What's the Word (a game)

[Lail]

This game is inspired by a certain popular internet word game which will not be named here. (Hint: it rhymes with turtle.)

How does it work?
The Word Herder (yep cause we’re in Fangorn) will pick a word and indicate the number of letters in their chosen word like so:
_ _ _ _

Players guess a word using the number of letters indicated. Using the example above, players might guess:
Ents
Ring
Hole

To which the Word Herder will indicate which letters were correct and in the right location within the word and which letters were correct but out of order.

Pretend the example word was “Lord”. In this case, the Word Herder would indicate:
( R ) O _ _
where the O is in the correct location but the ( R ) in ()’s indicates it was guessed in the wrong location but the letter ‘R’ is in the word.

Now, let’s pretend the Players guess 2 more words:
Ford
Tour

Now the Word Herder would indicate:
_ O R D

And play continues until someone guesses the correct word.

The guesser of the correct word chooses the next word and becomes the Word Herder and so the game continues.

Rules
Players may guess one word per round (a round being each time the Word Herder updates).

For now, let’s try to stick to Middle-earth-ish words and see how this goes. You may choose character or place names or other proper nouns as well as Elvish, Dwarvish, or other languages for your words.

No lower or upper limit on the allowed number of letters (for now).

If you are the Word Herder, please try to avoid using solely color (especially green v. red) as the indicator of right/wrong letters. Bold, italicized, bracketed [ ] or parenthesized () letters (as in my example above) might be easier for everyone to understand as long as you explain what you decide to use to the players.

I pretty much made this up on the fly. We’ll see how it goes and can adjust rules/gameplay and add or remove complications as needed/desired. Suggestions welcome!

I'll post the first word shortly. Have fun!

[Lail]

Inaugural What's the Word Round One:

_ _ _ _ _ _

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Girdle?

[Drifa]

Fabric?

[Lail]

Girdle gives us
_ _ (R) _ _ (E)

Fabric gives us
_ (A) _ (R) _ _

so - there is a R, E and A in the word but both guesses above placed them in the wrong spots!

[Drifa]

BEARDS?

[Lail]

Beards gives:
_ (E) A (R) _ _

So the letter 'A' is in the correct location!
'E' and 'R' are in the word but in the wrong spot still.

[Lail]

Girdle gives us
_ _ (R) _ _ (E)

ahhh and I just realized - there is an 'L' in the word too so Aiks' guess of Girdle should have given us:
_ _ (R) _ (L) (E)

So in addition to A being the 3rd letter as given above, R, E, and L are all in the word somewhere but have not appeared in the right locations yet.

so sorry! still ironing out in my brain how best to do this while also keeping track of the letters..I'm sure we'll get the hang of it soon!

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Hmm, _ _ A _ _ _

Reserve: E L R

Maybe we get the hang of it, but I don't know. I am kind of word/letter blind in English. I guessed it rhymed with turtle, so girdle seemed quite logical to me. The Girdles are a Hobbit family too.

Ain't it perhaps Elanor? It combines all letters with the A still in the right place?

[Lail]

Hmm, _ _ A _ _ _

Reserve: E L R

I like how you did this.

It is indeed Elanor! Congrats! if you would like to choose the next word, go ahead!

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Hmm, alright I will. Here it is then.

_ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _

Have fun guessing. It is not really hard.

[Drifa]

TAP BARREL?

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Drifa: Sorry no. But you gathered some letters with your guess. They are listed as reserve and are part of the word, but not yet in the right place.

_ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _

Reserve: A R

[Drifa]

I forgot about this game. Let's see.

RAN SO DOWN

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Drifa: Nope, but you obtained some new letters. Good luck!

_ _ _ - _ _ _ O _ _

Reserve: A R D O

[Drifa]

How about this?
ARM IDIOCY

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Drifa: Nicely thought off, but whoops like Laylin I made a little mistake forgetting two other letters from your guess Tap Barrel, I added the L and the T to the reserve letters. Sorry for my mistake. You have nearly all the letters now to from the two words. You miss only one letter still.


_ _ _ - _ _ _ O _ _

Reserve: A R D O M L T

[Drifa]

I was thinking of names like DOL AMROTH, but the hyphen - between the words was throwing me off. I was searching for clues with a hyphen in them, such as, for example, Drûg-folk.

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Drifa: It is Dol-Amroth indeed, I write it most of the time like that. Sorry for the confusion. The game is yours.

[Drifa]

I think it would be best to use Tolkien's words and how he wrote them in his works. It is less complicated that way, for me, in any case.

So Drifa, the Word Herder, although somewhat on the short side, presents you with this puzzle, hoom.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Boo-ra-room.... Imladris is it perhaps? Eight letters?

[Drifa]

No, not IMLADRIS. You have found some letters but in the wrong places.

(I) _ _ (A) _ (R) _ (S)

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Reserve: I A R S

This is going to be tough... hmm. Eight vowels and I got four now. Imladris was a good shot. But the M L D and second I are ruling out. That leaves from the aphabet B C E F G H J K N O P Q T U V W X Y Z.......... Hmm. Quite a dig on Arda's Encyclopedia, but the aphabethical order list is helpful. I had Eorlingas first, but the L rules out. Wild shot:

Skinbark perhaps? One of the oldest Ents from Fangorn?

It got at least the four reserves letters in it.

[Drifa]

That is correct! Your turn!

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Drifa: Would you mind if I leave the floor open for two days and see if someone else loves to try? If not, then I 'll post a new guess word. I just had my chance...

Sorry I guessed it this fast. I was positive to have it wrongly.

[Aikári Salmarinian]

As nobody stepped in after a space of about six weeks, I'll post a new word then you can guess. Have fun!
Hint: It is quite known.

_ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _

Let's guess!

[Romeran]

Morgul-Vale?

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Romeran: Wow, you got it directly! Wonderful! You're up then!

[Romeran]

Hah! What a lucky guess. To be honest I spent a long time just trying to think of words or places (mostly places) which had the appropriate number of letters and that was the first one that I found!

Let's try a five letter one:

_ _ _ _ _

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Ouch..Eeeh... Frodo?

[Romeran]

No it's not FRODO although you get a letter

_ O _ _ O

Which I think narrows it down considerably!

Used: F, R, D

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Difficult... Fosco (Baggins)? Probably not, but a shot.

[Romeran]

Not FOSCO

No additional letters found:

_ O _ _ O

Used: F, R, D, S, C

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Longo (Baggins)?

[Romeran]

I'm now realizing there are quite a few Hobbit names with 5 letters and two Os in those place.

It is not LONGO.

But you did get another 2 letters..... but omg I just noticed I missed the "D" you guessed with FRODO and I guess I've been just giving you the right order instead of using the parentheses for correct letter wrong position.

(L) O (N) D O

Used: F, R, D, S, C, G

At this point it should be pretty trivial

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Oh yes quite a lot actually... Trivial? I bet. But don't tell! Yet I have no idea. The D on the fourth position is the bugger.

_ O _ D O

N L ?

A Noldo? I think I am doing very difficult while the answer is under my nose. I was searching for a Hobbit.

[Romeran]

N O L D O

Is indeed correct @Aikári Salmarinian !!

Over to you

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Romeran: Alright! Word with six characters. Have fun! I'll reply tomorrow again, because it is time to go to bed sleeping.

_ _ _ _ _ _

[KingODuckingham]

Ooh, how had I not seen this game before?

Bolger?

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Ducky: You have it wrong, but you scored a letter. Welcome in the game!

_ _ _ _ _ _

Letter: R

Not in the word: B E G L O