Speciedle
What is Speciedle?
Speciedle is a free daily puzzle game that asks you to identify a hidden mystery animal by guessing other species. Instead of matching letters like in Wordle, each guess is scored by evolutionary relatedness — how recently your animal and the target shared a common ancestor. A new puzzle arrives every day, and your progress, streaks, and stats are saved in your browser.
How to play Speciedle
Each day, a hidden mystery animal is selected. You guess other animal species, and each guess is scored from 0 to 100 based on how closely related your choice is to the target on the tree of life. The game also shows each guess's rank in the pool and the deepest clade it shares with the mystery species, so you can follow the taxonomy (for example, mammals → carnivores → cats) and narrow down the answer.
Tips & strategy
- Start with a well-known animal from a large clade to get a sense of where the target sits on the tree of life.
- Pay attention to the deepest shared clade shown with each guess — it tells you which branch you're on.
- Move from broad groups to narrow ones: if your guess shares a mammalian clade, try carnivores, then cats, and so on.
- Use common domestic or familiar species as anchors, since their taxonomy is easy to follow.
- Watch the score closely — a high score means a recent split, while a low score means you're on a distant limb.
Frequently asked questions
Is Speciedle free?
Yes, Speciedle is completely free to play. There are no accounts, subscriptions, or anything to install.
How often does the puzzle update?
A new puzzle arrives every day, in the spirit of Wordle. Your progress, streaks, and stats are saved in your browser between visits.
Is there an app or account required?
No. There is no app — the game runs entirely in your browser, and your stats and streaks stay there without needing an account.
How are the scores calculated?
Each guess is scored from 0 to 100 based on how recently your guessed species and the mystery species shared a common ancestor. The scoring uses divergence time from NCBI taxonomy topology, with clade ages drawn from the literature.
Can I share my result?
Yes, you can share your result. The game also lets you reveal the closest species and shows your guessing tree, so you can see how your guesses narrowed down the answer.
Where to play
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