Answers for Daily #28

The starting word was

First moves

8 words are one letter away from JILT.

GILT, HILT, KILT, LILT, SILT, TILT, WILT, JOLT

JILT → LILT → LILY → OILY → ONLY

Once the words before it are used, nobody can change ONLY: a dead end, worth 3 extra points.

Every Daily hides one golden word a few moves from the start. This one was WIRE.

From JILT, 2,140 words can be reached one letter at a time.

Definitions from Wiktionary