Support

Quick answers about playing Maduma, and how to reach us.

How do I play?

Take turns putting tiles on the board to make words, crossword style. Your tiles go in one line, across or down, with no gaps, and must join a tile that’s already there. Every game starts with a dark starter word in the middle, so the first word joins that.

For the picture guide, tap How to play on the start screen, or open the menu in a game (the tile beside the River).

Why is my rack all consonants?

That’s the twist. Your rack holds consonants, and the vowels sit in the River between you, shared by both players. On your go, the five big vowels are yours to use as well as your rack. Only the vowels you use leave, and new ones join the end, so they never run out. Take the only E, though, and the other player has to do without.

In a game with the Shared River, any letters come down the River, and your rack holds any letters too.

How does scoring work?

Every word you make or change scores the points on its tiles. The dark starter letters score 0. The patterned squares multiply: ×2 or ×3 a letter, or ×2 or ×3 the whole word, on the turn you cover them. Put down six or more tiles in one go for an extra 20 points.

How does a game end?

When the bag is empty and someone uses the last tile on their rack. They gain the points on the other player’s leftover tiles, and the other player loses them.

A game also ends after four goes in a row without a score. Then everyone loses the points on their own leftover tiles.

Which words count?

Maduma checks words against the ENABLE word list, a large list of English words made for word games. Names and abbreviations don’t count, and in a game with a kid, rude words don’t either. If a word you think should count is turned down, tell us.

Can I stop and carry on later?

Yes. Maduma saves after every turn, so you can close it whenever you like. Next time, the start screen shows your game under Game in progress, with Continue.

How do kids play?

When you start a game, tap Kid on a player’s seat. A kid gets a Help button, once a go: tap it to light up letters that make a word, and again to see where it goes. Kids don’t lose points for tiles left at the end.

How good is the computer?

Choose 1 Player to play it. Easy plays short, common words. Medium plays everyday words at about your pace, so games stay close. Hard knows every word and always plays its best.

What are house rules?

Pick Classic, Quick fire or Wild card when you start a game, or mix your own from five house rules: what comes down the River, how bonus squares appear, the starter word, a clock for each go, and lifelines. The How to play guide explains each one.

How do I turn the sound off?

In a game, open the menu (the tile beside the River) and switch Sound off.

Does it work on iPhone, or offline?

Maduma is made for iPad, and needs iPadOS 17 or later. It works completely offline, with no ads and no accounts.

Still stuck?

Write to support@maduma.app. Tell us which iPad you have and what happened.

Privacy questions are answered on the privacy page.