Looking for the Hang Five word game? Here's which one is which

By the Hangtime Games team · October 26, 2026

If you searched for “hang five game”, you might be looking for one of two different things. We'd rather you find the right one than land here by mistake, so here's the short version.

Two games, one name

• Hangtime's Hang Five, now Wordy Birdy. Our five-letter word game for groups. It runs in a web browser: everyone guesses the same word on their own phone, and a TV can show the race. Free.
• The daily Hang Five app. A daily word game made by a different studio. It isn't ours, and we aren't affiliated with it. If that's the one you want, search for it by name in your phone's app store.

Why we changed the name

We called our word game Hang Five because it's a five-letter word game on Hangtime. Then we learned another game already had the name. Two word games called Hang Five is confusing for everyone, so we renamed ours Wordy Birdy, after Birdy, the bird who gives you hints. The game itself didn't change: same rules, still free. Old links to our Hang Five page go straight to Wordy Birdy.

How Wordy Birdy works

1. Everyone gets the same five-letter word. Words are common everyday ones and never repeat in your room.
2. Six guesses each. After each guess the tiles turn green (right letter, right spot), yellow (in the word, wrong spot) or gray (not in the word).
3. The TV shows colors only. Everyone can see who's close, but nobody can see letters, so there's no copying.
4. No clock. Everyone gets to finish. The round ends when everyone has solved it or used their six guesses.
5. Hints if you're stuck. Tap Ask Birdy for up to 3 hints a word: first a letter that's in it, then letters in their spots. Each hint costs 30 points (15 once someone else has solved it), and any solve still earns at least 25.
6. Scoring. 100 for solving, plus 20 for every guess you didn't need, plus 50 for the Early Bird who solves first. Not solving costs nothing.

Play 3, 5 or 7 rounds. It takes 1 to 10 players and about 15 minutes, and it's calm enough for grandparents and competitive enough for everyone else.

Three ways to play

1. On your own. Open Wordy Birdy solo on your phone. It's you against the word, like a daily puzzle, with Birdy's hints if you want them. It starts in about 10 seconds.
2. With friends in the room. Open hangtime.games/host on a TV or laptop and pick Wordy Birdy. A four-letter code appears. Friends go to hangtime.games/play on their phones, type the code and a name, and you're off.
3. With friends somewhere else. Wordy Birdy has a remote mode where the whole game runs on each phone. One person opens hangtime.games/play, picks it under “Can't all be in one room?”, and shares the code in the group chat or on a video call. With no clock, it works across time zones too.

No app, no account, and nobody pays.

Other word games to play with friends

If five-letter words are your thing, here are a few more that work well in a group.

On phones and a TV

• Who's Lying? Everyone gives a one-word clue about a secret that one player (the Liar) doesn't know. Picking the right word is the whole game: too obvious and the Liar catches on, too vague and you look guilty. 3 to 10 players, in the Launch Pack.
• Bowl Game. Fishbowl in teams. Round two is “one word only”, which is a word game in disguise. 4 to 16 players, in the Launch Pack.
• Doodler. Free draw-and-guess. Not a spelling game, but racing to type the word first scratches a similar itch. 2 to 10 players.

With nothing but a group

• Ghost. Take turns adding one letter. Whoever completes a real word (of four letters or more) loses the round. Bluffing is allowed, and someone can challenge you to name the word you're spelling.
• Hangman. Fitting, given the name. One person picks a word, everyone guesses letters.
• Categories. Pick a letter and five categories (animals, foods, cities, bands, things in a kitchen). Two minutes to write one answer for each. Unique answers score.
• Word chain. Each word has to start with the last letter of the one before. Pick a theme to make it harder.

For more on playing a Wordle-style game live with friends, see how to play Wordle with friends at the same time.