diff --git a/src/components/Game.js b/src/components/Game.js
index 091a651..5878ff3 100644
--- a/src/components/Game.js
+++ b/src/components/Game.js
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ function GameMessage({gameState}) {
 
 function Game({dispatchGameState, gameState, isDaily}) {
   const gameOver = gameIsSolvedQ(gameState.foundSolutions);
+  const gridSize = Math.sqrt(gameState.letters.length);
 
   return (
     <div id="game">
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ function Game({dispatchGameState, gameState, isDaily}) {
         <GameMessage gameOver={gameOver} gameState={gameState}></GameMessage>
       )}
 
-      <div id="board">
+      <div id="board" className={`size${gridSize}`}>
         {gameState.letters.map((letter, index) => (
           <Letter
             letter={letter}
diff --git a/src/components/Shape.js b/src/components/Shape.js
index 451b8f9..140ddc5 100644
--- a/src/components/Shape.js
+++ b/src/components/Shape.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export function Shape({
 
   return (
     <div className="shapeAndWord">
-      <div className="shape">{boxes}</div>
+      <div className={`shape size${gridSize}`}>{boxes}</div>
       <div className="foundWord">{word}</div>
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/src/logic/gameInit.js b/src/logic/gameInit.js
index 098e8a9..2d87de6 100644
--- a/src/logic/gameInit.js
+++ b/src/logic/gameInit.js
@@ -67,13 +67,15 @@ export function gameInit({
     return {...savedState, playedIndexes: [], result: ""};
   }
 
-  const gridSize = 4;
-
   difficultyLevel = isDaily ? getDifficultyLevelForDay() : difficultyLevel || 3;
 
   const [minWordLength, maxWordLength] =
     getShapeSizeForDifficulty(difficultyLevel);
 
+  // if the min word length is >=5, set the grid size to 5; otherwise, set it to 4
+  // This helps prevent shapes that have a low number of possible placements
+  const gridSize = minWordLength >= 5 ? 5 : 4;
+
   const [letters, shapes, officialSolutions] = getGame({
     gridSize,
     minWordLength,
diff --git a/src/logic/getColumnIndex.js b/src/logic/getColumnIndex.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3dae6df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logic/getColumnIndex.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// Gets the column index of a given index in a grid, assuming a square grid
+export function getColumnIndex(index, gridSize) {
+  // error if index exceeds the grid size
+  if (index >= gridSize * gridSize || index < 0) {
+    throw new Error("Index is not within grid size");
+  }
+
+  return index % gridSize;
+}
diff --git a/src/logic/getColumnIndex.test.js b/src/logic/getColumnIndex.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12baa26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logic/getColumnIndex.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import {getColumnIndex} from "./getColumnIndex";
+
+describe("getColumnIndex", () => {
+  test("returns the column index of a given index (grid size 4)", () => {
+    const indexes = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15];
+    const gridSize = 4;
+    const expectedColumns = [0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, 3];
+    const result = indexes.map((index) => getColumnIndex(index, gridSize));
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedColumns);
+  });
+
+  test("returns the column index of a given index (grid size 5)", () => {
+    const indexes = [
+      0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
+      21, 22, 23, 24,
+    ];
+    const gridSize = 5;
+    const expectedColumns = [
+      0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,
+    ];
+    const result = indexes.map((index) => getColumnIndex(index, gridSize));
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedColumns);
+  });
+
+  test("returns the column index of a given index (grid size 1)", () => {
+    const index = 0;
+    const gridSize = 1;
+    const expectedColumn = 0;
+    const result = getColumnIndex(index, gridSize);
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedColumn);
+  });
+
+  test("errors if index exceeds gridSize", () => {
+    const index = 4;
+    const gridSize = 2;
+    expect(() => getColumnIndex(index, gridSize)).toThrow(
+      "Index is not within grid size",
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("errors if index is negative", () => {
+    const index = -1;
+    const gridSize = 2;
+    expect(() => getColumnIndex(index, gridSize)).toThrow(
+      "Index is not within grid size",
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("errors if gridSize is 0", () => {
+    const index = 0;
+    const gridSize = 0;
+    expect(() => getColumnIndex(index, gridSize)).toThrow(
+      "Index is not within grid size",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/logic/getLettersAndShapes.js b/src/logic/getLettersAndShapes.js
index 298635a..de1ceaf 100644
--- a/src/logic/getLettersAndShapes.js
+++ b/src/logic/getLettersAndShapes.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {trie} from "./trie";
 import {shuffleArray} from "@skedwards88/word_logic";
 import {omitDuplicateWordsAcrossShapes} from "./omitDuplicateWordsAcrossShapes";
 import {centerIndexes} from "./centerIndexes";
+import {omitShapesThatExceedSize} from "./omitShapesThatExceedSize";
 
