There's an animal in that wood.
Carve away everything that isn't the animal. Steady hands score higher. One new animal every day.
Daily puzzle #184
Today's animal: Duck
Study the shaded outline on the block. Once you start carving it disappears — whittle the wood away from memory and keep only the animal. You have 3 peeks if you get lost.
Yesterday's answer
CatPuzzle #183
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How to play
- Memorize the shaded animal outline on the block of wood.
- Carve from memory — drag across the wood with the gouge, chisel, or knife to remove material.
- Use a peek if you lose the shape (you get three).
- Reveal your score: the closer your carving matches the animal, the higher it is. There are 10 ranks — aim for Grand Master!
Scoring & carver ranks
Your score rewards precision in both directions: clear away the waste wood, but never cut into the animal itself. Climb all 10 ranks from humble Firewood to the legendary Grand Master.
Frequently asked questions
What is Whittle?
Whittle is a free daily browser puzzle on animalwood.com. Every day a new animal is hidden inside a block of wood. You memorize its outline, then carve the wood from memory using a gouge, chisel, and knife. The closer your carving matches the animal, the higher your score.
How is my score calculated?
Your score from 0 to 100 combines two things: how much of the waste wood you removed, and how much of the animal you kept intact. Carving too little leaves waste behind; carving too much cuts into the animal. There are 10 ranks from Firewood all the way to Grand Master (97+).
When does a new puzzle come out?
A new animal appears every day at midnight in your local timezone. Everyone around the world carves the same animal on the same date.
Is Whittle free to play?
Yes. Whittle is completely free and runs in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, or phone. No download, account, or installation is required.
Can I practice after finishing the daily puzzle?
Yes. After you reveal your daily score, you can switch to practice mode and carve randomly chosen animals as many times as you like. Practice rounds never affect your daily result.
What are peeks?
If you lose track of the animal outline while carving, you can use a peek to briefly show it again. You get three peeks per puzzle, so use them wisely.
About Animalwood
Animalwood is a small, cozy corner of the internet dedicated to one simple pleasure: whittling. Real woodcarvers say the animal is already inside the block — the carver just removes everything that isn't it. Whittle turns that old workshop wisdom into a daily puzzle you can play anywhere.
Every animal silhouette is hand-tuned so that each daily puzzle feels fair but demanding. There are no ads inside the game, no accounts to create, and nothing to download — just you, a block of virtual wood, and three sharp tools.
Have feedback or an animal you'd love to carve? Come back daily — new animals and features are added regularly.