One changed letter per step
Open the daily letter or choose a delivery in Route book. Read the starting word and destination, then enter a four-letter word that differs from the current word in exactly one place. Use Send or Enter to submit it.
Accepted words extend your route. Reach the destination to complete the delivery and review the path you took.
Get a nudge when the route runs out
Hint gives one next word and its short definition. Undo takes back an active move. The pocket dictionary lets you look up words and use ? for an unknown letter.
Lantern Post uses a curated vocabulary of 566 four-letter words. A word can be real English and still be outside this game’s list. The shortest route appears after you complete the delivery, so it does not reveal the whole answer while you are solving.
Daily letters, the route book, and practice
The route book contains 32 letters across four districts. Daily letters rotate through those routes on a 32-day cycle at midnight UTC. An unfinished daily letter stays open when the date changes; use the new-letter control when you are ready to switch.
Custom practice lets you choose a starting word and target from the local vocabulary. The game checks whether a route exists before you begin. Custom routes are for practice and do not award postcards.
Keep your notebook and postcards
Completing a curated letter for the first time adds one postcard, whether you reached it through the daily letter or the route book. Replaying it does not add another copy.
The current route, completed letters and preferences stay in this browser. You can copy a result or download a postcard image from the game. Use the same browser and site to return to your notebook; clearing site data removes it.
The word input and buttons work with a keyboard or touch controls. Sound starts off and can be enabled inside the game.
Pip’s post office and the word list
Pip, the letters, definitions, artwork and game rules were created for Lantern Post. The selected spellings come from Wordnik’s fixed MIT word list; its copyright and full license remain with the game.
Updated