By Becky Holland
I did not expect to get hooked on a crossword-style dice game from TikTok.
Honestly, I am not exactly known for chasing trends.
But somewhere between book reviews, news stories, social media clients and mindless social media scrolling, I stumbled across Q-Less — a simple-looking word game created by a man from Nashville — and decided to give it a whirl.
Turns out, I fell hard for it.
Q-Less is part crossword puzzle, part solitaire and part brain teaser. Players roll letter dice and try to build intersecting words crossword-style. There are no Qs in the game — thus the name — no time limits, no scoring pressure and no flashing screens yelling at you to hurry up. Not even on the app.
Some rolls are impossible to solve, but most can be worked out if you stare at them long enough and let your brain start connecting the dots.
And that is where the magic sneaks in.
Instead of endlessly scrolling through social media reels and forgetting what you watched five minutes later, Q-Less actually made my brain feel awake again. It reminded me what it feels like to concentrate on one thing at a time.
That may sound dramatic over a handful of letter dice, but screen fatigue is real.
The game was created by Tom Sturdevant, now in his 80s, whose life résumé reads more like a movie script than a game inventor bio. According to information shared by the company, Sturdevant has worked as a foreign service officer, Peace Corps trainer, farmer, filmmaker, songwriter and award-winning game inventor.
Q-Less began years ago as handmade prototypes played among family and friends. The problem was everyone kept getting hooked on it — including Sturdevant himself, who reportedly played it more than 20 times a day.
So in 2018, at age 75 to 78, he returned to the game business to officially release what he calls his “labor of love.”
The game has since exploded online, especially on TikTok, where Q-Less has gained a large following and inspired players across multiple age groups.
I first spotted it through a bookstore website before discovering the app version also exists. Both have their charms. The physical game gives you something tactile and quiet to do at home while the app makes it easy to sneak in a quick game while waiting in line or winding down at night.
One warning though — there are copycat versions floating around online.
The official game can be purchased through the Q-Less website at http://www.qlessgame.com, which also links to the official TikTok Shop and Amazon storefront.
And yes, I realize the irony of discovering a healthier hobby through TikTok.
But if you are going to get hooked on something, this one at least exercises your brain while doing it.
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