Why Word Chums Is a Game People Can't Stop Playing

word chum game on phone with duck

Adapted from Getty Images

Lots of word games offer the tried-and-true gameplay of spelling words on a grid. Scrabble introduced this format and Words With Friends bolstered its popularity. Word Chums is another game in this style. What makes it unique, however, are a more casual tone, helpful in-game features and a variety of customization options. Word Chums is a game for people who want a more cheerful experience.
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How Word Chums Works

Word Chums is in many ways a Words With Friends clone, which is, in many ways, a Scrabble clone. The game displays a board similar to the ones used by Words With Friends and Scrabble. Using a Scrabble cheat comes in handy with all these games.

The game board is made of both empty squares and squares with various multiplier values. You fill in these squares using letter tiles to create words. Most of these words are the same as you'll find in the Scrabble dictionary. For every word you create, you earn points according to each letter’s point value. To win, you must get a higher score than your opponent before both of you run out of tiles or cannot spell any valid words with the tiles you still have.

What sets Word Chums apart from other games is the greater range of items and tools to maximize your chances of winning. It also rates words by giving them a one- to three-star ranking. This helps you learn if the words you plan to use are the best options.

Chums: Your In-Game Friends

Another distinction that gives Word Chums its own identity is the inclusion of the Chums themselves. 

Chums are the game’s playable characters. You start the game by choosing a single Chum from multiple types to use. The types of Chums are based on real and fictional creatures, such as dogs and aliens. 

Your Chum serves as your avatar and uses your username. As you advance in the game, it will level up alongside you, showing your growth as a player. Once you earn enough coins, the in-game currency, you can purchase upgrades and items in the Chum Market. It is here that you can buy additional Chums. You can also buy accessories for your Chums to customize them even further.

Screenshot of Word ChumsScreenshot of Word Chums

Keep Winning With Boosts

Boosts are in-game items you can earn and purchase with coins. Use these strategically to ensure your victory in almost any match.

  • Bombs let you replace your letter tiles with new ones from the tile bag. You can use a Bomb and play a word in the same turn. 

  • Chumbot tickets let you play a game against a Chumbot, the game’s single-player mode. Each game with a Chumbot costs one ticket.

  • Hints let you see where on the board to create a high-scoring word. It won’t show you every square that your word will use, but it does narrow your search.

  • Energy doubles your XP so your Chum can level up faster. You can buy Energy in 24-hour or five-day increments.

All the Ways to Play Word Chums

One of the best things about Word Chums is that you can choose from a variety of different modes and game styles. Enjoy yourself and play the way you want.

  • Classic Game and Quick Game: These two options allow you to choose how long a game will take. Classic Game is the normal mode. It has 225 squares and uses 100 letter tiles, like a standard Scrabble board. Quick Game lets you speed through a match. It has a smaller 121-square game board and uses 50 letter tiles. 

  • Time-sensitive modes: These are challenges you play against people from Facebook or your contacts. You need to allow Word Chums to access your Facebook account or contact list to play. There are four different challenges with specific conditions for how to win: Best Word, Best Game, XP & Level and Alphabetical.

  • Play Now: Selecting this mode will match you with a random player of similar skill so you can play a single game.

  • 3-4 Players: This mode lets you play with people you know in a three- or four-player game. Enter the players’ usernames or emails to find them and begin. You and your friends can play in a free-for-all or team format.

  • Find Player: Find friends by email or username for a one-on-one game.

  • Computer: Play against an automated opponent. Before you start, you need to select between five difficulty levels. There are three computer opponents for each level of difficulty. These opponents have different play styles. Some will play defensively, others will play casually and others still will be purposefully complex. 

Word Chums Tips and Tricks

Word Chums starts out pretty easy, but it doesn’t stay that way forever. Get some Word Chums help so you can develop a firm understanding of the game before diving into a match.

  • Earn lots of coins: Between the Boosts and the Chums, there are a lot of things to spend your coins on. Take any chance you can to earn extra in-game cash. Common ways to do this are to watch video ads, complete surveys and unlock achievements by playing the game.

  • Focus on the bonus squares: None of the squares start out with letter tiles on them, but a few feature something else: bonus points. These squares have a letter and a number printed on them. L2 squares double a letter’s score. W2 squares double an entire word’s score. There are also squares that will triple or quadruple scores.

  • Shuffle your letters regularly: Sometimes, you can’t see a high-value word in your mix of tiles. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s not there. To improve your chances of finding words with the letters you have, press the shuffle button to rearrange the tiles on your rack. This will help you spot words you missed.

  • Try any word you think of: The game will tell you if a word isn’t real. It will also show you its potential score and overall value. Place words on the board to see if they will work. You can always put the tiles back.

  • Study the Help menu: Word Chums offers a comprehensive guide for the game for free. Rules, a screenshot of a match to explain the gameplay and a list of strategies are included. If you want some in-depth and visually-based tips, take advantage of the Help menu when you need it.

  • Get help from WordFinder: If you can’t figure out what word to play with your tiles, the WordFinder app and our online word finder tool can help. You can also take advantage of our Word Chums cheat tool. Note that Word Chums doesn’t use the same point values as Words With Friends letter tiles or Scrabble letter tiles. Using WordFinder ensures you know exactly how much your word is worth in Word Chums. 

Get Chummy With Words With Friends Too

Word Chums is a great starting point for people who want to play word games but also want to ease into them. The game helps players recognize how they’ve improved as they keep playing. But, if you have a firm understanding of Word Chums and want to find even more people to compete against, you need Words With Friends. If you haven’t played Words With Friends yet, do yourself a favor and read five good reasons why you should.


Zac Pricener has been a content creator for the past eight years. He’s a bit of an all-around nerd, and he has a bad habit of working movie and TV show references into conversations whenever possible.

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