 export function getLettersAndShapes({
   gridSize,
@@ -23,7 +24,16 @@ export function getLettersAndShapes({
     trie: trie,
   });
 
-  const shuffledWordIndexes = shuffleArray(wordIndexes, pseudoRandomGenerator);
+  // Remove wordIndexes that exceed a shape width or height of gridSize - 1
+  const wordIndexesOfAppropriateSize = omitShapesThatExceedSize({
+    wordIndexes,
+    gridSize,
+  });
+
+  const shuffledWordIndexes = shuffleArray(
+    wordIndexesOfAppropriateSize,
+    pseudoRandomGenerator,
+  );
 
   // Figure out what shape each word makes
   // by centering the word indexes in the grid
diff --git a/src/logic/getRowIndex.js b/src/logic/getRowIndex.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b0f150
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logic/getRowIndex.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// Gets the row index of a given index in a grid, assuming a square grid
+export function getRowIndex(index, gridSize) {
+  // error if index exceeds the grid size
+  if (index >= gridSize * gridSize || index < 0) {
+    throw new Error("Index is not within grid size");
+  }
+
+  return Math.floor(index / gridSize);
+}
diff --git a/src/logic/getRowIndex.test.js b/src/logic/getRowIndex.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5401f96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logic/getRowIndex.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import {getRowIndex} from "./getRowIndex";
+
+describe("getRowIndex", () => {
+  test("returns the row index of a given index (grid size 4)", () => {
+    const indexes = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15];
+    const gridSize = 4;
+    const expectedRows = [0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3];
+    const result = indexes.map((index) => getRowIndex(index, gridSize));
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedRows);
+  });
+
+  test("returns the row index of a given index (grid size 5)", () => {
+    const indexes = [
+      0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
+      21, 22, 23, 24,
+    ];
+    const gridSize = 5;
+    const expectedRows = [
+      0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4,
+    ];
+    const result = indexes.map((index) => getRowIndex(index, gridSize));
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedRows);
+  });
+
+  test("returns the row index of a given index (grid size 1)", () => {
+    const index = 0;
+    const gridSize = 1;
+    const expectedRow = 0;
+    const result = getRowIndex(index, gridSize);
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedRow);
+  });
+
+  test("errors if index exceeds gridSize", () => {
+    const index = 4;
+    const gridSize = 2;
+    expect(() => getRowIndex(index, gridSize)).toThrow(
+      "Index is not within grid size",
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("errors if index is negative", () => {
+    const index = -1;
+    const gridSize = 2;
+    expect(() => getRowIndex(index, gridSize)).toThrow(
+      "Index is not within grid size",
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("errors if gridSize is 0", () => {
+    const index = 0;
+    const gridSize = 0;
+    expect(() => getRowIndex(index, gridSize)).toThrow(
+      "Index is not within grid size",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/logic/omitShapesThatExceedSize.js b/src/logic/omitShapesThatExceedSize.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de1bb9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logic/omitShapesThatExceedSize.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import {getColumnIndex} from "./getColumnIndex";
+import {getRowIndex} from "./getRowIndex";
+
+// Remove wordIndexes that exceed a shape width or height of gridSize - 1
+export function omitShapesThatExceedSize({wordIndexes, gridSize}) {
+  const filteredWordIndexes = wordIndexes.filter((indexes) => {
+    const rowIndexes = indexes.map((index) => getRowIndex(index, gridSize));
+    const columnIndexes = indexes.map((index) =>
+      getColumnIndex(index, gridSize),
+    );
+    const maxRow = Math.max(...rowIndexes);
+    const minRow = Math.min(...rowIndexes);
+    const maxColumn = Math.max(...columnIndexes);
+    const minColumn = Math.min(...columnIndexes);
+
+    return (
+      maxRow - minRow < gridSize - 1 && maxColumn - minColumn < gridSize - 1
+    );
+  });
+
+  return filteredWordIndexes;
+}
diff --git a/src/logic/omitShapesThatExceedSize.test.js b/src/logic/omitShapesThatExceedSize.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b923e7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logic/omitShapesThatExceedSize.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+import {omitShapesThatExceedSize} from "./omitShapesThatExceedSize";
