Deadword is an incredibly clever hybrid of 'Word Ladders' and tactical survival. As a fan of both linguistics and post-apocalyptic settings, I found this to be one of the most refreshing word games in years. The central concept—that changing a letter in a word is a physical action that costs resources—is brilliant. It turns the English language into a strategic inventory you must manage carefully.
The minimalist, high-contrast art style perfectly conveys a sense of bleak, urban decay without needing high-fidelity 3D graphics. The puzzles are genuinely challenging, often requiring you to balance the shortest path to an exit against the need to detour for food or ammo. It turns the dictionary into a weapon, and the result is a tense, cerebral survival experience that is unlike anything else on the App Store.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.0.1Sat Jun 27 2020
Fixed typos. Minor performance improvements.
Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.DEADWORD is a survival word game.
As the DEAD surround the city, you'll need to use your HEAD to avoid the HERD. It's not HARD to WARD off the enemies, as long as you find the right WORD.
DEAD -> HEAD -> HERD -> HARD -> WARD -> WORD
DEADWORD is a pixelated brain puzzler. Link four-letter words as you strategically move through the city, avoiding zombies, gathering supplies, and investigating clues. Discover Perks along the way that will give you the necessary skills to survive! Loot supplies and find items to patch your wounds, find your way, and distract the zombies! Can you escape DEADWORD?
DEADWORD features a Story Mode with a fun and challenging journey across 30 chapters. Each playthrough is different, offering a new experience every time!
DEADWORD is a free app with intermittent advertisements. Purchase the DEADWORD Extras Pack to remove ads, unlock Endless Mode, and unlock all Perks and gain an extra Perk slot.
Endless Mode: How long can you survive? Progress through chapter after chapter of ever increasing difficulty. Ration supplies and make strategic choices to stay alive as long as possible!
Bliss Mode: OMG puppies! Forget about the zombies for a while and just pet puppies. Seriously. No stress, just puppies. Tummy rubs for everyone!
DEADWORD features slick pixelated graphics and a killer soundtrack.
Use your brain... before you lose it!
















In Deadword, your vocabulary is your weapon. To move through a city infested with zombies, you must solve word puzzles by changing letters (e.g., COLD to CORD). Every word change represents an action, and you must manage your supplies and health while finding the shortest linguistic path to safety.
Innovative 'Word Ladder' combat
Atmospheric minimalist art style
Over 30 unique city sectors to explore
No timers—strategic, turn-based play
Look at the target word and your current word. Sometimes taking a longer path (more word changes) is safer if it avoids tiles where zombies are clustered.
Certain words on the board represent items like 'meds' or 'food'. If you can transform your current word into one of these, you'll heal or gain energy.
You can use limited 'Hints' or scavenged items to skip a letter change if you find yourself cornered.