Four Groups: how to play

A word puzzle hosted by Byte. Sixteen words sit on the board, and they hide four groups of four: four fruits, four things with necks, four words that go before BALL. Pick four words you think belong together and submit them. Find all four groups to clear the level. Each level is a new puzzle, from plain groups like colours and pets to red herrings, hidden words and wordplay, and everyone gets the same puzzles each day.

How to play

• Tap or click four words that share something, then press SUBMIT. Tap a word again to drop it, or press DESELECT.
• Right: the four words join up into a coloured bar with the group's name, easiest groups in yellow and green, the trickiest in blue and violet.
• Wrong: you lose one of your three hearts and your four picks stay, so you can swap one. If three of the four were right, the game says ONE AWAY! Trying the same four twice never costs a second heart.
• Find all four groups to clear the level and get one heart back (never more than three). Lose your last heart and the groups you missed are shown.
• Groups in a row build a combo (up to ×10), and a quick level earns a speed bonus.
• Keys: arrows move, Space picks a word, Enter submits, S shuffles, D deselects and M turns the sound off or on.

The five levels

1. Neon City: plain groups: colours, pets, fruits
2. Rooftops: a red herring: one word seems to fit two groups
3. Sewer: wordplay: hidden words and word pairs
4. Robot Factory: what things have or do: things with necks, things that pop
5. Glitch Zone: every trick at once, with several red herrings

Clear the Glitch Zone and the levels loop again with five fresh puzzles and no ONE AWAY help. You have three hearts for the whole run, and the game is the same for everyone each day, so you can compare scores. Press M to turn the sound off or on.

Tips

• Find the group you're surest of first. Fewer words left means fewer traps.
• If a word fits two groups, count: the group that already has four sure words doesn't need it.
• Stuck? Press SHUFFLE. A new order often shows a link you missed.

Questions

How many mistakes can I make?

You have three hearts for the whole run. Each wrong group costs one, and clearing a level gives one back, up to three.

What does ONE AWAY mean?

Three of your four words belong to the same group. Swap one word and try again.

Are there new puzzles every day?

Yes. Five new puzzles every day, the same for everyone, so you can compare scores with SHARE at the end.

Is it free?

Yes. Four Groups is free in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download.