Is Cabanagrams free to play?

Yes, Cabanagrams is completely free to play. You can enjoy all game modes without paying. Creating an account is optional but lets you save scores and appear on leaderboards.

How many players can play together?

In multiplayer mode, 2-4 players can compete in real-time. You can also play solo in Challenge mode or against 1-3 AI opponents.

What languages are supported?

We support 12 dictionaries across 11 languages: American English, British English, Spanish (with Ñ), French, German (with Ä, Ö, Ü), Italian, Portuguese (with Ç), Swedish (with Å, Ä, Ö), Polish (with special characters like Ą, Ę, Ł), Ukrainian (Cyrillic), Dutch, and Czech (with háčky and čárky). Each dictionary uses authentic letter distributions based on official Scrabble frequencies.

Can I play on mobile devices?

Yes! Cabanagrams works on any device with a web browser. The game is fully responsive and supports touch controls for mobile and tablet play.

How does the trading system work?

You can trade one difficult tile from your hand for three random tiles from the stash. There's a 5-second cooldown between trades to keep the game balanced.

What happens if I use an invalid word?

When you click Finish, the game validates all words on your board. If any word is invalid, you'll see which words need to be fixed. You can rearrange your tiles and try again.

How does the tile distribution work?

Tile distribution is based on official Scrabble letter frequencies for each language. We scale these distributions to match the game size, ensuring a balanced mix of vowels, consonants, and difficult letters. Smaller games maintain proper letter ratios for playability.

How are words validated?

We use nspell, an open-source spell-checking library, with Hunspell dictionaries for each language. When you click Finish or Rush, every word on your board is checked against the dictionary for your selected language. Invalid words are highlighted so you can fix them.

How do special characters and diacritics work?

Each language has its own special characters: German includes Ä, Ö, and Ü, Portuguese includes Ç, Swedish includes Å, Ä, and Ö, Polish includes characters like Ą, Ę, and Ł, and Czech includes letters with háčky like Č, Ř, Š. These appear as regular tiles in your hand. In Spanish, tiles show N but words using Ñ are accepted - you don't need a separate Ñ tile to spell words like NIÑO.

What dictionaries are available?

We offer 12 dictionaries across 11 languages: American English, British English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Polish, Ukrainian, Dutch, and Czech. Each uses official Hunspell dictionaries, the same spell-checking technology used by LibreOffice, Firefox, and Chrome.

Cabanagrams

How to Play

Master the art of building words faster than your opponents in this exciting race against time.

The Goal

Cabanagrams is a fast-paced word game where you race to use all your letter tiles by building interconnected words on your personal board. Think of it like building your own crossword puzzle - every word must connect, and every tile must be used. The first player to finish with all valid words wins!

Build Connected Words

All your words must connect like a crossword. Horizontal and vertical words share letters at their intersections.

Game Modes

Challenge Mode

Solo

Race against the clock in solo play. Perfect for practicing your word-building skills and improving your speed.

Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulties

Play vs AI

vs AI

Test your skills against computer opponents. Each AI player builds their own board simultaneously.

1-3 AI opponents

Multiplayer

Online

Compete with friends or join public games online. Real-time racing at its finest!

2-4 players

Game Setup

Your Starting Hand

Each player begins with a hand of letter tiles. In multiplayer and AI modes, everyone starts with 15 tiles. Challenge mode varies by difficulty.

...

The Shared Stash

Additional tiles wait in a shared pool. Draw from the stash when you need more tiles to work with.

Language Support

Cabanagrams supports multiple languages with authentic letter distributions. When you select a dictionary, the game generates tiles based on that language's official letter frequencies.

Your Language

Tiles are generated based on your chosen dictionary's letter frequencies. Here's an example word in your language:

Special Characters

Some languages include unique letters not found in English. These appear as regular tiles in your hand:

🇪🇸 Spanish

🇩🇪 German

🇵🇹 Portuguese

🇸🇪 Swedish

🇵🇱 Polish

🇨🇿 Czech

In Spanish, N and Ñ are treated as the same letter - tiles show N but words using Ñ will be accepted.

Tile distributions are based on official Scrabble frequencies for each language, scaled to fit the game size. Smaller games have balanced letter ratios to ensure playability.

Game Actions

Three key actions power your gameplay. Mastering when to use each one is the secret to victory.

Rush

20s Penalty

Call Rush when all your tiles are placed in a single connected grid of valid words. If your grid is valid, you draw a new tile. But be careful - if any words are invalid or tiles aren't connected, you receive a 20-second time penalty instead.

+20 seconds penalty for invalid words or unconnected tiles

Trade

10s Penalty

Exchange one difficult tile from your hand for one random tile. This costs you 10 seconds on the clock but can help you escape tough situations.

Give 1

Get 1

+10 seconds penalty for each trade

Finish

Victory

Click Finish when your hand is empty and all your words are valid. The game validates your board - if everything checks out, you win! Invalid words cost you 30 seconds.

Valid Board

All words recognized, you win!

Invalid Words

+30 seconds and keep playing

Pro Tips

Start Small

Begin with 2-3 letter words to get tiles on the board quickly. You can always extend them later.

Keep Options Open

Leave room to attach new words. Avoid boxing yourself into corners with no connection points.

Know Your Two-Letter Words

Words like QI, XI, and ZA are game-changers. They help you use difficult letters efficiently.

Rearrange Freely

Your board isn't locked! Rearrange tiles anytime to make room for new words or fix mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Play?

Jump into a game and put your word skills to the test!

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