Subject: wordbox

Didn't seem overly ornate to me. Eric can confirm but all seemed correct.

I think TN's point, which I'm certain Buzz got, is that he could have just said "It's a histo____."  But I also know why he didn't do it thataway.  No mansplaining detected.  Copacetic all around.

Thanks for the 'splanation Buzz.  I'm already kinda hooked on the game and I'm sure I'll enjoy it more now.

No problemo, Tortuga cincuenta y nueve.

By the way, the graph is a histogram. 😉🐢

Yep, Buzz's explanation nailed it.

Yep, it's a histogram.  And yep, I find that term to be too jargon-y for some.

it would be useful to know total players involved

I'm finally getting the hang of this type of puzzle, and it's pretty fun. I got my highest score just now, in the middle of the stat bulge instead of off to the right.

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟦🟦🟧🟧🟧

🟨🟨🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟨🟦🟥🟧🟦

🟦🟦🟨🟨🟦🟦

13 Sep 2024 : 20 swaps

https://wordbox.game

🟨🟦🟧🟨🟦

🟦🟨🟧🟧🟦

🟨🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟨🟧🟦🟨🟧

13 Sep 2024  A: 18 swaps

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟦🟦🟨🟦

🟦🟦🟧🟧🟨

🟨🟧🟦🟦🟨

🟧🟨🟨🟦🟦

13 Sep 2024  B: 17 swaps

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟦🟦🟧🟦

🟦🟦🟨🟨🟨

🟧🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟨🟦🟧🟦🟦

13 Sep 2024  C: 15 swaps

20 is a solid score on the main board. 

A key factor is how many doubles you get. I'd like the summary line to show:

13 Sep 2024 C: 15 swaps, 1 whiff, 6 doubles

Sometimes I deliberately take a "whiff" to set up a double. No valid reason except that I get a big serotonin rush from seeing the animation. It's like in Freecell where I deliberately hold of releasing the last card so I can get the big flourish. This is the kind of sad, pathetic life I lead. :-)

Yeah, the big DOUBLE! is a bit of an ego boost.  

@MrFixit

I do the same thing in Freecell, and I make sure to stack the cards red-black-red-black before finishing as well!

Wow 1st board was bad for me today. All my guesses about that word across the top were bad and I ended up using basically the ”try stuff” methodology.

https://wordbox.game

🟥🟦🟧🟦🟥🟫

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

⬛🟨🟧🟦🟦🟨

🟧🟧🟦🟦🟦🟦

15 Sep 2024 : 25 swaps

Got a few early doubles and lucked out, I guess.

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟨🟨

🟧🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟦🟨🟦🟦🟦

🟨🟦🟦🟦🟦🟧

15 Sep 2024 : 16 swaps

Wow, nice! As you can see I had both brown and black squares, definitely a Badge of Shame. Stupid game anyhow!

Lol, looking forward to Eric introducing the badges. Took me 30 moves a couple of days ago when you got 20, so I kinda feel like I'm still nowhere near sussing it out properly, which is probably a good thing in terms of the game's longevity.

Oooh... On game C today. My best ever...

https://wordbox.game
🟧🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟧🟦🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟦🟨🟦🟦🟦
15 Sep 2024  C: 14 swaps

Question: What is a good score and how do you come up with it?

I think it depends on the unique puzzle but the smaller grids (the secondary puzzles) tend to have much lower swap counts, usually in the teens, whereas the main grid will run a bit higher often getting into the 20s. Now Uberman up above displayed superhuman intuition by solving a main grid in 16.

And then it evolves during the day as more people play. But it'd be fun to be able to look back and see the best/avg/histograms for each past puzzle.

Eric - do you guys have a constant number of swaps you make to construct the puzzle? 

And then Tony can use Real Scrabble Letters and we can rag on him!

Whoever scored 17 on the main game today is a beast!

"Eric - do you guys have a constant number of swaps you make to construct the puzzle?"

No.  Er, not yet anyway.  I've done some work in that direction, but it's not ready yet.  I would like to have the "minimum number of swaps to solve" be the same every day.

I don't mind the variance. I do need at least 2 clues in some row/column in order to get started. 3 is nice. 2 1/2 is also good (2 for the same letter). Then there are the days when you get that you have a C and an I and you think, nope, can't either of those be the last letter, and then the word is CACTI or ANTIC.  That means I immediately whiffed. And then after I whiff once I'm like "what the heck" and just try random stuff. And that's my secret method for running up those big numbers.

MrFixit

Would this be a good time to ask for an UNDO button?

ONLY if it's unlimited, of course, and ONLY if scrabble letters are also used.