+
+describe("omitShapesThatExceedSize", () => {
+  test("removes wordIndexes that exceed a shape width or height of gridSize - 1 (grid size 5)", () => {
+    const wordIndexes = [
+      [0, 1, 2, 3], // width 4, height 1
+      [2, 3, 4, 0, 1], // width 5, height 1
+      [15, 18, 19, 20, 16, 17], // width 5, height 2
+      [10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16], // width 5, height 2
+      [0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8], // width 4, height 2
+      [15, 10, 5, 0], // width 1, height 4
+      [2, 7, 12, 17, 22], // width 1, height 5
+      [0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 2], // width 2, height 5
+      [3, 7, 11, 15], // width 4, height 4
+      [0, 6, 12, 18, 24], // width 5, height 5
+    ];
+    const gridSize = 5;
+    const expectedWordIndexes = [
+      [0, 1, 2, 3], // width 4, height 1
+      [0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8], // width 4, height 2
+      [15, 10, 5, 0], // width 1, height 4
+      [3, 7, 11, 15], // width 4, height 4
+    ];
+    const result = omitShapesThatExceedSize({wordIndexes, gridSize});
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedWordIndexes);
+  });
+
+  test("removes wordIndexes that exceed a shape width or height of gridSize - 1 (grid size 4)", () => {
+    const wordIndexes = [
+      [1, 2, 3], // width 3, height 1
+      [0, 1, 2, 3], // width 4, height 1
+      [2, 3, 7, 1], // width 3, height 2
+      [2, 3, 4, 0, 1], // width 4, height 2
+      [7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12], // width 4, height 3
+      [8, 4, 9, 10, 12], // width 3, height 3
+      [12, 8, 4, 0], // width 1, height 4
+      [12, 8, 4], // width 1, height 3
+      [0, 4, 8, 12, 5], // width 2, height 4
+      [0, 4, 8, 5], // width 2, height 3
+      [3, 6, 9, 12], // width 4, height 4
+    ];
+    const gridSize = 4;
+    const expectedWordIndexes = [
+      [1, 2, 3], // width 3, height 1
+      [2, 3, 7, 1], // width 3, height 2
+      [8, 4, 9, 10, 12], // width 3, height 3
+      [12, 8, 4], // width 1, height 3
+      [0, 4, 8, 5], // width 2, height 3
+    ];
+    const result = omitShapesThatExceedSize({wordIndexes, gridSize});
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedWordIndexes);
+  });
+
+  test("works with empty wordIndexes input", () => {
+    const wordIndexes = [];
+    const gridSize = 4;
+    const expectedWordIndexes = [];
+    const result = omitShapesThatExceedSize({wordIndexes, gridSize});
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedWordIndexes);
+  });
+
+  test("works with singleton wordIndexes input", () => {
+    const wordIndexes = [[0, 1, 2, 3]];
+    const gridSize = 4;
+    const expectedWordIndexes = [];
+    const result = omitShapesThatExceedSize({wordIndexes, gridSize});
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedWordIndexes);
+  });
+
+  test("does not remove any indexes if all are within size", () => {
+    const wordIndexes = [
+      [1, 2, 3], // width 3, height 1
+      [2, 3, 7, 1], // width 3, height 2
+      [8, 4, 9, 10, 12], // width 3, height 3
+      [12, 8, 4], // width 1, height 3
+      [0, 4, 8, 5], // width 2, height 3
+    ];
+    const gridSize = 4;
+    const expectedWordIndexes = [
+      [1, 2, 3], // width 3, height 1
+      [2, 3, 7, 1], // width 3, height 2
+      [8, 4, 9, 10, 12], // width 3, height 3
+      [12, 8, 4], // width 1, height 3
+      [0, 4, 8, 5], // width 2, height 3
+    ];
+    const result = omitShapesThatExceedSize({wordIndexes, gridSize});
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedWordIndexes);
+  });
+
+  test("removes all input if all exceed size", () => {
+    const wordIndexes = [
+      [0, 1, 2, 3], // width 4, height 1
+      [2, 3, 4, 0, 1], // width 4, height 2
+      [7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12], // width 4, height 3
+      [12, 8, 4, 0], // width 1, height 4
+      [3, 6, 9, 12], // width 4, height 4
+    ];
+    const gridSize = 4;
+    const expectedWordIndexes = [];
+    const result = omitShapesThatExceedSize({wordIndexes, gridSize});
+    expect(result).toEqual(expectedWordIndexes);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/styles/App.css b/src/styles/App.css
index 6d2b2ba..78469cb 100644
--- a/src/styles/App.css
+++ b/src/styles/App.css
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 html {
-  --board-box-diam: min(10vmax, 20vmin);
+  --board-box-diam-4: min(10vmax, 20vmin);
+  --board-box-diam-5: min(8vmax, 16vmin);
   --shape-box-diam: min(5vmin, 3vmax);
-  --default-font-size: calc(var(--board-box-diam) * 0.4);
+  --default-font-size: calc(var(--board-box-diam-4) * 0.4);
   --dark-color: rgb(55 54 71);
   --light-color: rgb(239 239 239);
 
