Idea2Play Original
Spell Lode: Dig Safely and Turn Letters into Words
Spell Lode combines an excavation with a word puzzle. Dig to reveal letters, then connect those letters into words. Mines cost hearts, while accepted words can restore them, so the two parts of the game support each other.
By Idea2Play · 2 min read · Updated
Read clues without assuming a safe opening
A new board contains 64 tiles: 48 safe letters and 16 mines. Small numbers count mines in all eight neighboring squares. A safe zero opens connected safe space. Unlike Idea2Play’s Minesweeper, a new Spell Lode board can hit a mine on the first dig.
Flags are reminders, not proof. A flagged tile cannot be dug. Right-click, use F on a focused tile, or long-press on touch to toggle a covered tile’s flag.
Use connected, unspent letters
A word must have 4–24 letters connected in order through neighboring revealed tiles, including diagonals. Use each tile at most once. The shipped common-word list determines acceptance, and a word cannot repeat within the round.
Accepted words spend their tiles. The letters fade, but their mine counts remain useful for later digging. Invalid words cost neither letters nor hearts.
Balance digging with recovery
A new round starts with three hearts. Each newly hit mine costs one. Accepted words of four or five letters earn one heart; six or seven earn two; eight or more earn three. Reaching zero hearts ends the round as incomplete and stops digging.
Before taking a risky dig, look for a word among the letters already open. A longer word may provide more points and recovery, but using those tiles also removes them from future word paths. An accepted short word can be useful when you need a heart now.
Choose what to do after excavation
Once all 48 safe tiles are revealed, digging and flagging stop. You can continue making words from unused letters or choose Finish to complete the round. You do not need to flag or hit every mine.
Completed and incomplete best scores stay on the current browser and game origin. Older saved rounds may preserve a safe opening and seeded words; new excavations use the rules above. Practice uses prepared boards and does not change those records.
Try it at the table
Pick one idea from the guide and try it in a game. You can play without an account.