One thing for sure, they are all winnable.

When I first saw today's board and saw all of those Es, I was convinced I'd got no chance of going below 20, but then I worked out a column and a row during a 'double bubble' and was very surprised that a 14 was possible.

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟨🟦🟦🟧🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟨🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

19 Sep 2024 : 14 swaps

This was a low-scoring puzzle. Looks like about 3 got 14, some 15s, and the curve gets big after that. 

https://wordbox.game

🟫🟦🟧🟧🟨🟨

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟥🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟧🟦🟨🟦🟦🟦

19 Sep 2024 : 20 swaps

That top word was enticing with the clues it had but I couldn't think up a solid word so then I tried moving a couple letters into common positions. But that didn't work. So I tried once more. And it was still a whiff.  So at that point I'm like "oh what the hell" and I just moved 'em again.  Anyhow, it took me way too long to get that first word and then after that things were solid if unremarkable.

And my desire to blame the puzzle is now nullified by your high scores.  *grumble*

What do the colors mean on the shared "finished game" graphic?

https://wordbox.game

🟨🟧🟧🟦🟨🟨

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟨🟦🟦🟨🟥🟦

⬛🟦🟨🟨🟦🟨

21 Sep 2024 : 22 swaps

(Man, I scored below the surge today! Good times!)

Brown and black are bad, blue is good. That’s all I remember. Somewhere way back in this thread I think he says.

Respect to whoever did it in 18.

30 swaps is off the chart

https://wordbox.game

🟨🟨🟦🟨🟦

🟧🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟧🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟨🟨🟨🟧

23 Sep 2024  A: 16 swaps

cellmate - ouch, that’s gotta hurt!

i was testing to see what score i could get if i ignore the letters and only follow the arrows. lousy score but i should at least get a blue line in the histogram

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟦🟥🟦🟦

🟨🟨🟦🟨🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟨🟨

🟨🟦🟨🟦🟦

23 Sep 2024  C: 15 swaps

Back in this thread Uberman posted 225 swaps. I bet he didn’t get a blue line. This is clearly swap shaming!! WWBL! WWBL!

The colors in the graphic indicate how many swaps involved that space.

1 swap: blue

2 swaps: yellow

3 swaps: orange

4 swaps: red

5 swaps: brown

6 or more: black

@ErikSink Thanks, that's the info I was looking for!

Well I did decent on the main grid today. But grid C with the medical term for a rare type of autoimmune kidney disease…

JK… I have no valid excuse. The words were fine, I just had some troubles

https://wordbox.game

🟨🟦🟦🟥🟦

🟦🟦🟧🟦🟨

🟫🟦⬛🟨🟥

🟦🟧🟦🟧🟧

25 Sep 2024  C: 23 swaps

Brown and black are, of course, the Colors of Shame.

Here's my Facebook post from today. The handful of y'all who are playing regularly I'd recommend you post to Facebook or Instagram to help Eric's game get more traction:

19 on today's main puzzle?  Nice.

I shared the game and my score with a gaming community. It may get some traction there. 

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟧🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟧🟨

🟨🟦🟨🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟨🟦🟦🟦🟦

26 Sep 2024 : 16 swaps

Wow. Nice Buzz!

https://wordbox.game

🟧🟨🟥🟦🟦

🟧🟨🟥🟨🟦

🟨🟥🟦🟥🟦

⬛🟦🟦🟨🟦

30 Sep 2024  A: 23 swaps

  my descent into madness.

https://wordbox.game

🟨🟦🟦🟧🟦

🟨🟨🟨🟫🟦

🟦🟨🟦🟦🟦

🟨🟦🟦🟦🟦

1 Oct 2024  B: 16 swaps

as close as I’ve come to the top score in a while.  Spurred on by getting a double on the first play.  There should be a name for that.

Yeah well what about this, huh?

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟦🟧🟦🟥

🟧🟦🟦🟨🟨

🟦🟨🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

2 Oct 2024  A: 15 swaps

also need a name for multiple whiffs when you just go into “screw it” mode

Personal best today! 16 swaps, puzzle B

https://wordbox.game

🟦🟨🟥🟧🟦

🟦🟨🟨🟦🟦

🟦🟧🟧🟦🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

2 Oct 2024  B: 16 swaps

Another opening double leading to another nice score.  Something about getting off to a nice start ramps up the level of focus.

https://wordbox.game

🟧🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟦🟨🟦🟨🟨

🟥🟧🟨🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟦🟥🟦🟦🟦

2 Oct 2024 : 19 swaps

Nice! Yes, and conversely a bad start makes you just not wanna try.