Question 1

Is TileForge free to play?

Accepted Answer

Yes! TileForge is completely free to play. You can join games, play against AI, participate in tournaments, and use all core features without paying. Optional Pro features are available for enhanced gameplay.

Question 2

How do I create an account?

Accepted Answer

Click Play Free Now or Sign Up on the homepage. Enter your email, choose a username, and create a password. Your account is ready instantly - no email verification required!

Question 3

Can I play without creating an account?

Accepted Answer

Currently, an account is required to play games and track your progress. Creating an account is free and takes less than 30 seconds!

Question 4

What game types are available?

Accepted Answer

Real-time: Both players are online together for fast-paced gameplay. Async (Turn-based): Each player has hours to make their move - perfect for busy schedules. Speed Scrabble: High-intensity mode with a chess clock where each turn has a strict time limit (30s to 2 minutes).

Question 5

What is Speed Scrabble?

Accepted Answer

Speed Scrabble uses a chess clock format where each player has a limited time per turn (30 seconds to 2 minutes). A prominent countdown timer shows your remaining time, with warnings at 10 and 5 seconds. If your time runs out, you forfeit the game!

Question 6

What board layouts are available?

Accepted Answer

Standard (15x15): The classic board with familiar bonus square placement and 100 tiles. Super Scrabble (21x21): An expanded board with 200 tiles, including Quadruple Letter (4x letter value) and Quadruple Word (4x word score) squares.

Question 7

What is Super Scrabble?

Accepted Answer

Super Scrabble features a 21x21 board (vs 15x15 standard), 200 tiles (vs 100), and additional bonus squares including Quadruple Letter (4x letter value) and Quadruple Word (4x word score). Games take longer but scores can reach 1000+ points.

Question 8

How does scoring work?

Accepted Answer

Each letter has a point value (1-10 points). Your word score is the sum of letter values, multiplied by any premium squares (Double/Triple Letter, Double/Triple Word). Premium square multipliers stack multiplicatively and only apply when you place a tile on them.

Question 9

What are bonus squares?

Accepted Answer

The board has special squares: DL (Double Letter - 2x letter value), TL (Triple Letter - 3x letter value), DW (Double Word - 2x word score), and TW (Triple Word - 3x word score). The center star is a DW square. Stacking applies: DW+DW=4x, TW+TW=9x, DW+TW=6x.

Question 10

What is a BINGO?

Accepted Answer

Using all 7 tiles from your rack in a single play earns a 50-point BINGO bonus on top of your word score. This is a major achievement and can swing games!

Question 11

How do blank tiles work?

Accepted Answer

Blank tiles can represent any letter. When you place a blank, you choose which letter it represents. Blanks score 0 points. Once placed, the chosen letter cannot be changed and the blank cannot be retrieved from the board.

Question 12

How do I exchange tiles?

Accepted Answer

You can exchange 1-7 tiles from your rack if there are at least 7 tiles remaining in the bag. Select the tiles you want to exchange, click Exchange, and draw new tiles. This uses your turn.

Question 13

When does a game end?

Accepted Answer

A game ends when: (1) A player uses all their tiles and the bag is empty, (2) Both players pass consecutively (3 passes total ends the game), or (3) A player resigns.

Question 14

Which words are valid in TileForge?

Accepted Answer

TileForge uses a comprehensive English dictionary with over 170,000 valid words. Proper nouns, abbreviations, and hyphenated words are not allowed. The Word Wizard tool can help validate words before you play.

Question 15

What is the Word Wizard?

Accepted Answer

The Word Wizard is a helpful tool that validates words and shows definitions. In Casual games, it can also suggest possible words from your rack. In Ranked games, only validation is available to maintain competitive integrity.

Question 16

What is post-game analysis?

Accepted Answer

After every finished game, TileForge automatically generates a full move-by-move analysis. Each play is rated Best, Good, Inaccuracy, Mistake, or Blunder based on equity loss. You also get an estimated Elo rating and an AI-written narrative summary of the game.

Question 17

How is equity loss calculated?

Accepted Answer

Equity is the score of a play plus the value of the tiles left in your rack afterward. The engine finds the best possible play from your rack and board position, then measures how far your actual play fell short. Lower equity loss means stronger play.

Question 18

Can I play against the computer?

Accepted Answer

Yes! TileForge has 15 AI opponents with different skill levels and personalities. AI games are great for practice and do not affect your rating.

Question 19

What AI skill levels are available?

Accepted Answer

AI opponents range from Beginner (skill 1-3) to Intermediate (skill 4-6) to Advanced (skill 7-10). Beginners make occasional mistakes, while Advanced bots play near-optimal moves.

Question 20

How does the rating system work?

Accepted Answer

TileForge uses an Elo-style rating system. All players start at 1200. Winning against higher-rated opponents gains more points than beating lower-rated ones. Only Ranked human vs human games affect ratings.

Question 21

How do I earn badges?

Accepted Answer

Badges are awarded for achievements like winning your first game, hitting score milestones (300, 400, 500+), achieving BINGOs, reaching rating thresholds, completing Daily Challenge streaks, and more.

Question 22

Does TileForge work on mobile?

Accepted Answer

Yes! TileForge is fully responsive and works great on phones and tablets. For the best experience, we recommend landscape mode on smaller devices.

Question 23

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes! TileForge uses industry-standard encryption and secure authentication. We never share your personal information with third parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Game Types & Boards

Gameplay & Rules

Words & Dictionary

Post-Game Analysis

AI Opponents

Rankings & Achievements

Community & Social

Technical & Account

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

How do I create an account?

Is TileForge free to play?

How do I start my first game?

Can I play without creating an account?

Game Types & Boards

What game types are available?

What is Speed Scrabble?

Can I set turn time limits in regular games?

What board layouts are available?

What is Super Scrabble?

How do I choose a board when creating a game?

Gameplay & Rules

What are the basic placement rules?

How do I form valid words?

How does scoring work?

What are bonus squares?

What is a BINGO?

How do blank tiles work?

How do I exchange tiles?

When does a game end?

What happens to remaining tiles at the end?

Words & Dictionary

Which words are valid in TileForge?

Can I challenge a word?

What is the Word Wizard?

Post-Game Analysis

What is post-game analysis?

How is equity loss calculated?

How accurate is the play strength estimate?

Can I see analysis for old games?

AI Opponents

Can I play against the computer?

What skill levels are available?

Are AI games ranked?

Rankings & Achievements

How does the rating system work?

What is the Hall of Fame?

How do I earn badges?

What is Community Rank?

Community & Social

How do I add friends?

Can I message other players?

How do I report inappropriate behavior?

What are the forum guidelines?

Technical & Account

Does TileForge work on mobile?

How do I enable notifications?

Why can't I see my game?

How do I change my username or avatar?

Is my data secure?