Poople Hints

Poople #422 · Sat, Oct 10

Poople #422 Answer: GEMS to POOP

GEMS POOP

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Hints for Poople #422

Sniff test (How many steps?)RevealHide
The shortest path takes 6 steps.
Which letter stinks? (Which letter changes first?)RevealHide
Change the 1st or 2nd or 3rd letter first.
First plop (The first word)RevealHide
Good first moves: GAMS, GEES, GELS, GETS, GUMS, HEMS.
Answer (Full shortest path)RevealHide

GEMS → GELS → GELD → GOLD → GOOD → GOOP → POOP

All 14 shortest paths
  1. GEMS → GAMS → CAMS → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
  2. GEMS → GAMS → CAMS → CAMP → COMP → POMP → POOP
  3. GEMS → GAMS → RAMS → RAMP → ROMP → POMP → POOP
  4. GEMS → GEES → PEES → PEEP → PREP → PROP → POOP
  5. GEMS → GELS → GELD → GOLD → GOOD → GOOP → POOP
  6. GEMS → GETS → BETS → BOTS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  7. GEMS → GUMS → BUMS → BUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
  8. GEMS → GUMS → HUMS → HUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
  9. GEMS → GUMS → RUMS → RUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
  10. GEMS → GUMS → RUMS → RUMP → ROMP → POMP → POOP
  11. GEMS → GUMS → SUMS → SUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
  12. GEMS → HEMS → HEME → HOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  13. GEMS → HEMS → HEMP → HUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
  14. GEMS → HEMS → HUMS → HUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP

Shortest path: 6 steps Tricky

Finish in 6 steps for a Royal Flush

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How the Poople #422 answer works

Poople #422 asks you to turn GEMS into POOP by changing one letter at a time, and every word on the way has to be in the Poople word list. The shortest path takes 6 steps. There are 14 different shortest paths; the one explained below is the path the official game shows.

Step-by-step explanation (spoiler)
  1. Change the 3rd letter from M to L: GEMS → GELS. 5 steps to go.
  2. Change the 4th letter from S to D: GELS → GELD. 4 steps to go.
  3. Change the 2nd letter from E to O: GELD → GOLD. 3 steps to go.
  4. Change the 3rd letter from L to O: GOLD → GOOD. 2 steps to go.
  5. Change the 4th letter from D to P: GOOD → GOOP. 1 step to go.
  6. Change the 1st letter from G to P: GOOP → POOP. That spells POOP, so you are done.

First-move traps for GEMS

GEMS has 9 words one letter away in the Poople word list. 6 of them move you closer to POOP.

Of the others, 3 keep you at the same distance.

Which first moves to avoid (may reveal the first move)

Sideways, at the same distance from POOP, which costs you a step: FEMS, GENS, GYMS.

How hard is Poople #422?

At 6 steps, Poople #422 is rated Tricky. Across the 69 Poople puzzles on this site, the shortest path averages 5.6 steps. Of the other puzzles, 41 were shorter, 19 had the same length and 8 were longer.

Try other words in the Poople solver, or play endless practice ladders in Poople Unlimited.

FAQ

What is the Poople #422 answer?+−
Poople #422 (Oct 10, 2026) starts from GEMS. The shortest path is GEMS → GELS → GELD → GOLD → GOOD → GOOP → POOP.
How many steps does Poople #422 take?+−
The shortest path from GEMS to POOP takes 6 steps. There are 14 shortest paths.
What is the first move in Poople #422?+−
The official best path starts GEMS → GELS. Other shortest paths may start differently; the hints above list every good first move.
Can Poople #422 be solved in fewer than 6 steps?+−
No. 6 steps is the minimum: every word one letter away from GEMS is at least 5 steps from POOP.
What was the Poople answer the day before #422?+−
Poople #421 started from CARB. The shortest path was CARB → CARP → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP. Its hints are on the Poople #421 page in the archive.