CyberFruit Lab launches Couscous secret-word game on web and Telegram

CyberFruit Lab has launched Couscous: Secret Word, a multilingual guessing game that went live on the web Oct. 30 and inside Telegram. The game uses daily shared riddles, language-specific themes and a fast yes-or-no format aimed at players 13 and older.

Why it matters: - Couscous is built around a shared daily puzzle, which gives players in each language the same challenge and creates a reason to return every day. - The game spans web and Telegram, lowering friction for casual play and expanding reach across platforms. - The launch extends CyberFruit Lab’s test of a format that blends game play, social sharing and short-form video.

What happened: - CyberFruit Lab, an independent studio in Dubai, launched Couscous: Secret Word on Oct. 30. - The game is available in web browsers at couscous.ai/play and inside Telegram as the Mini App @play_couscous_bot. - Couscous plays in English, Spanish, French, German and Russian. - Each language has a riddle of the day with one secret word shared by everyone in that language. - New daily riddles arrive at local midnight.

The details: - Players ask yes-or-no questions until they can name the secret word. - The game answers each question with a stamp: yes, no or I don't know. - A ring around the couscous warms as players get closer, and it changes to hot. - A round allows 20 turns and three tries to name the word. - There is no timer. - An I don't know response does not cost a turn. - Players can solve themed sets that range from under the sea to dinosaurs and sweet treats. - When a word is solved, it pops out over the couscous and joins the player’s collection with a short checked fact. - Some words appear as their own cartoon character. - The themes are written for each language rather than translated. - In American English, the themes include sitcoms and U.S. states. - In British English, the themes include children's TV. - In Russian, the themes include Soviet cartoons and Russian fairy tales. - In French, the themes include comics and cheeses. - In German, the themes include Kinderfernsehen. - In Spanish, the themes include Mexican antojitos. - The game includes separate riddles for Spain and for Latin America. - Players can send any solved word to a friend as a riddle and see whether the friend solved it and in how many turns.

Between the lines: - CyberFruit Lab is using cultural localization as a core product feature, not just a translation layer. - The shared daily word by language makes the game feel communal while still keeping play lightweight. - The studio is also testing interest beyond the game itself through TikTok content tied to the same visual style. - Seventeen episodes of the studio’s TikTok series "pov: you're the secret word" posted between Oct. 15 and Oct. 28 drew more than 137,000 views, according to the studio.

What's next: - On iPhone, players will be able to ask questions out loud. - CyberFruit Lab has submitted an App Store launch event called Seven Days, Seven Riddles. - The event would ask players to solve the riddle of the day seven days in a row from Nov. 16 to 29. - The app and the event are awaiting Apple review. - On the web, a four-riddle tutorial is available without signing in. - Real rounds and the riddle of the day require sign-in with Apple, Google or an email code. - In Telegram, players use their Telegram account, and purchases are made with Telegram Stars. - Couscous is free to start, and the riddle of the day is free. - The game is for players 13 and older. - Press materials are available at the studio’s press page.

The bottom line: - CyberFruit Lab is betting that short, daily, culturally tailored puzzles can turn a simple guessing game into a repeat habit across web, chat and mobile.