DamnInteresting

This game is designed to follow the tradition of puzzle games that are easiest on Mondays, and harder through the week. Friday/Saturday/Sunday puzzles can be quite tricky indeed.

If you fill in a whole word and it doesn't appear broken, that means that it's a word found in the game's word list. It's a very permissive word list, including some pretty obscure words. Do you recall what the questionable word was?

Thanks! That edge-of-screen bug is something that several people have encountered. I'll need to find an Android phone to test on so I can replicate it.

Hmm, the light show is meant to highlight the sector boundaries, so it's clear where a given letter tile can be dragged. I could tone it down if it's too much, my goal was to give it some personality.

Regarding the sound, if you don't care for it, there is a volume slider in the menu that can disable it.

Thanks for trying it out!

Yeah, I think you're right that it needs a hint mode, especially on the harder puzzles later in the week.

I am pleased that you like it.

Perhaps I did not make it sufficiently self-explanatory. The play area is divided into sectors (some puzzles have 2, others have 4). Each sector contains some letter tiles. You can drag the letter tiles onto the dotted-line-bordered boxes, with the goal of spelling four valid English words. If you spell a word that is not in the game's dictionary, it will appear "broken."

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks! Do you have any thoughts on what a fair one-time price for the archive would be? At this moment there are puzzles going back to 1/1/2025, so about 100 (and growing daily). I've been leaning toward something on the order of $3-$6 (but of course I still need to code the archive access).

In case you didn't already notice, there is a volume slider in the game's menu.

Hooray! I may add other languages, if it gets some traction as-is, and if I can find someone to help assemble a dictionary for another language. Code-wise it wouldn't be prohibitively difficult.

This game has a fairly comprehensive dictionary, kind of like Scrabble. The idea is that words should not be rejected merely for being uncommon.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pyrus

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/yack

Basically, if a respected dictionary includes a word, this list does as well. I do understand the appeal of omitting weird words, but that would be a considerable and subjective undertaking.

But I'll see if I can find that thread, perhaps it will change my mind. Thanks!

This game's dictionary is similar to Scrabble; it includes as many valid words as possible, even when they are obscure. It turns out that "asse" is a kind of fox:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asse

It's a sticky wicket with these obscure words. I've made other word games before, and people get upset when oddball-but-valid words are rejected. It feels more fair to be permissive, but that's just me.

I think I'll add a hint button that identifies one letter that isn't yet placed correctly, and it puts it in place (and doesn't allow it to be subsequently moved). Thanks!

Ah, I am on iOS, which doesn't seem to have this (or I've turned it off). I'll see if I can replicate it on a friend's phone. Thanks!

> Dropping one tile on another should swap their positions.

This seems to be a common sentiment, so I plan to implement it. Thanks!

> It shouldn't be possible to drop tiles on the grid outside of the word boundaries

I've heard mixed opinions on this one. About 2/3 of people who have commented on it say that they like that the tiles can be dropped in the outside space, so they can rearrange and sort. About 1/3 dislike it (among those who say anything about it). But it's not a very large sample size, so I'll need to seek further feedback.

Currently the vouch option doesn't appear until/unless a post moves from [flagged] to [dead].

Many years ago Val Kilmer and his mini entourage sat at a table adjacent to me at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. He was very gracious with the handful of passers-by who recognized him. At one point we made eye contact, and exchanged a friendly nod.

He was in some great films. What a legend.

Direct link to video for those who hit the Slate paywall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuFIs7OkzYY

Check out https://news.ycombinator.com/active

It's like an alternate HN front page that sorts based on activity, and unlike the default front page, it does not suppress submissions that have been flagged. At this moment I see these flagged-but-very-active submissions:

[flagged] Trump says he is not joking about third presidential term https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43525860

[flagged] It's the hottest car company. You can't buy one in America https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43523797

[flagged] [dead] Trump suggests Tesla vandals should face 20 years jail, be sent to El Salvador https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43520632

[flagged] ICE Revoking Students' Immigration Statuses Without Their or the Uni's Knowledge https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43528356

Particle Man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pG0QTzO-K0

Istanbul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqJXxHi6RwQ

My professional resume looks a lot like yours. If you find yourself in the SLC area anytime soon, I have a 2012 15" MacBook Pro I can give you. It's older, but it's solid, it works great. The only exception is the battery, it doesn't hold a charge for very long any more, so it needs to be plugged in for prolonged work sessions. A new battery is only about $90 if you're inclined to replace it.[1]

Best of luck moving forward.

[1] https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Retina+Disp...

> I think that Cybertrucks could be the nail in the coffin for even the most MAGA brainwashed Elon fan, once they drive it

I have a friend who owns a Cybertruck, and he let me give it a try. There are many, many, many legitimate and damning criticisms of Cybertruck, Tesla, and Musk, but the Cybertruck driving experience (on pavement) is not one of them. It is crazy fast, and surprisingly nimble with its 4-wheel drive-by-wire steering. It is dangerous and stupid, but it isn't boring.

Speaking as a lifelong driving enthusiast, I would never buy one, but I'm glad I got to try one.

Yes, the proper term is 'Xcreted'.

It's worth remembering that canceling Prime is not the same as abandoning Amazon altogether. You still have the option to turn to Amazon for hard-to-find-elsewhere items, you just have to pay for shipping, or exceed the free-shipping threshold. As far as I can tell, Prime Video is the primary element that is difficult to separate.

I wonder how this molecule will compare with gold nanoparticles [1]. Headline: Gold outperforms common weight loss drugs – and leaves muscles alone

[1] https://newatlas.com/disease/obesity/gold-nanoparticles-obes...

I quite liked The Egg by Andy Weir (author of The Martian): https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html

Edit: I guess it's not exactly sci-fi, but it's adjacent.

More details here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/technology/digg-alexis-oh...

If you 'show yourself out', does that make you...an outie?