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Word Wipe Strategy

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?

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Periodic Contributor

No, we are not playing the same game. But the scores are apparently mixed together. On the Washington Post website, you are able to collect tons of bombs in exchange for watching ads. I tried it and it honestly made for the most boring version of Word Wipe imaginable.

What challenge is there if you can just bomb your way to every level?

I find that beating my personal best with bombs that run out is much more fun than watching ads and getting as many bombs as you want. But to each his own, as is said.

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Regular Contributor

Someone above was kind enough to explain what has happened. I'll summarize by saying that some sites provide the additional 2 bomb per round option, while others do not. Here is the gist of this person's great comment:

 

"The bonus bombs appeared a couple of months ago, and at first I ignored them thinking I'd have to watch ads between every round. I assumed everyone was getting them! There was an update to the game around the same  time... I access it through my Washington Post subscription, don't know if that has anything to do with it - but if I want to see my score on the leaderboard I have to be logged in at WaPo. Also I do have a touch screen but actually find the mouse quicker... If you always have used the same link to get to the game, maybe try searching for it and see if you get a different version, with the extra bombs? "

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Periodic Contributor

You don't get 2 bombs per round.  They are based on the amount of words you make after what you need to make.  If you ever had 20, you are a great wordsmith, and you should have used them to get rid of the few left-over letters at the end of rounds because wiping the board will double your score.  The time goes down each round until you hit 60 sec, I believe, then it stays there.  Usingbombs is not cheating!  It's part of the game.  I've gotten over 30K, but never 40K.  Playing for a couple years now.  Oh well.....

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Regular Contributor

Someone above was kind enough to explain what has happened. I'll summarize by saying that some sites provide the additional 2 bomb per round option, while others do not. Here is the gist of this person's great comment:

 

"The bonus bombs appeared a couple of months ago, and at first I ignored them thinking I'd have to watch ads between every round. I assumed everyone was getting them! There was an update to the game around the same  time... I access it through my Washington Post subscription, don't know if that has anything to do with it - but if I want to see my score on the leaderboard I have to be logged in at WaPo. Also I do have a touch screen but actually find the mouse quicker... If you always have used the same link to get to the game, maybe try searching for it and see if you get a different version, with the extra bombs? "

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Regular Contributor

I am getting 2 "bonus bombs" per round. I don't know why everybody isn't. I just scored 117, 600-something, round 94, had 5 bombs left when I failed to beat the timer. My previous high was 53K... Honestly, I was relieved when it was over. I had to keep taking breaks! And sometimes if I go to another tab the game refreshes when I go back and I have to start over, so this time I was afraid to leave. The problem is, now that I've set the bar so high for myself I'll feel like I have to beat it, If  only I could trust the **bleep** thing not to reset if I do something else! I suggested to somebody here that he look for an updated version if he's always used the same link, and maybe it'll have the extra bombs, I still don't know about those incredibly high scores, but I'm astonished at how high I got so I guess there's a way if you're really strategic. Nerves of steel would also help!

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Regular Contributor

๐Ÿ™‚  I had to laugh at your perfect description. Getting into the hundreds of thousands DOES become an exercise in endurance and concentration and stamina!!  I think (not sure) if you let the screen with that round's summary sit without hitting the button to go to the next round, the game will hold. Like you, I hit 200,000 and my eyes were shot and it became a matter of disciplining the mind to continue to focus on the game. 

 

And I recently found AARP's game site with just the plain old rules without the 2 bombs per round option and battle to get to 40,000 - and it's a relief because games only last 15 - 20 minutes instead of hours. 

 

And YES. It DOES require "nerves of steel", doesn't it??!!   ๐Ÿ™‚

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Regular Contributor

Round 94??? Wow. I've reached 17 once or twice. Rarely have I gone past 15. Even when the letters are aligned well, the sheer mechanics of my touchpad and keyboard are a limitations. I have no idea how you get to 94. I do understand your statement "that I've set the bar so high for myself I'll feel like I have to beat it." 

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Regular Contributor

I haven't come close to that mark since, and usually finish with 20+K. Although right now I'm #46 on today's Leaderboard with 37,765. I forget what round I finished on but it was 20-something. I don't have the discipline to stop making words when I should just use the bombs or pause and strategize, and sometimes when time is almost out I get all jittery and can't even land the dang bomb on the board! ...One thing I don't like about this game is the weird letter combinations that masquerade as words. I had started a list and posted some here with definitions, but take AIA - I can't find anything except American Institute of Architects. ULU, on the other hand, is an Inuit knife, so I feel it's acceptable. Anyhow the more you play the more potential crazy words you recognize - like 'em or not.

