Recently, I was sitting in the evening looking through old puzzle yearbooks and Wikipedia (this is what my life looks like after 27, don't judge) and realized one thing: crosswords are not just entering "Eve" as "First woman".
We have a solid base on Knowie.net (standards, panoramics, fill-ins), but I dream of this site being something more. I want us to create the best place for brain gymnastics on the internet together.
I did a little research and have a few ideas for "harder" or just weirder formats. Question for you – would you like to see this here?
1. Cryptic Crossword – The Dark Souls of Crosswords
This is next-level stuff. Cult status in the UK. What's the deal? The clue is a riddle in itself. It consists of a definition and wordplay.
Example: "Drunken man prefers dog" (7 letters).
The Logic:"Drunken" suggests mixing letters (anagram). Mixed "MAN PREFERS" gives... SPANIEL. (Dog = definition, Drunken man prefers = instruction).
Sound scary? Maybe. But the satisfaction when you solve it is incredible. Would you like such a "Hard Mode"?
2. Spiral – Vertigo
Forget rows and columns. Here we enter answers... in a spiral. The diagram looks like a snail shell or a target. You enter answers towards the center, and other clues intersect them in a circle. It would look awesome on screen, but the question is – will you get dizzy?
3. Ciphers – For Mathematical Minds
Here you don't need to know who wrote "The Doll". Here every square has a number, and every number is one letter (e.g., 1 = A, 5 = Z). You get 3 letters to start and have to break the code by looking at word endings and patterns. Pure deduction and logic.
4. Your Ideas?
I'm not the Alpha and Omega (though that would fit in a crossword). I'm making this site for you.
- What are you missing?
- Do you prefer simple relaxing clicking or do you want your brain to steam?
- Maybe you know some formats I have no idea about?
Let me know in the comments or write to me directly. We're building this together!
P.S. For now, I'm going back to coding to make it all run smoothly. See you on the leaderboard!