Show HN: Zanagrams
A new browser-based word puzzle called Zanagrams is drawing praise for its minimalist design, satisfying mechanics, and subtle learning element via built‑in definitions. Players compare it to titles like Ribbit and Squaredle while offering suggestions on scoring, hints, plural handling, mobile controls, and “give up” options, prompting the creator to rapidly add features such as a tutorial, timer, and average completion times. Behind the scenes, puzzles are semi‑automatically generated and then manually curated to balance difficulty, avoid overly obscure vocabulary, and keep the gameplay feeling fair.
Overall reception
- Widely praised as fun, satisfying, and “addictive”; several people finished all available puzzles in one sitting.
- Many say the shrinking graph and disappearing connections feel very rewarding and give a sense of progress.
- A few find it frustrating or mentally exhausting, especially later puzzles or specific ones like #6.
Gameplay and mechanics
- Players like that you’re never truly “stuck” because only non-essential letters/edges are removed; remaining words always remain possible.
- Some are initially confused by the edge mechanics and control scheme (drag vs tapping vs typing).
- Several note that it feels more like a logic/attrition puzzle than something you can “lose,” which some enjoy and others find less game-like.
Puzzle generation and word list
- Creator describes a semi-automated pipeline: start with a long word, generate a graph, use an AI model to score word commonness, then manually curate and playtest.
- Many appreciate that solutions don’t rely on very obscure “scrabble words,” though there’s disagreement about what counts as common.
- Plurals appearing alongside singulars are widely disliked; some suggest excluding plurals entirely.
- Bonus words sometimes feel more common than required words; the “obscure” explanation is viewed as inconsistent.
Difficulty, learning, and design
- Difficulty curve: puzzles get easier as you solve them due to fewer letters and edges.
- Non-native speakers enjoy the built-in definitions as a vocabulary-learning aid, but some get stuck and request a “give up and reveal answers” option.
- Minimum word length (four letters) is considered under-documented.
UI/UX and accessibility
- Positive feedback for minimal UI, animations, definitions list, and new playable tutorial.
- Requests: hints, “give up/reveal,” bonus-word counter, perfect-score tracking, plural handling improvements.
- Issues reported: color contrast for some users, double-tap zoom on iOS (since addressed), unclear instructions on some desktop browsers, and confusion about the game’s name implying anagrams.
Scoring, sharing, and future features
- Strong demand for richer stats: timers, tries, bonus-word counts, leaderboards, percentiles, and per-puzzle averages.
- Some suggest counting attempts instead of time to discourage brute forcing, and sharing standardized result snippets.