Stepword

Today's story

Turn COLD into WARM, one letter at a time, and every word on the way has to be a real one. That's the whole idea. Each morning brings a fresh pair of words and a little story line to go with them, and you fill in the rungs of a ladder from the top word down to the bottom one. Monday to Friday the words have four letters; on Saturday and Sunday they stretch to five. Par tells you the shortest climb, so you can chase a perfect ladder, or simply get there however you can and take a hint when you're stuck.

Our ducks keep you company. Up on the title, Tiny perches on the P, Roady waits at the foot of the ladder and Rusty peeks out from behind a bush. Once you're climbing, Tiny and Rusty watch from the bank: Tiny hops for every rung, and if you leave them waiting long enough they both nod off. Finished early? Bonus ladders keep coming, and the last week of stories sits under Past ladders if you missed a day. It's a good fit for word lovers, for anyone who keeps a small daily habit with a streak to look after, and for a few quiet minutes with a coffee. Stepword costs nothing and runs in any web browser; we make it at a little Long Island studio called Ducklark. New to word ladders? Start with how to play Stepword.