high score in 30,000 but that was like6 months back and highest I've ever gotten since then is about 28,000.  One thing I'm sure of is that when I first started playing I never ended a round with 20 or 25 consonants and no vowels.  That happen frequently to me now.

[SnowRose47]

I never got board full of consonants either until I'd been playing for some time. Now I get them nearly every game, and usually when I'm above Level 10. No amount of Bombs can clear them. (And I'm not a high-scoring player, either.)
BTW what's up with that square in the lower right quadrant that you can click 20 times and it will never activate?

[carolinajoy]

I know what you mean! However, if you click in the upper right corner (or sometimes the lower right corner) it responds. I have a love-hate relationship with this game. I love to play it, but hate that I can never get into the 30,000 level. There is no "help" or hints anywhere except on this board.

[bluemailman53]

I only figured out the bomb after I had been playing for about a month.

[SusanD296944]

how does the bomb work?  I cant find any instructions

[BoiseEd]

The bomb covers up to nine letters (3x3 square). Drag it to the middle of what you want to wipe out.

[MargW372402]

me either & my score is really bad

[bluemailman53]

If you drag a bomb to a letter tile and release it, that tile and any tile touching that tile will be eliminated.  Great if you get to the end of a round and wind up with letters that can't make a word.  You can blow them up and get a double score.