Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you might want to know about Dandle, the free 3D word-building physics puzzle game.
What is Dandle?
Dandle is a free browser-based 3D word puzzle where letters are physical cubes with weight. You build words that snap onto a wobbly, connected structure, and use gravity and momentum to move it into the goal. It's part crossword, part physics sandbox — a game "for wordcels and shape-rotators alike."
Is Dandle free to play?
Yes, completely free. You can play right now at dandle.online — no account, no download, no paywall.
Do I need to download or install anything?
No. Dandle runs directly in your web browser using WebGL. It works on desktop and mobile with nothing to install.
How do I win a level?
Most levels ask you to get any part of your word structure to touch the red end zone. Some levels instead give you a blue ball and a blue goal — there, you clear a path or build a ramp so the ball can roll home. See the full guide for strategy.
Can I play Dandle on my phone?
Yes. Dandle has a mobile-friendly interface with a custom on-screen keyboard, touch camera controls (drag to orbit, pinch to zoom), and a title screen designed for phones and tablets.
What words can I use?
Dandle checks words against a large English dictionary of roughly 170,000 words, plus a handful of extra allowances. Any real word that contains the letter you've selected can be placed to extend the structure.
Can I make and share my own levels?
Yes. The built-in level editor lets you paint floors, place red and blue goals, add walls, moving and spinning platforms, impulse fields, bounce pads, balls, and power-up blocks, then playtest instantly and export your level.
What are the power-ups?
Certain levels let you transform a letter into a power-up: a wheel for rolling mobility, a thruster for an upward boost, a bomb that explodes nearby cubes, or a spring that bounces the structure up.
Is my progress saved?
Your settings and progress are stored locally in your browser, so they persist between sessions on the same device. Clearing your browser data will reset them.
Which browsers does Dandle support?
Any modern browser with WebGL — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari all work, on desktop and mobile. The game loads a 3D engine and a physics engine at startup, so the very first load takes a few seconds while the dictionary downloads.
What happens if my structure falls off the platform?
Cubes that fall past the edge fade out and drop into the void. Losing part of your structure isn't automatically a loss — but if you can no longer reach the goal, you can restart the level from the top bar at any time.
Can I record or share my solutions?
Yes. Dandle continuously records the last few seconds of play. Press Caps Lock at any time (or wait for the prompt after finishing a level) to save a clip as MP4, WebM, or GIF. You can set how many seconds the recorder keeps in Settings.
Can I turn off the music and visual effects?
Yes. The Settings screen has toggles for music, sound effects, shadows, fog, anti-aliasing, film grain, and the signature print/halftone filter — plus sliders to fine-tune the halftone look or switch it off entirely.
Why is the music different on every level?
The soundtrack is generated live in your browser with no audio files at all. Each level plays in its own musical key, the melody is improvised over a chord progression, and the tempo speeds up as your structure grows — so the music literally gets more urgent the bigger your dandle becomes.
Is there a hint system?
Yes. Each level has a hint available from the Hint button in the top bar. For deeper strategy, see the strategy guide or the level-by-level guide.