Rule 1
Every path must stay on touching honeycombs
You build a word by dragging through adjacent tiles only. If the route breaks contact, the word does not count.
The four rules to know first
Rule 2
You cannot reuse the same tile inside one word
Each tile can appear only once per submitted path, which keeps route choice meaningful instead of letting you loop through one letter.
Rule 3
Only 4-letter words and longer score in MVP
Hive Link is built around 4+ letter scoring so the surfaced word layer stays aligned with the current WordHive content approach.
Rule 4
Nectar tiles add bonus points
If your valid path includes a Nectar tile, that word gets an extra score boost on top of the normal base points and combo bonus.
How scoring feels
Longer paths score better, and fast streaks keep the round hot
Four-letter words are the entry point. Longer words earn bigger rewards, and submitting another valid word within a few seconds pushes your combo higher.
That gives Hive Link its arcade rhythm. You are not just finding words. You are deciding whether to cash a shorter path now or keep scanning for a stronger route before the combo window falls off.
What the live HUD shows
- Your score.
- The timer.
- Your current combo.
- The live word strip while dragging.
- Your round summary after time expires.
How to start your first round
- Open Hive Link and start the round.
- Look for one clean 4-letter path first to get the score moving.
- Release your finger to submit the path.
- Keep chaining valid words quickly if you want to build combo bonus.
- Watch for Nectar tiles when you already have a valid route in sight.