The game guide · Empathy
How to play Words That Listen
Find a word that belongs in an invitation to talk. Untangle the letters to reveal a themed word. A familiar term becomes a small puzzle, followed by a gentle prompt you can keep private or share with someone.
Your starting point
Find a word that belongs in an invitation to talk.
The rules
Rearrange or choose the scrambled letters to spell the target word. Use the available word controls, check your answer and try another arrangement if needed.
A helpful approach
Look for a familiar beginning or ending. Try a different arrangement when the first guess stalls, and use the word as a thought rather than a label. Notice the difference between the information you have been given and the story you might be assuming around it.
After the game
How might the revealed word fit an ordinary moment in your own day? What respectful question could help you understand someone’s experience without deciding their feelings or needs for them?
There is no need to turn a small moment into a perfect performance. Play again if you want to explore it, or leave it here and take the thought into your day.
The feeling behind it
Listen before deciding what someone must feel. Make room for a perspective that is different from your own.
A women’s storytelling tradition inspires attention to perspective. These games are original and do not reproduce Hikaye tales.
Read our empathy story, inspired by Palestinian Hikaye in Palestine. The UNESCO: The Palestinian Hikaye provides the source context.
Share the invitation
I am here to listen, without writing your story for you. Try Words That Listen with me, if you fancy a little empathy today.
If someone comes to mind, send them a game they might enjoy. Add your own words, let them choose whether to play, and keep private details out of a public link.