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Regular Contributor

Try this link, which I posted earlier:

https://games.washingtonpost.com/games/word-wipe

Take the bonus bombs in every round! They say you have to watch ads, but after the first one there aren't any. I don't know if it's working for everybody - lots of views but no "kudos." I hope somebody reports back.

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Regular Contributor

I'm being offered 2 bonus bombs per round in addition to whatever I "earn." And they say you have to watch an ad, but usually there is no ad! If you do see an ad, the game resumes immediately when it ends. As for using the bombs, I've only run out a couple of times. Time for clearing enough lines is what I run out of, because I lack discipline and keep trying to make words - then I panic and don't get the bombs out fast or accurately enough. But I'm doing a lot better, scoring between 30 and 50K pretty often. As for those folks up in the 100k+ region, I have no idea... unless they're pausing long enough to work it out on paper. Getting back to the bombs, maybe it has something to do with how you access the game? I get it via my Washington Post subscription. The offer of bonus bombs every round started a few weeks ago, and I ignored it at first because I thought there would be ads every time, but nope! When I do the best it's because I pause in late rounds if I don't immediately have a word. My highest score so far is around 53K.

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Trusted Contributor

Susan -- I think the reason you are getting all the bombs is because, as you say, you are accessing WordWipe via your Washington Post subscription. 

I went to the WaPo site and I see what you are talking about.  Access via the AARP site doesn't offer that.  That probably explains many if not most of the astronomical scores.  In just playing with it for a minute on WaPo, I had 5 bombs at Level 3.

 

I also use an ad blocker so that complicates things.  I'm not willing to watch the ads.

 

So how do you access the AARP game via WaPo?

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Regular Contributor

Here it is. What a relief to play the game for 20-30 minutes instead of hours. And without the bombs it really makes one relearn the necessity to clear the board without the help of all those extra bombs ๐Ÿ™‚

https://games.aarp.org/games/word-wipe

 

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Regular Contributor

I just scored 185,662, made it to level 121. I think I need to take a break from this. Honestly, I was relieved when it was finally over... Nobody has said if they're able to play on the Washington Post site (where you get bonus bombs), but I'll tell you what I did:

I took the bonus bombs in every round (no ads), and I wasn't shy about using them. If you're running low on time and are not close to winning the round, use those bombs! Even if you see words you can make! This takes some discipline.

If I only needed one bomb to finish clearing the board, I did that.

I found at least 3 words I could get quickly before beginning and paused whenever I didn't see anything immediately. When you're in the 60-second rounds, go for quick and easy words rather than longer ones that require twists and turns.

Better than the pause button is the "exit" button just to the left of it. Somebody else here mentioned it (thanks!); you can see more of the board, if you need to. 

I took breaks to calm my nerves and drank a large Negroni. I also smoked a lot of cigarettes, but I don't recommend that.

Here's the link again, for WaPo:

https://games.washingtonpost.com/games/word-wipe

If somebody would like to tell me if they can play there without subscribing, that would be nice.  

 

 

 

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Regular Contributor

What a great (and perfect) description of heading for the big numbers. Buckle in folks. There's a price for everything. Thanks for the outright laughter at your comment. It was dead on correct:

 

"I took breaks to calm my nerves and drank a large Negroni. I also smoked a lot of cigarettes, but I don't recommend that."

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Periodic Contributor

 Large Negroni, I want one!  Where are you located? We drink those in San Francisco as there or were before Covid, many Italian restaurants!  

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Regular Contributor

Hi, Linda. I took break from the game (and comments) for a while, just started playing again and am happy to reach 40,000 - although the temptation is to use my old tricks and go higher... As for the Negroni cocktail , I discovered it when I was a bar manager/tender in Durham, CT. I've retired and moved a few miles away to Haddam, where I make Negronis for myself exclusively! I used to use the classic proportions, 1/3 each Campari, gin and sweet vermouth, but now double the gin. Stanley Tucci makes it that way - he caught a lot of sh** for it but I think it tastes fine - and saves money, too! I splurge on top shelf for martinis but pour more economical gins (Seagrams, Gordons) as mixers. I'll be happy to make you one if you're ever in the neighborhood!

