README for dryphtwords

README.md

dryphtwords

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A suite of tools that generate, validate, and serve examples of the Dryphtword game

How to play

This game takes a bit of getting used to.

Imagine you're solving a crossword puzzle. When you have a partially solved grid, you'll often see words with a letter missing here and there, and make a mental list of possible solutions before even looking at the clue. For example, if you saw the following pattern:

Ex 1.

• T _ _ _ T A B L E

you would probably assume that the word is either timetable, tractable, treatable, or turntable before even looking at the clue.

Dryphtwords reverses that process. Each puzzle is a list of all the possible solutions to an incomplete crossword puzzle clue, but with the common letters omitted. Thus the above example would be set as:

Ex 2.

• _ I M E _ _ _ _ _
• _ R A C _ _ _ _ _
• _ R E A _ _ _ _ _
• _ U R N _ _ _ _ _

and the solver must find t...table

Think of it this way: what you see are the variables, and you must provide the constants.

Some puzzles will have more than one solution, for example:

Ex 3.

• _ E _ _ _ _
• _ O _ _ _ _

can retrieve l.aded, c.llar, v.rtex, and over 30 other results. Puzzles with unique solutions are aesthetically preferable.

One of the trickier aspects of the game is keeping in mind that any puzzle represents all the possible completions; thus, for Example 3, f.ster would not be acceptable, because of the existence of the word faster.

More examples, ranked by difficulty:

Very easy:

• _ I M E _ _ _ _ _

• _ R A C _ _ _ _ _

• _ R E A _ _ _ _ _

• _ U R N _ _ _ _ _

• _ K _

• _ R _

• _ V _

• _ W _

• _ Y _; e.e

• G _ _ _ D S _ _ _ D

• O _ _ _ G U _ _ _ G; .ran..tan.

Easy

• _ A _ N _

• _ E _ N _

• _ L _ N _

• _ L _ R _

• _ O _ S _; f.i.t

• H _ _ D _ _ T

• M _ _ S _ _ L

• N _ _ W _ _ L; .ar.ha.

Medium

• _ _ C _ S _ O _

• _ _ T _ A _ E _; an.e.t.r

• C _ _ _ V _ _ E

• F _ _ _ B _ _ S; .lea.ag.

Hard

• B _ _ _ O _ _

• P _ _ _ I _ _; .ass.on

• B _ E _ _ _ _ _ S S

• T _ I _ _ _ _ _ T E; .r.athle..

Very hard

• _ _ _ _ _ _ S

• _ _ _ _ _ _ T; hideou.

• _ H _ _ _ _ _ _

• _ L _ _ _ _ _ _; p.easant