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I hand-write 5 daily word puzzles before work

I hand-write 5 daily word puzzles before work

by DailyWorder·May 27, 2026·1 point·1 comment

AI Analysis

●●SolidCozyBig Brain

Precomputed 350KB framework dataset for Pyramid puzzles using combinatorial dictionary search.

Strengths
  • 350KB precomputed dataset enables instant runtime with offline support.
  • Hand-written clues and answers show genuine craft over AI-generated content.
  • Five distinct puzzle types with different mechanics beyond Wordle clones.
Weaknesses
  • Word puzzle space is saturated with Wordle, Connections, and daily clones.
  • Niche audience limits broader developer enthusiasm despite technical depth.
Category
Target Audience

Word puzzle enthusiasts, daily game players

Similar To

Wordle · Connections · The New York Times Games

Post Description

I build and hand-write five daily word puzzles at dailyworder.com. Every clue and answer for the dailies are mine — I use AI for the code and it's unlocked crazy speed on small but thorny problems.

One technical detail as an example: Pyramid's editor (one of the five games) uses a ~350KB precomputed dataset of valid frameworks — grids where a single vowel, dropped into every slot, produces valid English words across all rows. Building the dataset was the actual work (combinatorial search over a 60k-word dictionary with constraint checks) but I did that in one session. Runtime is trivial: pick a framework, pick a vowel, render. Works offline. Don't think I could spend the time on it before LLMs.

The other four:

- Fourbe — Connections-style, but the connections are spelled out in crossword-style clues across four rounds

- Spying Bee — Word find flipped on it's head where players must reveal letters before they can select

- Invertle — word guesser with higher/lower hints

- Totum — letter-tile spelling game with a 16-letter pool

Built solo, evenings and weekends. Vite + React + TypeScript, Supabase, Vercel. iOS app is a Capacitor wrapper. Daily puzzles are free.

Genuinely curious what HN thinks. What's confusing about the games? What would you build differently?

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