Changelog
What's new in Spellmaxxing.
May 23, 2026v3.3
Impossible Difficulty & UI Polish
- New Impossible difficulty (500 points per word) available in Practice and Private Rooms for the ultimate spelling challenge
- Streak counter and flame icon are now larger and match the score display for better visibility during gameplay
- Added 30,000+ new words to the word bank, bringing the total to over 43,000 words across all difficulty levels
May 12, 2026v3.2
Community Chat & Ranked Overhaul
- New real-time Community Chat on the homepage and at /chat — talk with other players live
- Ranked tiers completely overhauled: 10 tiers from Iron to Immortal (Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, Champion, Immortal)
- MMR ranges expanded to 10,000+, climbing to the top is gradually harder to achieve
- Steeper rank scaling at higher tiers: gains slow down and losses amplify as you climb
- MMR-dependent breakeven scores for Solo and Gauntlet meaning harder words needed at higher ranks
- PvP K-factors reduced at higher MMR for tighter, more meaningful rating swings
- Difficulty mix adjusts with rank meaning more hard words at Diamond+ tiers
- Homepage leaderboard widget enlarged with avatars, medal icons, and improved layout
May 8, 2026v3.0
Private Rooms Overhaul
- Private rooms now support up to 10 players across all game modes (Standard, Gauntlet, BEEFR)
- Fixed 404 error when 3+ players start a game — all players now connect reliably
- New large scoreboard panel in private rooms showing live scores, rankings, and avatars for all modes
- BEEFR scoreboard shows live typing status for all opponents so you can see who's close
- Players who disconnect mid-game get a 15-second grace period to reconnect before forfeiting
- If a player leaves, the game continues for remaining players instead of ending for everyone
- Guests can now create and host private rooms (no sign-in required)
- Word report 'Other' option now shows a text field to describe the issue
Apr 30, 2026v2.9
Ranked Gauntlet
- Ranked Solo Gauntlet now affects your MMR, placement matches, and rank
- Survival-based scoring: get 5+ words correct to gain MMR, fewer than 5 and you lose MMR
- Bonus MMR for long runs — survive past 15 words and earn +5 MMR per additional word
- Placement matches (first 5) still get double MMR gains for faster calibration
Apr 30, 2026v2.8
Avatar Customization
- New users now get unique avatars on signup with distinct colors instead of identical defaults
- Choose your eye shape: Round, Cross, Line, or Curved
- Pick a custom mouth letter from A-Z instead of using the default
- Full color picker for avatar text color in addition to preset options
- Existing users with default avatars have been backfilled with unique seeds and colors
Apr 29, 2026v2.7
MMR Scaling & Elo PvP
- Solo ranked MMR now has diminishing gains at higher ranks — climbing gets harder the higher you go
- Losses are slightly amplified at higher ranks to keep players at their true skill level
- PvP ranked now uses a proper Elo system — gains and losses depend on your opponent's rating
- Beat a higher-rated opponent for big gains, lose to a lower-rated one for big losses
- K-factor decreases at higher ranks for tighter, more meaningful swings
- Placement matches (first 5) still get boosted gains for faster calibration
Apr 29, 2026v2.6
How to Play Redesign
- How to Play modal completely redesigned with a tabbed layout (Basics, Modes, Scoring, Ranks)
- Each game mode and format now has its own card with icon and description
- Rank tier breakdown with MMR ranges and color-coded badges
- Cleaner, easier to scan at a glance
Apr 29, 2026v2.5
Guest PvP & Mobile Polish
- Guest players can now play Casual PvP — no account needed to jump into a match
- Guests get unique word-based display names and Facehash avatars
- Guest game results are tracked in-session but not saved to the database
- Mobile header now uses icons instead of text for leaderboard and other nav items
- Mobile-responsive results pages, headers, and lobby UI
- Daily challenge keyboard no longer closes after each submit on mobile
Apr 29, 2026v2.4
BEEFR Mode & Link Previews
- New BEEFR format for PvP — live typing race where first to 10 correct wins
- BEEFR results show who spelled each word first instead of room standings