@@ -108,14 +109,22 @@ button:disabled {
   background-color: var(--dark-color);
   touch-action: none;
   justify-content: center;
-  grid-template-columns: repeat(4, var(--board-box-diam));
-  grid-template-rows: repeat(4, var(--board-box-diam));
   justify-self: center;
   align-items: center;
   justify-items: center;
   align-self: center;
 }
 
+#board.size4 {
+  grid-template-columns: repeat(4, var(--board-box-diam-4));
+  grid-template-rows: repeat(4, var(--board-box-diam-4));
+}
+
+#board.size5 {
+  grid-template-columns: repeat(5, var(--board-box-diam-5));
+  grid-template-rows: repeat(5, var(--board-box-diam-5));
+}
+
 .letterBox {
   width: 95%;
   height: 95%;
@@ -128,7 +137,6 @@ button:disabled {
   background-color: transparent;
   width: 60%;
   height: 60%;
-  font-size: calc(var(--default-font-size) * 1.2);
   color: var(--dark-color);
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
@@ -144,6 +152,14 @@ button:disabled {
   color: var(--light-color);
 }
 
+#board.size4 > .letter {
+  font-size: calc(var(--board-box-diam-4) * 0.5);
+}
+
+#board.size5 > .letter {
+  font-size: calc(var(--board-box-diam-4) * 0.5);
+}
+
 #shapes {
   display: grid;
   grid-area: shapes;
@@ -161,9 +177,17 @@ button:disabled {
 
 .shape {
   display: grid;
+  margin: calc(var(--shape-box-diam) * 0.4);
+}
+
+.shape.size4 {
   grid-template-columns: repeat(4, var(--shape-box-diam));
   grid-template-rows: repeat(4, var(--shape-box-diam));
-  margin: calc(var(--shape-box-diam) * 0.4);
+}
+
+.shape.size5 {
+  grid-template-columns: repeat(5, var(--shape-box-diam));
+  grid-template-rows: repeat(5, var(--shape-box-diam));
 }
 
 .shapeBox.filled {