# Contexto

> Contexto is a free daily word-guessing game where players try to find a hidden "secret word" by typing guesses that are ranked by an AI algorithm based on semantic similarity (meaning), not spelling. Rank #1 is always the secret word; a lower rank means a guess is closer in meaning.

Important notes:
- Contexto is different from letter-based word games like Wordle: guesses are scored on *conceptual closeness* to the secret word using AI word-embedding technology, not on correct letters or positions.
- Guesses are unlimited. There is no maximum number of tries and no penalty for guessing.
- A new secret word is released every day at midnight local time in Daily mode. Contexto also has an Unlimited mode where players can start a brand-new random-word game at any time with no daily limit.
- Signing in is optional to play, but is required to save progress across devices, appear on the leaderboard, and track long-term statistics.

## How to Play
- The goal is to guess the secret word. Every submitted word is compared to the secret word by an AI algorithm trained on large amounts of text, and returns a numeric rank.
- Rank #1 means the guess IS the secret word (game won). Lower ranks (closer to 1) mean the guess is more semantically similar to the secret word.
- Good starting strategy: begin with broad, common words (e.g. "thing", "person", "place") to establish context, then narrow in based on which guesses return low (good) ranks; think about synonyms and related concepts rather than spelling.
- Hints are available: clicking "Hint" reveals a word that is closer to the secret word than the player's current best guess. Hints can be used repeatedly, but only until the player's best guess reaches rank #2.
- Players can "Give Up" at any time, which reveals the secret word and ends that day's/game's session.
- After finishing a game (win or give up), players can view the "Closest Words" — the 100 words nearest in meaning to the secret word.

## Scoring / Points System
- Rank points are awarded per guess based on how close the rank is:
  - Rank #1: 10 points (secret word found)
  - Rank #2-10: 5 points
  - Rank #11-50: 4 points
  - Rank #51-100: 3 points
  - Rank #101-500: 2 points
  - Rank #501-1000: 1 point
  - Rank #1001-3000: 0.5 points
  - Rank above 3000: 0 points
- A speed bonus is awarded once the secret word is found, based on total guesses used:
  - 1 guess: 50 points
  - 2-3 guesses: 40 points
  - 4-6 guesses: 30 points
  - 7-10 guesses: 20 points
  - 11-20 guesses: 10 points
  - 21-30 guesses: 5 points
  - 31+ guesses: 0 points
- Leaderboard points are the sum of all points (rank points + speed bonus) earned across every game a player has played.

## Game Modes
- Daily mode: one official secret word per day, shared by all players, with a countdown timer to the next word and an Archive/calendar to replay any previous day's puzzle.
- Unlimited mode: players can generate a fresh random-word game at any time by clicking "Play Again"/new game, with no daily restriction.
- Create Game: players can pick their own secret word to generate a shareable custom Contexto link and challenge friends to guess it.

## Saving Progress
- Logged-in users: guesses, points, and game status are automatically saved to their account and sync across devices.
- Guests (not logged in): progress is saved only in the browser's local storage and is lost if the browser data is cleared or a different device/browser is used; creating a free account is recommended to preserve stats and leaderboard standing.

## Docs
- [Contexto homepage (Daily mode)](https://www.contexto.fun/): Play today's daily Contexto word.
- [Contexto Unlimited](https://www.contexto.fun/unlimited/): Play unlimited, on-demand Contexto games.
- [About](https://www.contexto.fun/about/): Information about the Contexto project.
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.contexto.fun/privacy-policy/)
- [Terms of Service](https://www.contexto.fun/terms-of-service/)

## Related Games (from the same creators)
- [Glyph](https://glyphgame.dev): A daily letter-stacking word puzzle, guess the secret word in 6 tries.
- [Nearesto](https://nearesto.fun): A related word-association guessing game.
- [Moviexto](https://moviexto.com): A movie-guessing game using the same semantic-similarity concept applied to films.

## Optional
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/contexto.fun): Official Contexto Instagram account.
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/people/Contexto/61584634319129/): Official Contexto Facebook page.
- [Twitter/X](https://x.com/ContextoGame): Official Contexto X (Twitter) account.