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Contributor

Thanks for the hints, Susan.  I knew something was wrong as I was only getting 3 - 7 (rarely 7) bonus bombs per game, and I never knew how I got them.  It was not for clearing the board, though that did double the score for that round.  I think it was for long words, but never after round 13 or so.  Anyway, I strove to get over 20,000 most games.  Then I saw some scores here over 100K.  Wow!  I knew I was missing something.  I just went to the Wa Po site and got the 2 bombs per round, and went to 30,000 with 16 bombs left when I had to quit.  I was using the Arcade Thunder site until they discontinued Wordwipe, and then I was using aarp's site.  Thanks for the help.

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Regular Contributor

I opened the game as I usually do, logged out of WaPo and the bombs are still there. Here's the link: https://games.washingtonpost.com/games/word-wipe

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Regular Contributor

BTW I have to be signed in at WaPo to see my score on the Leaderboard. It's $10/month and I subscribe for the journalism, which is excellent  - IMO. ("Your mileage may vary," as we often say at the NYT crossword blog.)

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Regular Contributor

I do enjoy WaPo journalism, but I can't say it and the puzzle-bomb advantage are worth $120 a year to me.

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Regular Contributor

I get that. But I choose to support the newspapers I feel are trusted sources so they don't all disappear, and then I won't know what to believe. 

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Regular Contributor

I agree with supporting trusted sources, but there are so many that I would like to support and I can't afford to support all of them. 

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Regular Contributor

Also, BoiseEd, I don't know that you have to subscribe unless you want to see your rank on the Leaderboard.

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Regular Contributor

WaPo, New Yorker, and others like to plant cookies to limit how many articles you can access. They don't seem to apply to puzzles, though.

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Periodic Contributor

The highest I've ever gotten was 42,000, but I rarely break 35,000. I have gotten better over time, so practice does help. However... 

....and I probably shouldn't even mention this, but since so many people here are frustrated by some of the impossibly high scores that are posted, there is one very plausible way that people are cheating and just knowing about it may make all of us non-cheaters feel better.

 

When I showed my son the high scores that were 60,000 and even up to 200,000+ on occasion, he guessed that they are probably taking screen shots of the whole board and then pausing the game while they study the screen shots. Then he said, "Mom, I certainly hope you won't do that!"

 

For me, there is zero satisfaction to be had from cheating, so it's not in my nature to do that, but it seems that would be an obvious way to do it. 

 

I also agree that the rules for scoring should be much clearer! They are really pretty useless. Thanks to all here who have figured out some of the letter values and shared that!

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Periodic Contributor

I agree โ€ฆ my highest to date is 22,000.  Do not Care about a huge score I care about the challengeโ€ฆ.My goal is to keep playing until I can get any higher.   Iโ€™ve been at the point of stopping several times but then I creep up and I keep looking what can I do better what can I do better!   In the beginning I couldnโ€™t get the 3000 so I am actually means that I got 22000โ€ฆgood luck to you.   Psโ€ฆYour son is probably rightโ€ฆI didnโ€™t tell you the truth and as much as I like the game I am not willing to put that kind of time into it.   Once I read that I stopped worrying about ever getting ultimate score

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Newbie

What a good explanation for how those impossibly high scores are achieved! It's been bugging me wondering how it's possible. So thanks very much for that. OMG, are there letter values?? I'll have to keep reading now. 

I'm kind of addicted to this game and I've gone from scoring pretty low to where 20,000 or 25,000 was a good score, but I now throw scorn on myself if I don't reach 30,000, and have managed to reach over 40,000 a couple of times.

I wish I knew how bombs are scored! I have looked everywhere I can think of for an explanation but with no luck.

Sometimes I earn 2 bombs in one round, but not necessarily for having bigger words or higher score for the round. I think that I get higher scores when I find words that I haven't necessarily found before. But I'd really like to know. I've tried using the bombs in different ways, but it doesn't seem to change the outcome.

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Regular Contributor

There appear to be two ways to approach this game: one is to go for high points by getting the best words; the other (mine) is to go for the highest level. Personally, I've reached level 17 (very short time allowed) and my best score is 23,286, never close to the leader list.

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Contributor

The highest I've ever gotten was around 35,000 and I was "on fire".  But I agree what the trick is to try to use all the letters and make good use of the B's and G's since they are worth so much, especially with a bigger word.  ReneeB720366 figured out scoring and that was immensely helpful.

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Contributor

I have read some limited instructions, but where do I find and entire outline of how to play - ie; scoring, and what letters score more?

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