How to play Cipher Hatch

Find the hidden five-letter word in no more than six accepted guesses. Enter a familiar five-letter word with the on-screen keys or a physical keyboard, then submit it. An entry outside the built-in list is rejected without using a turn.

The clue

Exact is the number of letters that match both identity and position. Elsewhere is the number of additional letters that occur in the password but occupy another position. The clue never labels a particular letter. For an imaginary password of CIDER and a guess of CRANE, one letter is exact (C) and one belongs elsewhere (R). The remaining three guessed letters do not occur.

Repeated letters

Matches cannot exceed the number of copies in the password. Exact positions are counted first. Remaining guess letters are then paired with remaining password letters once each. This prevents a doubled letter in a guess from earning two matches when the password contains only one.

A practical approach

1. Open with five different letters.
2. Use the sum of both counts to learn how many letters belong.
3. Introduce new letters while keeping a few confirmed candidates.
4. Reorder likely letters and watch whether the exact count changes.
5. Compare every clue in the ledger before committing the final guess.

Play Cipher Hatch now. The game explains invalid entries without spending a try.