Getting Started with Big Bad Words
Big Bad Words is a radically configurable word board game for Android where players define the rules. You control the board size (7×7 to 21×21), tile counts, bonus square layouts, word lists, and what counts as a "bad" word — bridging party fun, classroom education, and competitive play in one engine.
Unlike fixed word games, Big Bad Words adapts to your group: family-safe play with a clean word list, classroom vocabulary practice with grade-level terms, party nights with your own custom word list, or competitive solo play against a challenging AI opponent.
First Launch
- Welcome screens. Two brief screens explain the app's key differentiators: configurable board, custom word lists, play your way. You can skip them if you just want to play.
- Choose your play mode. Select "Solo vs AI" or "Pass & Play" on the second screen. This takes you directly to game setup with sensible defaults already filled in.
- Start your first game. The default setup is a 15×15 board, 7 tiles per player, standard bonus squares, and an Easy AI opponent. Tap "Start Game" to begin.
No account creation is required. An anonymous session is created silently on first launch, so all your game history and settings are saved locally from the start.
Key Screens
Play Tab
Your main game area. Shows your active game board if a game is in progress, a "New Game" button, and any saved "In Progress" games you can resume. The board is scrollable and supports pinch-to-zoom — helpful for larger board configurations.
Placing tiles: Tap a tile in your hand to select it (it highlights), then tap an empty board cell to place it. Tiles show a dashed border until you confirm your move. Tap "Play" to submit your word — the engine validates it and shows your score if valid. You can also "Exchange" tiles (return selected tiles to the bag and draw new ones — costs your turn) or "Pass" your turn without playing.
Blank tiles: The bag includes 2 blank tiles (0 points each). When you place a blank, you'll be prompted to choose which letter it represents. The assigned letter displays on the board with a distinct border to distinguish it from regular tiles.
Tile rack: Use the shuffle button on your rack to re-sort your tiles and spot new word possibilities. A letters-remaining counter shows how many tiles are left in the bag.
Word Lists Tab
Browse, create, and import word lists. Built-in lists ship with the app: Standard English (full dictionary), Clean (family-safe), Grade 6–8 Vocabulary, Grade 9–12 Vocabulary, Biology Terms, and Math & Geometry Terms. Create your own lists by typing words manually or importing a plain text file (one word per line, up to 10,000 words per list). Lists can be tagged as a "Game Dictionary" (used for word validation) or "Bad Words" (triggers the bad word mechanic).
History Tab
All your completed games with final scores and winner. Tap any game to see the final board state, every word played by each player with individual scores, and aggregate statistics including your win rate, average score, and highest-scoring words.
Settings Tab
Account options (sign in to upgrade to Plus for online play), game defaults, and subscription management.
Game Configuration
Tap "New Game" and expand the configuration panel to customize:
- Board size: 7×7 to 21×21 (odd numbers only). Default 15×15.
- Tiles per player: 5–10. Default 7.
- Bonus squares: Standard, Random, Symmetric, or None.
- Turn timer: Off, 1 min, 2 min, or 5 min.
- Move timer: A per-move countdown that penalizes 1 point per 5 seconds of delay.
- Word list: Select your game dictionary and optionally a bad words list.
- AI opponent: Easy ("Rookie"), Medium ("Scholar"), or Hard ("Wordsmith").
- Special mechanics: Disconnected words, assist scoring, and letter set trading (all off by default).
- Free first placement: When enabled, the first word can go anywhere instead of requiring the center square.
Save any configuration as a named preset so you can reload it instantly for future games.
Free vs Plus vs Pro
| Feature | Free | Plus | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local solo and pass-and-play games | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Built-in word lists | All | All | All |
| Custom word list creation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Game history and statistics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Easy AI ("Rookie") | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Medium AI ("Scholar") | No | Yes | Yes |
| Hard AI ("Wordsmith") | No | No | Yes |
| Online multiplayer | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud sync across devices | No | Yes | Yes |
| Post-game analysis | No | No | Yes |
| Banner and interstitial ads | Yes | None | None |
Free tier gives you full local gameplay — solo vs Easy AI and pass-and-play with up to 4 players — indefinitely, at no cost.
Plus removes ads, unlocks online multiplayer with shareable invite links, Medium AI, and cloud sync. Upgrade from Settings or when prompted after a game.
Pro adds the Hard AI ("Wordsmith") and post-game analysis, which shows every turn's best alternative plays and your overall scoring efficiency.
To upgrade, tap "Learn More" on the paywall or go to Settings → Subscription. You'll be asked to create an account (Google Sign-In or magic link) if you're currently on the free anonymous session.
Pass-and-Play Basics
For family or party games with 2–4 players on one device:
- Tap "New Game" and add player names and colors.
- Select your word list — use "Clean" for family play or your custom list for party mode.
- When a player's turn ends, a hand-off screen shows "Pass to [Name]" with a "Ready" button. The previous player's tiles are hidden until the next player taps Ready.
- The scoreboard shows all players' running scores throughout the game.
- The game ends when the tile bag empties and a player uses all their tiles, or when all players pass consecutively.
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