About Country Word Search
Country Word Search hides eight country names in a 12 by 12 grid of letters. The list of names is shown under the grid, so the challenge is finding them, in any of eight directions, as quickly as you can.
How to play
- Each puzzle hides 8 countries, chosen at random from names that are 4 to 12 letters long once spaces and punctuation are removed.
- Multi-word names are written without spaces, so South Sudan appears in the grid as SOUTHSUDAN, and accents are dropped.
- Names can run across, down or diagonally, forwards or backwards. Names may cross and share letters.
- Select a name by choosing its first and last letters. Either end can come first.
- Found names are highlighted in the grid and crossed out in the list.
- A timer counts up from the moment the puzzle appears. Your score is 1,000 minus 3 points per second, with a minimum of 10.
Controls
- Click or tap the first letter of a name, then the last letter.
- With a mouse, the line between your first letter and the pointer is previewed before you click.
- If the second letter is not in a straight line, or the line is not a hidden name, the selection simply clears and you can try again.
Tips and strategy
- Scan for rare letters. A J, Q, X or Z in a name such as Japan, Qatar or Mozambique stands out quickly in the grid.
- Look for double letters, like the PP in Philippines or the EE in Greece, which are easier to spot than single letters.
- Check backwards and diagonal directions deliberately; most people miss words that read from right to left.
- Remember that long names are squashed together, so search for a distinctive chunk such as STAN or LAND rather than the whole name.
- Since each second costs 3 points, a steady scan of one direction at a time is usually faster than jumping around the grid.
Background
Word search puzzles are generally credited to Norman E. Gibat, who published one in a small Oklahoma newsletter, the Selenby Digest, in 1968. The format spread quickly to newspapers and puzzle books. Country names work well because they vary so much in length: the shortest in the game's list have four letters, such as Chad, Fiji, Iran, Laos and Peru, while combined names such as SAINTLUCIA or NEWZEALAND fill most of a row.
Questions
- Is there a time limit?
- No. The clock only counts up, and the score falls by 3 points a second down to a floor of 10, so you can always finish.
- Where does my score show?
- The finish screen shows your time. The score calculated from it is what is saved as your best, in your browser on this device.