The Password Game: Rules, Paul the Chicken and Tips (2026)

Updated October 12, 2026

The Password Game is a free browser puzzle by Neal Agarwal, released on his site neal.fun on June 27, 2023, that parodies annoying password requirements. You type a password, and each time you satisfy a rule a new, more ridiculous one appears, 35 rules in total, until your password has to include things like today's Wordle answer, a chess move and a living chicken named Paul.

What is The Password Game?

You know the "password must contain an uppercase letter and a special character" screen? The Password Game takes that and keeps going until it breaks your brain.

It starts normal: at least five characters, a number, an uppercase letter, a special character. Then the digits have to add up to 25. Then you need Roman numerals. Then things get unhinged. Every rule stacks on top of all the previous ones, so fixing one requirement can quietly break three others.

It went viral within days of launch on TikTok, YouTube and Twitch, with speedrunners racing it and streamers melting down on camera. It is one of the best things on neal.fun, which is why it ranks high in our Neal.fun games ranked list.

How does The Password Game work?

• You type in a single password box.
• Rules appear one at a time, and the next rule only shows up after you satisfy the current ones.
• All earlier rules stay active, so a new rule can quietly break an old one.
• Some rules change every time you play (the chess board, the map, the video length), so memorizing one run will not save you next time.
• Some rules are live: they react to time passing, which is where the real chaos starts.

The most famous rules (light spoilers)

We are not dumping all 35. These are the highlights everyone talks about.

Digits that add up to 25

Rule 5 is where it stops being a normal password screen. Every digit in your password counts toward the sum, which matters a lot later when other rules force numbers in.

Roman numerals that multiply to 35

Rule 9 says the Roman numerals in your password must multiply to 35. Only capital letters count as numerals, which becomes a trap once you start adding other words.

Today's Wordle answer

Rule 10 wants the current day's Wordle answer. Yes, the real one.

Periodic table, moon phase and a map

You will need a symbol from the periodic table, the emoji for the current moon phase, and the country shown in a random Street View image. Later, the atomic numbers of the elements in your password have to add up to 200.

A chess move

Rule 16 shows a chess position and asks for the best move in algebraic notation. If you do not play chess, this is where you open another tab.

Paul the chicken

Rule 17 hands you an egg emoji. That is Paul. Paul lives inside your password and you are responsible for him. Soon after, your password catches fire and you have to delete the flames before they reach him. When Paul hatches, he must be fed three caterpillar emoji every minute. Starve him and you lose. Overfeed him and you also lose.

Formatting chaos

Later rules get into bold vowels, italics, Wingdings, font sizes, a hex color, a YouTube video of an exact length, sacrificing two letters you can never use again, and making your password length a prime number.

The ending

After the last rule, the game asks you to confirm your password, then makes you retype the whole monster from scratch against a short timer. Copy and paste will not save you here.

Tips to beat The Password Game

• Keep a copy of your password. Paste it into a notes app as you go. If the fire spreads or Paul dies, you can recover fast instead of starting from zero.
• Write it down before the final confirm. You will need to retype it by hand, so know exactly what it says.
• Put Paul at the start. Paste the egg at the very beginning of your password. It gives you more reaction time when the fire shows up.
• Feed Paul on a schedule. Three caterpillars a minute, no more, no less. Keep a spare row of caterpillars handy to paste in.
• Watch your Roman numerals. Element symbols and words with capital I, V, X, L, C, D or M can break rule 9. Pick lowercase words and non-numeral elements where you can.
• Paste all moon emoji. Dropping in every moon phase emoji covers the moon rule without checking the sky.
• Use a chess engine. For the chess rule, set up the position in a free "next best move" tool and let it do the work.
• Sacrifice rare letters. When the game asks for two letters, give up something you will not need, like q or z.
• Start the video hunt early. Finding a YouTube link with the exact required length can take a while.

Games like The Password Game

Infinite Craft

Another Neal Agarwal hit: start with four elements and combine them into basically anything. Read our Infinite Craft guide before you lose a weekend.

Best for: open-ended chaos with no fail state.

Draw a Perfect Circle

Draw a circle with your mouse and get a score for how perfect it is. Short, brutal and very "one more try".

Best for: a two-minute break between Password Game attempts.

Semantle

Like Wordle, but you guess a secret word based on meaning instead of spelling.

Best for: word nerds who liked the Wordle rule.

Universal Paperclips

Start by making paperclips. Escalate wildly. Another game where simple rules spiral out of control.

Best for: when you want the escalation without a chicken to babysit.

For more like this, check our list of free browser games with no download.

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