How To Play

Learn to play Subway Rush, a fast-paced, actioned-packed word challenge!

In a nutshell

Simply unscramble 10 words as fast as you can, and try to beat the daily target time!

Rules

Each guess must be a valid 5 letter word. Use the tools available to assist you.

How to guess a word

Click (or key tap) the letters in your dashboard to construct your guess in the top display.

Dashboard examples

Let us review a typical scenario, and provide a few examples of what to look out for!

1.

I
E
G
N
B

All these letters are active, and can be clicked in any order to construct your guess.

2.

I
E
G
N
B

Letters B and I have been selected.

This will update in the top display (not featured) with the greyed-out appearance reflecting immediately in your dashboard.

3.

B
I
N
G
E

You have guessed the word BINGE. Although processed as a valid word, it is not the correct word for this puzzle, and your dashboard has updated to reflect this.

Letter B is GREEN and in the correct position.

Letters I, N, G and E are AMBER and in the incorrect position.

In this instance, the correct word may have been either BEGIN or BEING.

You can take as much time as you want to guess a word, or use the Hint +10s button to speed things along. Providing no hints have been made, the Shuffle button can be used to rearrange the letters in your dashboard with no time penalty.

Desktop users

You can now use your keyboard to start games, initiate hints and shuffles, and even guess words!

OUTSIDE OF GAME MODE

  • ENTER and SPACEBAR will begin a game, or if completed, will open share settings on your device.

INSIDE OF GAME MODE

  • ENTER and SPACEBAR will shuffle your letters.
  • SHIFT will generate a Hint +10s.
  • ALPHANUMERIC KEYS will function as expected.

This functionality is not yet available in SR Unlimited, but will arrive shortly.

FAQs

Where does the target time come from?

The target time is calculated using the first 100 scores of any given day, and that meet a certain criteria.

How do I know if the target time is calculated?

This functionality has been removed, but unless you live in New Zealand / Australia, it is likely already set.

Can I prevent my time from being included in the target time for a given day?

Not at this time. Keep in mind that absolutely no other information - identifiable or otherwise - is recorded as part of this calculation.

Does the timer keep ticking while animations take place?

No. It stops as soon as an animation / transition begins, and only restarts when the dashboard is active for use.

What happens if I lose my internet connection during a game?

Probably nothing. Your game should function as usual, and your results should save to your device.

An internet connection will be required to refresh subsequent pages, or to play past games in SR Archive.

Is there a time limit?

The timer will max out at 60 minutes.

Subway Rush is designed to be a fast game, and we recommend using the tools available to strategically improve your time.

What is optimize?

Optimize is a setting designed to provide a tailored experience.

It calculates a rolling multiplier specific to you, and applies it to your view of the daily target time for a personalised goal.

Should I really use the available tools to improve my time, or is it better to complete the game without them?

Use the tools.

My letters won't shuffle. Help!

Once a hint has been provided, the shuffle functionality disables.

If shuffling were enabled, it would result in users forgoing their hints.

Can I pause the game?

Yes. The pause icon in the navigation inter-game will stop the timer and hide the letters in your dashboard.

Why is there no time penalty for pausing the game?

Users should have the ability to pause a game as a convenience option only, and we encourage users to rely on it should the need arise.

Under this circumstance, we don't believe a time penalty should apply.

Have you got any big tips?

Yes. Most users instantly understand that the GREEN feedback mechanic is indicative of a letter in the correct position, but take longer to grasp the importance of the AMBER feedback mechanic.

Should an AMBER letter appear, it means that this letter DOES NOT correspond with the position it is in, and should be used elsewhere.

© Subway Rush 2025