Three Magic Words

Games

word game

SHOW HN2022

204points
137comments
#275of 2,570 in 2022
Top 11%of 2022 by points

How HN took it

MixedNo clear lean

17 positive, 24 neutral or asking, 9 mixed, 44 critical, out of 94 comments about the project. Thread score -0.23.

Execution: 3 for, 21 againstDesign: 6 for, 16 againstPerformance: 2 for, 4 againstIdea: 2 for, 3 against

The thread, comment by comment

Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.

positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker

What HN said

What people liked

  • Fun, polished execution and satisfying animations

    From 3 comments
    • Works absolutely flawlessly on mobile for me (Android Firefox). The animations are very satisfying and the game is very fun. Fantastic work! edit: This is on OxygenOS 11.1.2.2…
      funwares on HN
    • Fun game and snappy, delightful animation! Thanks for sharing this.
      jker on HN
    • Great execution, love the juicy animations!
      f00zz on HN
  • Fresh take distinct from Wordle

    From 2 comments
    • Nice execution, a variation of Wordle but different enough so as to not be taken as a clone :-) Quick feedback, why does the round timer inside the yellow star starts decreasing…
      NKosmatos on HN
    • Cool, fun, inventive, challenging. Might enjoy it even more than Wordle. It took a second for it to load on my mac -- I thought maybe it was busted. Maybe page load speed is…
      alecst on HN

Objections

  • Timer adds stress

    From 3 comments
    • I really like the execution on this. One piece of feedback is that the timer gave me anxiety and I closed it. I do puzzles to phase out from stress not to challenge myself in a…
      msoad on HN
    • I really don't like that it's timed.
      huhtenberg on HN
    • This game is simultaneously more stressful, less challenging, and less fun than wordle. I especially hate the timer
      yhoneycomb on HN
  • Animations too slow or excessive

    From 3 comments
    • I know that you're not copying the wordle vibe necessarily, but the animations seem too over the top to me. They're pushing into candy crush territory, and to me that a strong…
      andjd on HN
    • I like it! But my one criticism is that it wastes too much time on animation, especially when transitioning from one round to the next. I'm anxious to get started, but have to…
      doodpants on HN
    • Bug: if you click the next letter while the 'victory' animation for the previous letter is still playing, it replaces the previous correct letter with the new one you clicked,…
      anentropic on HN
  • Only one accepted solution when several are valid

    From 3 comments
    • This isn't a logic game, this is a game of "guess what word I'm thinking of". ``` - - G G Y - E E - S - - - - Y O P U B F K L L ``` Possible solutions: ``` b u G G Y p E E k S f…
      joeframbach on HN
    • The game seems to expect a particular solution even when there are multiple possibilities of forming correct words. For example, I tried "peeks" & "bully" but the game only…
      layer8 on HN
    • I agree... I think there are actually a couple of niggles that work together: - there's a timer - solutions are not always unique Often in Wordle, you'll have three or four green…
      iainmerrick on HN
  • Too many plural words

    From 2 comments
    • The game seems to expect a particular solution even when there are multiple possibilities of forming correct words. For example, I tried "peeks" & "bully" but the game only…
      layer8 on HN
    • The stars could stay if the timer is removed. You’d just lose them only if you get a red guess on them
      cush on HN

Requests

  • Remove or make the timer optional

    From 3 comments
    • Completely agree. You could simply remove the timer and it would instantly be a better game. People can compare scores by number of guesses
      cush on HN
    • Definitely get rid of the timer or make it something you can turn on. As soon as you have a clock ticking, it adds an element of stress to it. Part of the charm of games like…
      criddell on HN
    • I hear you. I personally found the game less interesting before I added the "threat" of losing stars — it felt to me more like trial-and-error work. However, I think there is…
      beepy on HN
  • Accept any valid three-word solution

    From 2 comments
    • I enjoyed this but I think it could use some refinement. I feel like you should either remove the timer, or accept any correct three words. Being punished for coming up with…
      peeters on HN
    • I agree... I think there are actually a couple of niggles that work together: - there's a timer - solutions are not always unique Often in Wordle, you'll have three or four green…
      iainmerrick on HN
  • Reduce animation or add reduced-motion option

    From 2 comments
    • I think I follow, thank you. Perhaps a reduced animation option (or respecting prefers-reduced-motion setting) would help.
      beepy on HN
    • Waiting for animations is killing my speed run drive.
      kawfey on HN
  • Shuffle letters button

    From 1 comment
    • i appreciate the challenge this offers compared to wordle. NYT's spelling bee has a feature that i think you should consider implementing: a button and/or key press (e.g. space)…
      lucretian on HN

Questions

  • Why built as a native app rather than web app

    From 1 comment
    • Curious, why was this implemented as a native app? From what I see, this could have been implemented as a webapp as well. This would have enabled a greater reach, and the…
      amelius on HN
  • Will there be a multiplayer or friends mode

    From 2 comments
    • Great animations and game concept. Would be nice to make it multiplayer and have people work on the same puzzle and race.
      antux on HN
    • I hope we can play this game with our friends
      mathrall on HN

Alternatives named

  • Wordle

    From 2 comments
    • I agree... I think there are actually a couple of niggles that work together: - there's a timer - solutions are not always unique Often in Wordle, you'll have three or four green…
      iainmerrick on HN
    • Echoing some thoughts here: - The animations definitely detract for me. It feels like it's about to start showing pop up ads or videos that I have to watch for 30 seconds before…
      cookie_monsta on HN
  • NYT Spelling Bee

    From 2 comments
    • I've been enjoying this one too -- https://nytimes-spellingbee.com/
      pwillia7 on HN
    • i appreciate the challenge this offers compared to wordle. NYT's spelling bee has a feature that i think you should consider implementing: a button and/or key press (e.g. space)…
      lucretian on HN

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