Poople

Archive #177

Poople #177: ETCH to POOP

February 7, 2026 · Hard · par 9 · updated October 1, 2026

One shortest path is ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → LACE → LACK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP. That is 9 moves, and the par stored next to ETCH in the client is 9.

I walked ETCH forward one letter at a time on the 2,398-word graph. Alphabetical neighbor order produced ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → LACE → LACK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP. I am publishing that route because the length matches the client's par.

Each change

  1. ETCH → EACH: letter 2 changes from T to A.
  2. EACH → MACH: letter 1 changes from E to M.
  3. MACH → MACE: letter 4 changes from H to E.
  4. MACE → LACE: letter 1 changes from M to L.
  5. LACE → LACK: letter 4 changes from E to K.
  6. LACK → LOCK: letter 2 changes from A to O.
  7. LOCK → LOOK: letter 3 changes from C to O.
  8. LOOK → LOOP: letter 4 changes from K to P.
  9. LOOP → POOP: letter 1 changes from L to P.
poople.io board captured while puzzle 411 was live
Live board capture from poople.io on September 30, 2026.
Official BARN to BORN one-letter example
The same one-letter rule this ladder follows. Asset from poople.io.
Poople gameplay video. Loads from YouTube only after you press play.

← #176 BUOY Archive #178 GIGS →

Sources: poople.io client bundle, checked 2026-09-30. Anchor date for #410 is September 28, 2026.