Puzzle #162 · Jan 23, 2026
Poople #162 Answer: RIGS to POOP
Poople #162 was the puzzle for Friday, January 23, 2026. The starting word was RIGS, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 2 different shortest paths with our word list. Open the hints below one at a time if you want a nudge, or reveal the full ladder at the end.
Poople #162 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 3rd letter of RIGS, the G.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after RIGS starts with R. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with R.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
RIGS → RIMS → ROMS → ROMP → POMP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
ROMS is in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept it.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RIGS | RIMS | 3rd letter G to M |
| 2 | RIMS | ROMS | 2nd letter I to O |
| 3 | ROMS | ROMP | 4th letter S to P |
| 4 | ROMP | POMP | 1st letter R to P |
| 5 | POMP | POOP | 3rd letter M to O |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from RIGS
Our word list allows 2 shortest ladders from RIGS to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 2 paths
- RIGS → RIMS → ROMS → ROMP → POMP → POOP
- RIGS → RIMS → ROMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
Words one letter away from RIGS
These 20 words differ from RIGS in one letter. Common words are in SCOWL size 35; rare words are only in the ENABLE list, and the official game is more likely to reject them.
- BIGS rare
- DIGS common
- FIGS common
- GIGS common
- JIGS common
- MIGS rare
- PIGS common
- RAGS common
- REGS rare
- RIAS rare
- RIBS common
- RIDS common
- RIFS rare
- RIMS common
- RINS rare
- RIPS common
- RUGS common
- VIGS rare
- WIGS common
- ZIGS rare
How hard was Poople #162?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #162 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #161 OWLS (Jan 22, 2026)
- Next: #163 PINK (Jan 24, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #156 EGGS, #157 ROTE, #159 HAVE
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #162?
Poople #162 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from RIGS to POOP with a breadth-first search over our four-letter word list (ENABLE + SCOWL), and the official game uses its own word list, so its count can differ from ours.
What was the starting word for Poople #162?
The starting word for Poople #162 was RIGS, on Friday, January 23, 2026. Every Poople puzzle ends at POOP, so the start word is the only thing that changes from day to day. With our word list this one rates Hard. Hints for it are at the top of this page.
Can I replay Poople #162?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with RIGS as the start word, with Undo, Restart and three levels of hints. You can also play unlimited random puzzles on the home page, or pick any other past puzzle from the archive.