To solve Rune Words, connect the golden energy source to every blue crystal using a limited supply of GROW, TURN and SWAP spells. Trace each word through neighboring letters, choose its target and review the change before casting. The challenge is arranging connections in the right order. This guide covers the OnlinePuzzle word-logic game, not Diablo equipment recipes.
Separate the letter path from the energy path
Spell letters must touch horizontally or vertically. Your traced word can bend, but it cannot move diagonally or use the same tile twice. Letters can be reused for later spells, even when their area is unlit. Forming a word selects a tool; it does not automatically complete the energy route.
After tracing, select a valid highlighted target and inspect the preview. Charges are limited, so treat Cast as the commitment point. A letter-selection mistake does not spend a charge. Discovering a word unlocks its shortcut, but that shortcut only works while the word can still be formed on the board.
Know what each spell changes
- GROW
- Activates one sleeping bridge next to a growth seed or an already grown bridge. Growth does not require electricity. Some bridges reveal letters as they activate.
- TURN
- Rotates a gate by 90 degrees. Gates sharing a blue link number rotate together for one charge. Their up/down or left/right ports must match the neighboring connection.
- SWAP
- Exchanges letters sharing a purple mirror number. It does not move the tiles themselves or change their energy connections.
Before casting, name the problem: missing bridge, wrong gate direction or inaccessible spell letters. Do not cast merely because a spell is available: check whether its effect fits your remaining budget.
Verified Level 1 example: make the bend
Count rows from the top and columns from the left, starting at one. Level 1, Follow the Roots, provides two GROW charges. Trace G at row 1, column 2 → R at row 1, column 3 → O at row 2, column 3 → W at row 2, column 4. The bent path is legal because each step shares an edge.
- Select the sleeping bridge at row 3, column 5, directly below the growth seed, then cast GROW. The second screenshot shows this intermediate position: one charge remains, and the crystal is still unlit.
- Use the GROW shortcut, select row 3, column 4 and cast again. This completes the bend toward the crystal at row 4, column 4. The tested result was one of one crystals lit with two spells used.
The bridge at row 2, column 6 is an available-looking side branch, but it is not part of this route. Count the required bridges before spending a charge, rather than growing toward the nearest empty space.
Work backward and protect future spells
Start at an unlit crystal and trace a potential connection back toward powered tiles. Identify the smallest missing change, then check whether that change is currently legal. A bridge may need another bridge beside it first; a useful gate rotation may require letters that only appear after growth.
For linked gates, inspect every gate with the same number before rotating. Fixing one connection could alter another branch. For SWAP, check both the word you want to create and the word you might break. After any letter change, recheck shortcut availability rather than assuming a discovered spell remains usable forever.
Use hints to diagnose, not just to click through
The first Hint shows a valid next word, numbered letters and a target for the current board. A second press prepares that move; you still decide whether to cast. Compare the suggestion with your own plan and identify the missing dependency.
If the remaining position cannot be solved, the game recommends Undo or Restart. Neither has a penalty, and there is no timer. Reversing one mistaken cast is usually more informative than continuing to spend charges on a route that no longer reaches every crystal.
Frequently asked questions
Do GROW bridges need power first?
No. A sleeping bridge needs to be beside a growth seed or an already grown bridge. Electricity is not required for growth.
Can I reuse the letters in GROW?
Yes, between separate spells. You cannot reuse the same tile twice within one traced word.
Why is my spell shortcut unavailable?
A discovered shortcut still requires a valid spelling on the current board. A letter change can remove that spelling; also check the remaining charge budget.
Does SWAP move the energy route?
No. SWAP exchanges letters within a matching mirror group, not tiles or energy connections.
Do the spell words change in Spanish or Portuguese?
No. They remain GROW, TURN and SWAP. The interface is translated, and the 30 fixed puzzles are arranged in five chapters of six.
Practice these steps in Rune Words.
Rules reference: the current OnlinePuzzle game page.