It’s the age of word-related smartphone games. After the explosion of Wordle onto the popular scene in early 2022, it seems like everyone and their mother has made their own word game app. In some ways, this is great for avid word-puzzles, because it means you have more options than ever. But in another sense, the games might feel a little repetitive. How many times have you clicked on what you thought was a novel game, only to discover it’s actually just a knockoff Wordle or Wordscapes?
But there are still unique games out there, including 4 Pics 1 Word. This fun game is as intuitive as the name suggests. Players are given four pictures from which they have to intuit a single shared word. Read on to learn more about how to play the game, some fun extra features in the game, and tips for how to win.
How to Play 4 Pics 1 Word
The gameplay of 4 Pics 1 Word is ultimately very simple. First, you will be shown four pictures. These pictures will have a common theme or idea. For instance, if you are shown a picture of an iceberg, a picture of an icicle, a picture of a frozen pond, and a picture of someone eating a popsicle, you would know the common word is ‘ice.’
Second, you’ll type this word into the blanks at the bottom of the page. Once you enter the correct word, the game will advance you to the next level. If you get a word incorrect, don’t worry. Simply tap on the incorrect letters to remove them and start again.
Each correctly solved puzzle will earn you four coins, which you can redeem for help with hard levels later. Keep in mind that the levels get harder the further you advance in the game, so while the first few levels might be easy, you’ll likely find yourself stumped soon enough!
4 Pics 1 Word also has a Daily Puzzle section, where each day you can play a single puzzle with players all over the world. Once you play this puzzle, which takes the same format as the game’s other puzzles, you can share your results with family and friends, competing directly to see who is the best player.
Additional Features and Cheats
The game also has plenty of bonus features and cheats to help you out on hard puzzles. Some levels are marked ‘hard levels’ and usually ask you to guess a more abstract, hard-to-represent word. These levels will be marked by a yellow chili pepper.
If you get stuck on a level – hard or otherwise – you can start by using the cheat tool, found on the right side of the keyboard. Also called jokers, these cheats will give you the next letter in a word to help you advance in the game. At the beginning of the game, each player is given five cheats they can use. Thereafter, players can cash in coins to buy more cheats. You earn these coins by successfully completing levels, or by watching ads.
The game also has a phone a friend feature which allows you to reach out to friends for help on your games. Just click the orange ask your friends button at the bottom of the page, and this game will allow you to call, text, or download the game to send directly to friends for help.
You can also create an account with the app so you can sign in and save your game progress. This ensures that you’ll retain your progress in the game even if you get a new phone. It also allows you to play within your account on several different devices. Just log in on Facebook or Google, or connect through your Apple or Android app store account.
Tips for Beating 4 Pics 1 Word
4 Pics 1 Word is a simple game, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Especially as you advance further into the game, levels can quickly become more difficult. Instead of guessing basic nouns, players have to guess abstract terms. If you find yourself in this position, here are a couple of tips to try to guess the right word.
- Write out a list of brainstormed ideas on a separate sheet of paper.
One of the best ways to speed up your solution is to make sure to write down all your ideas on a separate sheet of paper. Though this might seem like an unhelpful strategy, you’d be shocked how much progress you can make when you write down your ideas on a separate sheet of paper. Visualizing your ideas will help you to come up with new words. Moreover, it’ll help you remind yourself what you’ve considered and tried before. This will allow you to branch out to new horizons without fear of forgetting an important answer.
- Try anagramming the available letters.
Though this game isn’t intended as an anagram puzzle, it can become one. You’ll never use all of the letters that are made available to you by the puzzle. However, you can usually narrow down your options significantly. If nothing else, anagramming the available letters will get your brain working at generating new words. Getting the creative juices flowing during a hard game is never a bad thing.
Other Word Games to Check Out
Still looking for some word game fun? Try checking out Lingle, a fun word-guessing game that comes in 4-, 5-, and 6-letter forms.