How to Play Lexo™

Lexo combines the word-building strategy of classic word games with the unpredictable chaos of action cards. Build words, play cards, outsmart your opponents.

👥
2-4
Players
🔄
10
Rounds
2
Actions/Turn
90s
Turn Timer

1Game Setup

Create or join a room in the lobby. The host can configure:

  • Number of players — 2 to 4 (human or AI)
  • AI difficulty — Easy, Medium, or Hard
  • AI personality — Aggressor (card-heavy), Strategist (optimal play), or Wordsmith (long words)
  • Letter distribution — Same Letters (all players get identical letters each turn for fairness) or Random Letters (different letters per player)

Each player starts with 10 letters and 3 action cards.

2Your Turn

Each turn you get 2 actions and 90 seconds. Each action can be:

📝

Submit a Word

Type a valid English word using your hand letters. Words must be at least 2 letters long. Your letters are reusable throughout the turn — the same letter can be used in multiple words.

🃏

Play a Card

Use one of your action cards to attack opponents, boost yourself, or clear the board. Some cards require choosing a target.

🎲

Draw

Draw a new letter or a new card from the deck. Costs 1 action. Useful when your letters don't form good words.

You can also skip your turn if you want to save time or have no good moves.

3Scoring

Each letter has a point value based on its rarity. Your word score is the sum of all letter values in the word.

1 pt
A, E, I, L, N, O, R, S, T, U
2 pts
D, G
3 pts
B, C, M, P
4 pts
F, H, V, W, Y
5 pts
K
8 pts
J, X
10 pts
Q, Z

Words placed on the board stay permanently and contribute to your total score. The player with the highest score after 10 rounds wins.

4Action Cards

Action cards are what make Lexo unpredictable and strategic. They're divided into attack cards (target opponents) and self cards (boost yourself).

Attack Cards

💰

Score Penalty

Remove 5 points from an opponent's score.

✂️

Hand Cripple

Remove 2 random letters from an opponent's hand.

🔄

Letter Swap

Swap one of your letters with a random letter from an opponent.

Steal Action

Remove 1 action from an opponent's next turn (they start with 1 action instead of 2).

Skip Turn

Force an opponent to skip their next turn entirely.

💣

Board Clear

Remove a word from the board and deduct its points from the placer.

Self Cards

🃏

Wild Letter

Use as any letter when forming a word.

Extra Time

Add 30 extra seconds to your turn timer.

Pro tip: Be careful playing self-benefit cards (Wild Letter, Extra Time) on your last action — they won't help since your turn ends immediately after. Lexo will warn you before you waste a card.

5Strategy Tips

Maximize letter reuse

Since letters persist within a turn, plan both words before playing. Use overlapping letters for maximum efficiency.

Save attack cards

Don't waste attack cards early. Use Score Steal and Board Clear when opponents have high-value words to maximize damage.

Watch the timer

90 seconds goes fast. If you're stuck, draw a letter or play a card instead of burning time on a word.

Target the leader

Use Skip Turn and Steal Action on the player in first place to keep the game competitive.

High-value letters

Letters like Q (10), Z (10), J (8), X (8) are rare but powerful. Build words around them when you get them.

Drag to rearrange

Drag your letter tiles to rearrange them — seeing letters in a different order can help you spot words you missed.

6Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lexo free to play?
Yes! Lexo is completely free to play. Just sign in and start a game — no downloads, no subscriptions, no hidden fees.
How many players can play Lexo at once?
Lexo supports 2 to 4 players per game. You can play against friends, AI opponents, or a mix of both. AI comes in three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard) and three personalities (Aggressor, Strategist, Wordsmith).
What dictionary does Lexo use for word validation?
Lexo uses a standard English word list for validation. All common English words are accepted, including less common but valid Scrabble-style words. Proper nouns, abbreviations, and slang are not accepted.
Can I play Lexo on my phone?
Absolutely! Lexo is a browser-based game optimized for both desktop and mobile. No app download needed — just open it in your phone's browser and start playing.
How is Lexo different from Scrabble?
While Lexo shares Scrabble's word-building and letter-scoring mechanics, it adds a whole layer of strategy with Uno-inspired action cards. You can steal points, skip opponents' turns, clear their board words, and more. Games are also faster — 10 rounds with a 90-second turn timer keeps things exciting.
What are action cards and how do they work?
Action cards are special cards you can play instead of (or alongside) submitting words. There are 8 types: 6 attack cards that target opponents (Score Penalty, Hand Cripple, Letter Swap, Steal Action, Skip Turn, Board Clear) and 2 self cards that boost you (Wild Letter, Extra Time). Each card play costs 1 action.
What is Same Letters Mode?
Same Letters Mode is a room setting where all players receive identical letters each round. This creates a perfectly fair playing field where the winner is determined purely by word knowledge and strategy, not letter luck. Note that attack cards like Hand Cripple and Letter Swap can break letter parity.
Can I reuse letters within a turn?
Yes! Your letters persist throughout your entire turn. You can use the same letters in multiple words across your 2 actions. However, you cannot submit the exact same word twice in the same turn.
How does scoring work in Lexo?
Each letter has a point value based on its rarity (A=1, Q=10, Z=10, etc.), similar to Scrabble. Your word score is the sum of all letter values. Words stay on the board permanently. The player with the highest total score after 10 rounds wins.
Can I play against AI opponents?
Yes! You can fill any empty player slot with an AI opponent. Choose from three personalities: Aggressor (plays lots of attack cards), Strategist (makes optimal balanced decisions), or Wordsmith (focuses on finding the longest, highest-scoring words).

Ready to Play?

Jump into a game and put your word skills to the test.