An offline and online word game in one app
Play on a plane against the AI, then play the world from your couch — same board, same rules.
Last updated June 21, 2026 · By Kurt Bijl
Play WordSalvo against real players
What works offline, and what needs a connection
The split is simple. Anything you can play alone or on one device runs offline: local pass-and-play (two people sharing a phone or tablet) and the four AI opponents — easy, medium, hard, and expert. None of these touch a server, so they work on a plane, on the subway, or with the signal off. Anything that involves other real people or a shared leaderboard needs a connection: rated multiplayer, head-to-head rivalries, and the daily puzzle with its streaks and leaderboard, all backed by Firestore.
The table below maps every mode to its connectivity requirement so you know before you board the flight.
| Mode | Offline? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Pass-and-play (2 players, 1 device) | Yes | Nothing — fully local |
| AI opponents (easy → expert) | Yes | Nothing — engine runs on-device |
| Rated multiplayer (real players) | No | Connection + account |
| Head-to-head rivalries | No | Connection + account |
| Daily puzzle (leaderboard + streaks) | No | Connection to submit |
| Post-game engine analysis | Partial | Connection to fetch replay |
How the competition handles offline play
Most word-game apps in this category are built server-first. Wordfeud is fundamentally a server-based, asynchronous multiplayer game — its own dev blog documents how a server outage stops players logging in, and there is no advertised offline solo mode; if the servers are down or you have no signal, you do not play.
Words With Friends is the exception that proves the rule. Zynga relaunched the app in 2014 specifically to add an offline Solo mode — Engadget covered the change under the headline "lets you play solo even when you're offline," and the Christian Science Monitor reported the same. So an offline option exists there, but it is a single-player practice mode bolted onto an ads-heavy multiplayer app. WordSalvo treats offline and online as first-class equals rather than a fallback.
Pass-and-play: the original offline word game
Pass-and-play is the closest thing to a physical board on a screen. Two people share one device, take turns, and the app hides each player's rack between moves. It is the mode for a long car ride, a kitchen table, or a hotel room with no Wi-Fi — and it is the one most online-only apps drop entirely. WordSalvo keeps it because a word game should not stop working the moment the signal does.
The board is identical to the one you play online: the custom 15×15 layout (Classic or Random), 104 English tiles, and the 45-point bonus for using all seven. Nothing about the rules changes between offline and online — only your opponent does.
AI opponents that run on-device
The four AI levels — easy, medium, hard, and expert — run locally. There is no round-trip to a server for the computer's move, which means two things: the AI plays instantly even with no connection, and it never stalls because a server is busy. Expert is genuinely hard; easy is a forgiving way to learn the board. Use the AI to practise a tricky opening or to keep a streak going when you are off-grid, then take the same skills online.
Online: rated multiplayer against real people
When you do have a connection, WordSalvo becomes a competitive multiplayer game. Matches are rated with Glicko-2, the same rating family used in serious chess and esports ladders, and you climb named tiers from Novice up to Laureate. You are matched against real players — not bots padding the lobby — and you can build head-to-head rivalries with opponents you keep meeting. The daily puzzle adds a shared challenge with its own leaderboard and streaks.
After covered online and AI games, post-game analysis gives you instant stats plus an engine replay that flags brilliancies, optimal moves, and turning points. Fetching that replay needs a connection, but the game you played to generate it might have been entirely offline against the AI.
One app, one account, both modes
You do not install a separate app or keep a separate login for offline play. Pass-and-play and the AI sit in the same menu as multiplayer and the daily puzzle, on iOS, Android, and the web daily puzzle. Switch whenever your connectivity changes: play the AI on the train, finish a rated match when you reconnect, then hand the phone to a friend for pass-and-play at dinner — all in the same session.
WordSalvo is low on ads and has no pay-to-win: ads never run during a turn, and offline AI games against the computer are free of mid-game video. Spending money never changes a game's outcome, online or off. You can download it on the App Store or Google Play.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I play WordSalvo offline?
- Yes. Local pass-and-play (two people on one device) and all four AI opponents — easy, medium, hard, and expert — work with no internet connection. The AI runs on-device, so the computer plays instantly even on a plane.
- What needs an internet connection?
- Rated multiplayer against real players, head-to-head rivalries, and the daily puzzle (to submit your score to the leaderboard and keep streaks) all need a connection. Post-game engine analysis also needs a connection to fetch the replay.
- Does the offline AI cost anything or show ads during the game?
- No. AI games and pass-and-play are free, and WordSalvo never runs ads during a turn or forces mid-game video. Premium removes the lobby banner and between-game interstitials entirely, but the offline gameplay itself is uninterrupted regardless.
- Is the offline board the same as the online board?
- Yes. The custom 15×15 layout (Classic or Random), the 104-tile English set, and the 45-point bonus for playing all seven tiles are identical offline and online. Only your opponent changes — the AI offline, real players online.
- Do Wordfeud and Words With Friends work offline?
- Wordfeud is server-based with no advertised offline solo mode — no signal or a server outage means no play. Words With Friends added an offline Solo practice mode in 2014, but it is a single-player fallback inside an otherwise online, ads-heavy app.
- Do I need a separate app or account for offline play?
- No. Pass-and-play, the AI, rated multiplayer, and the daily puzzle all live in the same app and account on iOS, Android, and web. You switch modes from the main menu as your connectivity changes.