Question 1

How scrambled is each puzzle?

Accepted Answer

Every daily is shuffled so it takes at least 15 swaps to solve, counted by a search that accounts for repeated letters, and at least four tiles start in place. You can take as many swaps as you need: only your time counts.

Question 2

Can I move a tile that's already in place?

Accepted Answer

No. A tile in place is locked, since moving it can never get you closer to solving. Swapping two tiles with the same letter is turned down too, since it would change nothing.

Question 3

Which words can come up?

Accepted Answer

Common five-letter English words in their plain form, from the same open word list (SCOWL) that Wayword uses. No plurals or past tenses.

Question 4

When does the clock run?

Accepted Answer

From your first swap until the last tile is in place. It pauses while How to play is open or the tab is hidden, and a board you leave and come back to picks up with its time.

Question 5

Where are my results saved?

Accepted Answer

In your browser's localStorage: today's board and its clock, your daily streak, your fastest solve and how many days you've solved. They stay on your device. If you're logged in to a Detour account, your streak, fastest solve and days solved are saved to your account too, and a day you've finished is finished on every device you log in on. A board still in play stays in the browser you started it in.