Wortikus
Choose a language, English

The classic categories game in real time, with themed worlds.

Wortikus is a word game for two to ten players. One letter, several categories, everyone types at the same time. Find an answer nobody else thought of and you take two stars.

  • App Store coming soon
  • Google Play coming soon

The apps for iPhone and Android are in the works.

Free to play. No ads. In English, German, Spanish and French.

Illustration of the game: a round in progress on a phone, letter S. The answers: Capital city: Stockholm; Island: Sicily; Dish: Shepherd’s pie; Musical instrument: Saxophone. A time bar runs above them, and below is the button “Submit Answers”.

How it works

A round lasts as long as you set it to: anything from 30 seconds to three minutes.

  1. Open a lobby

    One person starts the game in the app and shares the six-character code or the QR code. A lobby holds two to ten players.

  2. Everyone types at once

    The game rolls a letter and the categories. Everyone sees both at the same moment and writes until the time runs out.

  3. Count the stars

    Stars are handed out after every round. Whoever has the most after the last round wins.

    • unique: nobody else has this answer
    • duplicate: someone had the same
    • empty field or wrong answer

Unlike the pen-and-paper original, nobody shouts “Stop”: the first to finish does not end the round for everyone else.

Themed worlds instead of fixed categories

The categories come from the themed worlds you pick for the game. A whole evening of Music, a round across Geography and Food, or everything mixed: up to five worlds fit into one game.

  • Movies & TV

    in a themed pack

    Categories such as

    • Movie genre
    • Movie character
    • Movie villain

  • Geography

    Categories such as

    • Capital city
    • Island
    • Mountain or range

  • Music

    Categories such as

    • Band or group
    • Song title
    • Musical instrument

  • Food & Drinks

    Categories such as

    • Dish
    • Spice or herb
    • Dessert

  • Gaming

    in a themed pack

    Categories such as

    • Video game
    • Game character
    • Game console

The free base game includes Classic, Geography, Music, Food & Drinks, Science & Nature and History. Movies & TV, Gaming, Pop Culture and Sports come in themed packs, which you buy once.

Classic is the original, with city, country and river. For rounds with the whole family there is the family mode.

Wortikus decides

Nobody has to argue about whether shepherd’s pie counts as a dish. After every round Wortikus checks every answer: is it a real word in the language of the game, and does it fit the category? The first letter is checked by the game itself.

Typos are forgiven. Write “Saxaphone” and the answer still counts, and “Giraffe” and “Girraffe” are treated as the same answer.

Wortikus can be wrong, in both directions. If a verdict is not right, report it from the round result with “Report rating”. The report goes to us for review. More under Who is Wortikus?

Illustration of the game: the result of a round with the letter S. Stockholm is a duplicate and earns one star, Sicily and Shepherd’s pie are unique and earn two stars each, and the misspelt “Saxaphone” is counted as Saxophone and earns one star; next to it is the stamp “Wortikus”. Every answer has a “Report rating” link. In the standings you lead with 11 stars, ahead of Maya with 9, Josh with 8 and Jules with 6.

For rounds with people you know

Everyone plays on their own device, at the same table or in different cities.

Quick to join
In the app you join with a code, a QR code or through your friends list.
Private to begin with
A new lobby is private unless you change it. If you like, open it to friends or to everyone.
One pays, everyone plays
If the host buys a themed pack, the whole lobby plays with it. Nobody else has to buy anything.
A chat with limits
Typed text exists only among friends: in private games in which everyone is a friend of the host. Otherwise the chat consists of preset phrases. The game filters contact details such as links, email addresses and phone numbers.

Illustration of the game: the waiting room of a private lobby with the game code K7M2QF, set to 5 rounds of 60 seconds each. Four players are in; Jules is the host, and three are ready.

Frequently asked questions

What does Wortikus cost?

The base game is free. It includes the themed worlds Classic, Geography, Music, Food & Drinks, Science & Nature and History. Movies & TV, Gaming, Pop Culture and Sports come in themed packs; you buy a pack once. We do not show ads.

If the host buys a pack, it applies to everyone in the lobby.

Which languages can I play in?

English, German, Spanish and French. The language is set for the lobby; letters and categories are tuned to it.

Answers count in the language of the game. Proper names and established loanwords such as “pizza” count as well. A place counts in the form of the game’s language and in its own local form: in an English game that is “Milan” and “Milano”, but not the form of a third language such as “Mailand”.

Who is Wortikus?

Wortikus is the referee of the game. Behind Wortikus is an AI, a language model, that judges the answers: is it a recognisable word in the language of the game, and does it fit the category? Typos are let through. The first letter is checked by the game itself.

Wortikus sees only the category and the answer, and can be wrong: sometimes something gets through that does not fit, sometimes something correct is rejected. That is why every answer in the round result has a “Report rating” link. The report goes to us for review.

From what age can you play?

Wortikus is made for teenagers from 16 and for adults. Younger players need a parent’s permission to have an account of their own. For rounds together with children there is family mode: the categories are family-friendly, the lobby is never public, and the chat has preset phrases only.

Content for adults (After Dark) is available from the age of 18. When you switch it on in your account you are asked for your date of birth once; it is only checked and not stored.

What data do you store?

For an account we need an email address, a player name and a password. On top of that comes what belongs to the game, among other things results and statistics, your friends list, purchases, and reports and bans. The answers of a round are sent to an AI service to be checked.

You can delete your account in the app. This website sets no cookies and embeds no third-party services. The details are in the privacy policy.

Which devices does Wortikus run on?

Wortikus runs as an app on iPhone and on Android devices, on phones as well as tablets. There is no browser version. The apps are in the works.

Wortikus needs an internet connection. There is no offline mode.

How many can play, and does everyone have to be in the same room?

Two to ten players per lobby. Everyone plays on their own device, whether at the same table or far apart.

What do I do if someone behaves badly?

Wherever another player is shown to you, you can report or block them. You no longer see messages from players you have blocked, and you no longer end up in the same new lobby.

Free typing in the chat exists only among friends: in private games in which everyone is a friend of the host. In public games, in family mode, and as soon as someone is in the game who is not a friend of the host, the chat consists of preset phrases.

What is allowed and what happens after a violation is set out in the community rules.

For iPhone and Android

Wortikus is coming as an app for phones and tablets. There is no browser version.

  • App Store coming soon
  • Google Play coming soon

The apps for iPhone and Android are in the works.