kutikuli

Kutikuli is a term used for a family of word puzzles that have appeared in Filipino-language print media and puzzle books. The exact format varies by publication, but the core idea is to find and form words within a grid of letters.

Origins and usage are informal rather than standardized, and the puzzles have circulated mainly in the Philippines as part of language-learning materials and recreational puzzle culture. They are often designed to exercise vocabulary and pattern recognition in a playful format.

Gameplay typically involves a grid filled with letters. Players form words by tracing a continuous path through adjacent letters, with moves allowed in horizontal, vertical, and often diagonal directions. In many versions, letters on the path may not be reused within the same word, and words must be constructed by following a valid letter sequence. Some puzzles present a predefined list of target words or a theme, while others challenge solvers to discover words without any explicit list.

Solving strategies emphasize common word structures, prefixes and suffixes, and scanning for letter sequences that align with the language being practiced. Difficulty can be adjusted through grid size, word length, and the density of possible letter combinations.

See also: word puzzle, Boggle, word search.