boggle

boggle

boggle is a console implementation of the classic Hasbro word game Boggle, perfect for terminal enthusiasts. It displays a randomized 4x4 grid of letters, mimicking physical dice shaken into a tray. Players form words by connecting adjacent letters horizontally, vertically, or diagonally—no letter cube can be reused in one word, and paths must be sequential.

Use arrow keys to navigate and select letters, building potential words on-screen. Press ENTER to submit; valid words (3+ letters) from /usr/share/games/boggle-words score points by length (e.g., 3-letter: 1pt, 8+: 11pts). Invalid, duplicates, or prior words are rejected. Track your total score, longest word, and high scores via the system's score file.

Single-player mode challenges you to find as many words as possible before quitting. Ideal for quick sessions, it supports color terminals for visual appeal. High scores persist for competition. Run it to test vocabulary and speed in a distraction-free environment.

No command-line options; requires ncurses-compatible terminal with arrow key support. Single-player only. Dictionary fixed to system file.

Arrow keys: move cursor on grid
ENTER: submit word
SPACE: clear current word
q: quit
?: show help

3 letters: 1pt
4: 2pts
5: 3pts
6: 5pts
7: 7pts
8+: 11pts
Total tracked on-screen.

/usr/share/games/boggle-words: Dictionary
~/.boggle.score: Personal high scores

Developed for Unix-like systems in the 1990s, popularized in Linux distros like Debian via the boggle package. Inspired by 1970s Hasbro board game; maintained in free software games collections.

score(1)