- Challenge friend links now show rich previews with room code and branding
Apr 28, 2026v2.3
Settings Redesign & Account Details
- Settings page now has a sidebar navigation instead of a long scroll, making it easier to find what you need
- New Account section in settings showing your username, display name, sign-in method, and email
- Email is blurred by default for privacy with a click-to-reveal toggle
Apr 28, 2026v2.2
Public Profiles & Usernames
- Every player now has a unique username (auto-generated on signup, changeable once per month)
- Public profile pages at /u/username with stats, game history, and avatar
- Player names across the app (leaderboards, results, lobbies) now link to public profiles
- Display name and username are separate: display name allows spaces and special characters, username is URL-safe
Apr 28, 2026v2.1
Challenge a Friend
- New 'Challenge Friend' button in Casual PvP to create a quick room and share a code or link
- Friends join via code or link and the match auto-starts when both players are in the lobby
- Guest players now fully supported in PvP and private rooms with avatars, scores, and forfeits
Apr 28, 2026v2.0
Lobby Overhaul & Live Settings
- Redesigned lobby with two-column layout: players on the left, game settings on the right
- Room hosts can now change game settings (format, rounds, timer, difficulty) live in the lobby
- Settings sync in real time for all players
- Compact player cards that fit up to 10 players comfortably
- Start Game button is always visible for the host, greyed out until everyone is ready
- Room lobby now shows the correct mode label (Casual PvP, Ranked PvP, or Private Room)
Apr 28, 2026v1.9
Gameplay Fixes & Polish
- Private room timer setting now correctly applies to the game (was defaulting to 10s)
- Forfeit detection on the results page: shows 'Opponent forfeited' instead of stuck waiting
- Sound effects enabled by default with Correct-v1 pre-selected for all new users
- PvP share UI in lobby now prominently shows room code and copy link when waiting for opponent
Apr 27, 2026v1.8
Private Room Formats
- Choose between Standard and Gauntlet when creating a private room
- Customizable lives (1, 3, or 5) for Gauntlet rooms
- All players in a room now get the same words in the same order
- Removed teams option from private rooms
Apr 26, 2026v1.7
Best-of-3 PvP Matches
- Casual PvP, Ranked PvP, and Private Rooms now support multi-round matches
- Round-by-round scoring with interstitial screens between rounds
- Match results page with per-round word breakdowns and definitions
- Forfeit handling: leaving mid-match counts as a loss
- Live opponent score display with avatars during matches
Apr 26, 2026v1.6
Daily Challenge
- New daily 5-word challenge. Same words for everyone, one attempt per day
- Daily results page with score comparison
Apr 26, 2026v1.5
Quality of Life
- Dark mode with system preference detection
- In-app feedback widget for bug reports and suggestions
- Definition reveals after each word in casual modes
- Improved results screen with accuracy and speed stats
Apr 26, 2026v1.4
Profiles & Avatars
- Custom display names
- Facehash avatar system with unique generated avatars, customizable colors, style, and animations
- Profile page for managing your identity
Apr 26, 2026v1.3
Private Rooms
- Create private rooms and invite friends with a room code
- Customizable settings for player count, difficulty, timer, replays, and more
- Support for up to 10 players
- Room lobby with ready-up system
Apr 26, 2026v1.2
Gauntlet Mode
- Endless survival format. Keep spelling until you run out of lives
- Progressive difficulty that ramps up over time
- Gauntlet leaderboards for solo and PvP
Apr 26, 2026v1.1
Ranked & PvP
- Ranked Solo mode with MMR-based matchmaking
- Casual PvP for quick 1v1 matches against random opponents
- Ranked PvP for competitive 1v1 with MMR on the line
- XP and leveling system
- Leaderboards for ranked play and PvP records
Apr 26, 2026v1.0
Launch
- Practice mode with untimed, unlimited replays to learn at your own pace
- Casual Solo with timed rounds and scoring
- Three difficulty levels plus mixed mode
- Guest play with no account required to start
- Results screen with per-word breakdown
- Google sign-in for saving progress