Upload formats
Learn the different ways in which you can upload Spiral puzzle files.
A Spiral puzzle can only be created using uploaded files. There is no online editor within the PuzzleMe™ dashboard for you to create spirals from scratch.
To publish a Spiral crossword using PuzzleMe, constructors must first create a .txt file and then upload it on the Spiral upload page. PuzzleMe will convert a properly formatted .txt file into a playable Spiral crossword.
Here are two sample .txt files that you can download. You can copy the format from these files to create your own Spiral crossword. Sample files are also available on the PuzzleMe upload page for your reference.
Template of a Spiral crossword
Creating a spiral crossword requires careful planning beyond just following the text format. The words must be designed so that they overlap correctly when flowing in both directions (inward and outward). Each word needs to share letters with adjacent words to create a connected, solvable puzzle.
Each puzzle is created using a .txt file that lists all the answers and their corresponding clues. Every answer is followed by its clue on the next line. The inward and outward sets of clues are separated by a line containing three dashes (---).
Structure:
answer1
clue1
answer2
clue2
answer3
clue3
---
answer4
clue4
answer5
clue5
The lines before the separator define the inward answers (moving from the outer ring toward the center), and the lines after the separator define the outward answers (moving from the center back outward).
Let's take the Mini Spiral file for example:
garden
Madison Square ______
alone
Unaccompanied
rome
The Colosseum's city
metals
Gold and silver, for example
ward
Hospital section
---
draws
Inconclusive chess matches
late
Fashionably unpunctual
memo
Voice ___ (iPhone recording)
reno
City that self-describes as 'The Biggest Little City in the World'
lane
Highway division
drag
Get-up for some pride parade participants
When you upload this file, this format is read and the answers are arranged in the spiral grid, with each clue linked to its position in the inward or outward direction. The result is the live spiral crossword you can see here.