Killer Crossword
Games
word game
SHOW HN2022
117points
52comments
#533of 2,570 in 2022
Top 21%of 2022 by points
How HN took it
DebatedReal support and real criticism
13 positive, 5 neutral or asking, 9 mixed, 14 critical, out of 41 comments about the project. Thread score -0.03.
Design: 3 for, 6 againstIdea: 5 for, 2 againstExecution: 0 for, 6 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Fun and enjoyable, a fresh take on crosswords and word games
From 4 comments
Excellent. This focuses on word recognition, which is a large part of vocabulary, omitting the need for meaning. I suppose it also provides chances for people who don't know…
pwinnski on HNThis is really fun! Seems like I’ll enjoy this more than a regular crossword puzzle because it has less of a focus on cultural references.
lovehashbrowns on HNIt's really a lot of fun, well done!
fcoury on HNNice job.
pixxel on HN
Feels less focused on cultural references than regular crosswords
From 1 comment
This is really fun! Seems like I’ll enjoy this more than a regular crossword puzzle because it has less of a focus on cultural references.
lovehashbrowns on HN
Shared-solving with partners or friends is enjoyable
From 3 comments
My girlfriend and I just did this and had a lot of fun! There were a lot of times where I thought I figured a word out but ended up having to go through about 5 or 6 really good…
0xC0ncord on HNLove it - my wife and I enjoying playing that - on an iPad. Nicely made.
scottlu2 on HNWe ended up just doing it together haha it was great -- we cooked beet pasta and then did this while we ate it
sleepypizza on HN
Objections
Gets to brute-force guessing of letters for hard words, which becomes tedious
From 3 comments
Kind of fun the first time, but I think I prefer a normal crossword. Seems like the only way to progress is to pick an unfinished word and then do tons of guesses back to back of…
naet on HNNice concept, but at some point you get forced into brute forcing your solution, which isn't as much fun.
guimonz on HNI agree with this. Three-letter words that dangle by one letter are just a chore. There needs to be a balance between discoverability and guessing. Perhaps the auto-generator…
sbf501 on HN
Small word pool makes some clues too easy to deduce
From 1 comment
Seems like the pool of words is quite small; for example with T_RN it was clear that o or u would be the answer, even though a and e also give valid words
joe__f on HN
Controls are frustrating, including delete and backspace issues
From 3 comments
Fun but very frustrating controls. If you mis-type a letter in one box and it's the only letter left of that letter then you can't type it elsewhere which gets me right in a…
eterm on HNExcept I wish I could delete a letter using the delete key (on my Windows keyboard).
criddell on HNSuggestion: also allow the "delete" key to remove a letter from the board. "Backspace" does that too but it clashs with "backwards in browser history" for people who have…
_Microft on HN
Lacks the clever clues that make regular crosswords enjoyable
From 2 comments
yeah it's nothing at all like a normal (ny times) crossword which is full of fun and amazingly clever word play and cultural references. There's no sense of "aha!" or awe at the…
bagacrap on HNIt won't displace actual crosswords for me - the point of crosswords is the clues, not the grid. Still, it's really neat and I enjoyed it, particularly the smaller version.…
propter_hoc on HN
Requests
Add incremental feedback marking correctly placed letters
From 2 comments
A bit late to the discussion, but I think the game shows promise and could perhaps end up being a commute-distraction for me in daily life. I think you should consider taking a…
haasted on HNI agree with this. Three-letter words that dangle by one letter are just a chore. There needs to be a balance between discoverability and guessing. Perhaps the auto-generator…
sbf501 on HN
Topic-based puzzles or a single theme clue
From 2 comments
One way to make it more enjoyable could be to do it by topic - this way the universe of words would be much smaller, instead of the entire dictionary. Topics could be - music,…
akudha on HNKind of like one clue for the whole puzzle, instead of individual ones. That sounds much more fun than simply nothing.
nkrisc on HN
Fix layout and sizing issues on various screens
From 2 comments
Not sizing properly to my screen https://i.imgur.com/CdIkpVA.png
TylerE on HNThis is a very neat idea! My problem is with the layout: why is there a black area below the crossword, where if I drag the crossword there the crossword disappears? That area…
someguy5344523 on HN
Clearer distinction between original and placed letters
From 1 comment
Very nice! But the white for a placed letter and gray for a original letter is too close - I was trying to figure out why no word would work when I realized I had placed the T -…
bombcar on HN
Add a streak or cookie to track progress
From 1 comment
I agree with this. Three-letter words that dangle by one letter are just a chore. There needs to be a balance between discoverability and guessing. Perhaps the auto-generator…
sbf501 on HN
Questions
Is the master puzzle's letter bank correct, given reported errors
From 1 comment
Master crossword today has errors: Final solution contains word "RREE" and has one T left, and -1 R in the letter bank. Great game btw.
LynkS on HN
How does the share feature work across apps
From 2 comments
Really enjoyed this. One issue: sharing my results was not great. Pasting in iMessage gave the result text and the image; pasting in discord only gave the text; pasting in…
jciochon on HNHow is the Share feature meant to work? It seems to be failing within Android Firefox Nightly (nothing gets copied and for a split second the positioned letters blink away then…
nmstoker on HN
Alternatives named
Knotwords
From 3 comments
Knotwords is a much better variation on this I believe: https://playknotwords.com/
dmitriid on HNKind of the inverse of a diagramless crossword. Nice concept, well executed. Reminds me of Knotwords.
banana_giraffe on HNKnotwords is a delight, highly recommend checking it out if anyone likes this concept. https://noodlecake.com/games/knotwords/
waxpancake on HN
Wordle
From 2 comments
A bit late to the discussion, but I think the game shows promise and could perhaps end up being a commute-distraction for me in daily life. I think you should consider taking a…
haasted on HNReally enjoyed this. One issue: sharing my results was not great. Pasting in iMessage gave the result text and the image; pasting in discord only gave the text; pasting in…
jciochon on HN
Three Magic Words
From 1 comment
A bit late to the discussion, but I think the game shows promise and could perhaps end up being a commute-distraction for me in daily life. I think you should consider taking a…
haasted on HN
The Times crossword
From 1 comment
A lot of comments seem as if they believe this to be a novel crossword type? I thought I'd seen the exact format in The Times (of London)?
pbhjpbhj on HN