Game guide
How to play Scramblio
Everything you need to know about matches, rounds, the coin economy, Find Player, the practice bot, and letter hints — in plain language.
The basics#
Scramblio is a real-time, head-to-head word scramble. You and one opponent see the same scrambled letters. Type the correct word before they do — or before the round timer ends — to win the round.
Matches are best-of-many rounds. Each round is independent: a new word is picked, both players stake (if the room has an entry fee), and the 60-second clock starts when the host kicks off the round.
Getting into a match#
- Find Player — matchmaking by language and entry fee (see practice bot below).
- Create a room — share a short code with a friend.
- Join a room — enter a friend's code from the home screen.
Once two players are in the room, both must stake their entry fee (if any). The host then starts the round automatically. You can chat with quick messages in human matches while you wait or between rounds (practice bot rooms have chat off).
Find Player & practice bot#
Find Player puts you in a queue for your chosen language and entry fee. You are only paired with someone waiting at the same stake — not a different one, even if you both have enough coins.
While you wait#
The matchmaking screen shows how many players are in queue at your stake and, separately, how many are waiting at other stakes (for example 5 🪙 vs 25 🪙). Those other players are not in your match; change your entry fee on the home screen before tapping Find Player if you want to play at another stake.
Practice bot (🤖)#
If no human joins within about 15 seconds, a practice bot can fill the slot so you can still play. You'll see a random name and a 🤖 BOT badge.
- Stake cap: bot matches use at most 5 coins entry, even if you selected 10, 25, 50, or 100 on the home screen. You only need enough coins for that capped amount to start.
- How the bot plays: it shows Typing…, then submits the correct word after a random delay (about 15–52 seconds). Solve the word before the bot does to win the round.
- Coins: if you win a paid bot match, you still receive the pot (single-player stake, minus the usual small platform fee).
- Leaderboards: bot matches do not count toward wins, losses, or leaderboard rank — they are practice only.
- Hints: letter hints work the same as vs a human. Use them during an active round; if the bot solves first, a hint still loading is dropped quietly.
Want a real opponent at 25 🪙 or 50 🪙? Pick that stake on the home screen and use Find Player — or share a private room code with a friend who selects the same fee.
During a round#
- Letters appear scrambled on screen.
- Type your guess in the input and tap Submit.
- The first correct answer wins immediately — even if time is still on the clock.
- Wrong answers don't end the round; you can keep trying until you get it right, run out of personal time (see hints below), or the global timer hits zero.
If nobody answers correctly before the global timer expires, the round ends with no winner. Staked coins are refunded on a tie.
Coins & entry fees#
Coins are virtual — they have no cash value and can't be withdrawn. You start with a balance, earn more from daily rewards and winning paid matches, and can optionally buy coin packs in the shop.
When a room has an entry fee, both players stake the same amount before each round (practice bot matches cap at 5 🪙 as above). The winner takes the pot (minus a small platform fee on paid matches). Free rooms (0 coins) are great for practice.
Letter hints#
Stuck on a longer word? During an active round you can request up to three letter hints — but only when the answer has more than four letters. Each hint reveals the next letter of the answer to you only. Hints work in bot matches too; tap Hint while the round is still playing.
Hint progression
- 1st hint → reveals the 1st letter
- 2nd hint → reveals the 1st and 2nd letters
- 3rd hint → reveals the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd letters
You never get the full word — hints stop at three letters or one letter short of the complete answer, whichever is lower. Short words (four letters or fewer) never offer hints.
The coin & time cost#
Hints aren't free. Every hint costs 1 coin (removed from circulation — a house fee) and 8 seconds off your personal countdown. You must have at least 1 coin before tapping Hint. Your timer and progress bar shrink; your opponent keeps the full 60 seconds.
Example: three hints on a long word costs 3 🪙 plus 24 seconds of your personal time.
What your opponent sees#
Hints are private — your opponent does not see the letters you revealed. In human matches they get a short on-screen notice that you used a hint. The practice bot does not react to your hints.
Running out of personal time#
If hints eat all of your personal time, you can no longer submit answers for that round — but the round continues for your opponent until they answer correctly or the global timer runs out. Use hints wisely: they help, but they can cost you the round.
Winning, streaks & leaderboards#
Each round win adds to your in-match score and streak. When a paid human match finishes, the winner receives the pot. Practice bot wins pay coins but do not update leaderboard stats. Your overall wins, win rate, and streaks on leaderboards come from human opponents only — skill-based ranking, not pay-to-win.
After a round ends, the host taps Next Round to play again. Both players re-stake and a fresh word is scrambled.
Fair play#
- Answers are checked server-side with a Firebase transaction — only the first correct submission wins.
- Hint requests run through a Cloud Function — coins are debited server-side and you can't double-charge yourself.
- Find Player pairing is server-side; practice bots are clearly labelled and excluded from competitive stats.
- Leaving mid-match may forfeit the round to your opponent in paid rooms.
- Coins and stats are managed server-side; the client cannot edit its own balance.
More help#
Questions about hints, coins, bots, or account issues? Contact us. For virtual-currency and purchase terms, see our Terms of Service.
Scramblio · EncodeEra SRL