# Hot & Cold: Word Challenge — Guess by meaning, not letters > Word guessing game based on semantic similarity, not letter matching. (iPhone/iPad app by Lambda 7 Tech LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-and-cold-word-challenge/id6762350078 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Lambda 7 Tech LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877535098) - Category: Games, Puzzle, Word - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.1 · 56 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-04-26 - Data updated: 2026-09-02 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-and-cold-word-challenge/id6762350078/reviews.md ## What is Hot & Cold? Hot & Cold is a word game where meaning beats spelling. Type any word. The game tells you how close your guess is to the secret — from freezing all the way to blazing. Keep refining until you nail it. It's like Wordle, but instead of matching letters you're zeroing in on meaning. "dog" is hotter than "fence" when the answer is "puppy." Follow the heat, pivot when you cool down, and solve the word. DAILY PUZZLE One new secret every UTC day — everyone plays the same word. Build a streak, then share your result (no spoilers). ENDLESS PRACTICE Unlimited rounds with random words. Great between dailies or when you want to keep playing. Optional timer and hint settings per round. CHALLENGE A FRIEND Share a link and everyone in the room plays the same secret. Play together when you are all around, or join a round already in progress — no one has to be online at the same time. Rounds stack into F1-style points across a series, so a room keeps going as long as you want. Chat in the room while you play, with a spoiler-safe channel that only unlocks once you've finished. TEAM MODE Split the room into 2–4 teams and share one board. Your teammates' guesses and hints appear on your screen as they land, so you build on each other's thinking instead of racing. Any teammate finding the word wins the round for the whole team. PLAY A BOT Offline rounds against a local bot for practice runs. HEAT ASCENSION A roguelike climb, on mobile. Nine floors of rarer and rarer secret words against one HP bank: chart your route between floors, draft modifier cards that bend the rules, and face a boss at the rim. Summiting unlocks a harder tier, so the climb keeps climbing. HOW IT WORKS 1. Type any word. 2. See its rank against the full word list. #1 is the secret (hottest). Bigger numbers mean colder. 3. Your heat meter moves as you get closer. Follow the gradient. 4. Type the actual secret word to win. FEATURES - Daily puzzle with streaks and a shareable result - Endless mode with optional timer and hint settings - Online multiplayer rooms via shared link — F1-style points across rounds - Cooperative team mode — 2–4 teams, one shared board per team - In-room chat with a spoiler-safe channel - Local-bot rounds for solo practice - Heat Ascension: a roguelike climb with drafted modifiers, bosses, and rising difficulty tiers - No forced ads — play uninterrupted; an optional rewarded video lets you support the developer if you want PRIVACY Play anonymously. Opponents never see the secret or the words you guess — rooms relay only display names and heat scores, so nobody's progress can spoil the answer for you. Teammates are the deliberate exception: team mode exists to share a board, so your teammates do see your guesses. Room chat stays inside its room. Optional Apple/Google sign-in adds a public leaderboard and cross-device stats; you can delete your account any time. Terms of Service: https://hotandcold.app/terms Apple Standard EULA (App Store): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hotandcold.app/privacy ## Key features - Guess words by meaning - Daily puzzles and streaks - Endless practice mode - Challenge friends asynchronously - Play against a local bot - Anonymous play option ## Recent user reviews (1 of 1) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hot-and-cold-word-challenge/id6762350078/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Love this game! *2026-08-25* I tried Hot&Cold because I know the developer, but I’ve kept playing because it’s honestly just a really fun game. After doing the first daily puzzle, I found myself going back every day to see if it was time for the next one. It’s simple to pick up, surprisingly challenging, and different from the other word games I’ve played. Definitely recommend giving it a try! ## Frequently asked questions about Hot & Cold ### How does Hot & Cold work? You type any word, and the game indicates how close its meaning is to the secret word, ranging from 'freezing' to 'blazing'. The goal is to use this feedback to deduce and enter the correct secret word. ### What are the game modes in Hot & Cold? Hot & Cold offers a daily puzzle with a shared secret word, an endless practice mode with unlimited rounds, asynchronous multiplayer challenges with friends, and offline rounds against a local bot. ### Can I play Hot & Cold offline? Yes, you can play offline rounds against a local bot for practice. The daily puzzle and multiplayer modes require an internet connection. ### Does Hot & Cold have ads? No, Hot & Cold does not have forced ads. You can play uninterrupted. An optional rewarded video is available if you wish to support the developer. ### How does the multiplayer in Hot & Cold work? You can challenge a friend by sharing a link, and you'll play the same secret word asynchronously. Rounds contribute to F1-style points across a series, allowing games to continue for as long as desired. ### Is my data private in Hot & Cold? Yes, you can play anonymously, and your guesses stay on your device. Multiplayer rooms only display player names and scores, not the secret word or your typed words. Optional sign-in for leaderboards allows account deletion. ### What is the age rating for Hot & Cold? Hot & Cold has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of players. ### How often is Hot & Cold updated? The latest version, 2.2.0, was released on June 23, 2026, indicating regular updates to the application. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.3.0 — 2026-09-01 - Allow selecting specific nameplate. ### 4.2.2 — 2026-08-31 - Fix Heat Ascension so hints with already guessed words don't cost anything. - Fix Heat Ascension so "The Twins" gate letter reveal is per word not both words. ### 4.2.1 — 2026-08-29 - Heat Ascension hint will be disabled once limit is reached instead of showing as you can get more. - Changing up hint selection algorithm. ### 4.2.0 — 2026-08-28 - Added more achievements. - Achievements can be equipped as titles next to your name. - Heat Ascension: bargains and gambits pay more, and a bargain's curse now lifts after a few floors instead of the whole climb. - Every supporter milestone now comes with a title you can wear. - The daily reminder is now offered after a give-up, not only a win. - Signing out or switching accounts no longer leaves old progress behind. ### 4.0.1 — 2026-08-27 - Heat Ascension floor 1 now opens with two letters of the secret already showing, and floor 2 with one. - Supporter nameplate now shows in challenge lobbies - Added more words. - Minor UI tweaks. ## More apps by Lambda 7 Tech LLC - [ConvoCopilot](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/convocopilot/id6759226184) All apps by Lambda 7 Tech LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1877535098 ## Related topics [100 word challenge](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/100-word-challenge) · [wordle unlimited](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wordle-unlimited) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*