WordBranch

Short description

WordBranch is a free, real-time multiplayer word game you play in your browser. Everyone builds their own connected crossword from a shared pile of tiles; the fastest valid board wins. No accounts, no turns, no installs — create a lobby, share a five-letter code, race.

Long description

WordBranch is a real-time word race played in your browser with up to eight people at once. Each player builds their own crossword grid from a shared pool of letter tiles; every row and column of touching letters has to form a valid word. The pile starts face-down between players, and the moment you use every tile in your hand on a valid board, you hit Grow — the server checks your words, and if they hold up, every player draws one more tile. Bloom! ends the game when the pile is empty; claim it with an invalid word and it's a rotten branch: your tiles go back and you're out.

House rules cover open or hidden boards, starting hand size, dump trades, point values (Scrabble-style, with grow and bloom bonuses), team play with a shared board, and three bot difficulties. Every game can be spectated live and replayed move-by-move afterwards — the engine is event-sourced, so nothing is ever lost. Optional Google or Discord sign-in adds cross-device stats, an editable nickname, and game history.

WordBranch is an independent project by a single developer. The whole game runs from a small FastAPI backend on a single server; the frontend is React + Vite + Tailwind. It's free, ad-supported, and never sells user data.

Key facts

• URL: wordbranch.app
• Platform: any modern web browser (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Players per game: 1–8
• Cost: free, ad-supported
• Word list: ENABLE (~173,000 public-domain English words)
• Code: event-sourced engine, every move recorded
• Account: optional (Google or Discord sign-in)
• Contact: contact@wordbranch.app

Assets

Drop these into your article or directory listing.

• og.png — 1200×630 social-share image (32 KB)
• favicon.svg — the leaf mark
• home.png — landing page (take your own screenshot if you want a custom one)

Boilerplate (one-liner)

WordBranch — a free, real-time multiplayer word race you play in your browser. Build a crossword from a shared pile of tiles, race friends, and watch replays of any game. By Dillon, 2026.