🧩 The Next Wordle?


Your monthly digest from the world of puzzles and games	View in browser

Dear Reader,

You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games.

In this issue:

Stuff New Zealand's Codecracker puzzle
Is Connections the next Wordle?
Immaculate Grid: A daily puzzle for sports fans

Crack the Code on Stuff

Have you ever solved a codeword? The game, also known as codecracker, is built atop a crossword grid. Each square has a number from 1 to 26 corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. Solvers have to crack the code by figuring out the mapping that leads to proper words in the grid.

Stuff, a major online media house in New Zealand, recently launched an online version of its daily codecracker with PuzzleMe. Compiled by veteran constructor Simon Shuker, the puzzles appear online in Stuff’s local news websites.

Playing this puzzle online is more enjoyable than on pen and paper. When you enter a letter, it's filled in automatically in corresponding boxes across the grid. If you think it's a mistake, you can delete it from one square, and it'll be removed from all the corresponding squares. See if you can crack this codeword on our site.

Is Connections the next Wordle?

Connections, a new game by The New York Times launched in June, is here to stay. The game has quickly gained popularity with the Times’ audience and is now their second most popular game after Wordle.

What makes it tick? According to Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at The New York Times, Connections works because it helps foster a relationship between the constructor and the solver.

“When you have a puzzle that’s driven by an editor in that way, you have this almost two-player relationship where you’ve got a solver and the constructor,” says Knight. “And you know you’re up against a human every day that’s trying to trick you. So, you come back to try to beat the constructor. That’s something this game does really, really well.”

A Daily Puzzle for Sports Fans

The other Wordle-inspired game that’s caught the attention of sports fans: Immaculate Grid. It is a daily quiz in the form of a tic-tac-toe board, with teams listed across the top and down the left side. The correct answer for each square is a player who played for both the teams that correspond to that square.

The game averages about 200,000 players every weekday. It was recently bought by Sports Reference, a leading site for historical sports data and player statistics. Each player featured on the grid is now linked to their Sports Reference page, where you can browse the player’s statistics.

Immaculate Grid is the perfect example of a site leveraging puzzles and games to increase traffic and keep visitors coming back. If you’d like to explore how puzzles can help your online presence, book a call with us here.

From The Crossworld

The Washington Post ran a special Sunday crossword late last month. Titled “Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd”, this puzzle by Evan Birnholz feels deeply satisfying once you crack it. All we’ll say is: pay attention to the title.

XWord Info, the popular crossword website posting solutions to the daily NYTimes crossword, is shutting down. The site will still remain live, but no new solutions will be posted. Founder Jim Horne talks about the reasons behind the closure in this Fill Me In podcast episode.

PuzzleMe Spotlight

A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for Smart Games

Gamified Ads

When it comes to display ads, brands are looking for actual engagement from readers. Interactive puzzles are perfectly suited to the task. For example, PuzzleMe crosswords, word searchers, quizzes, and WordroWs can all be delivered as banner ads.

Check out this crossword puzzle on Volkswagen cars. PuzzleMe makes it a breeze to create such ad units, including their game content, promotional elements and interaction. We’ve recently added support for animations too.

If you’d like to explore this unique offering, reach out to us today.

More Customization Options

PuzzleMe Constructors love that they can customize the look and feel of their puzzles to suit their brand or taste. With the latest enhancements to the themer, we’ve taken things a step further.

You can now add custom fonts to your puzzles on PuzzleMe.We’ve also added new customization options for Jigsaws, Codewords, and WordroWs. Navigate to Dashboard > Series Design to try the new features.

Voice-over Mode

With voice-over mode, visually impaired solvers can enjoy crosswords on PuzzleMe. It reads out clues, the number of blanks, and known letters.

You can find and activate voice-over mode on Settings, or just press Ctrl + Shift + V on Windows and Cmd + Shift + V on Mac to toggle it on or off.

Did you know?

A recent study from the University of York revealed that older people who solve puzzles experience notable benefits. The memory and concentration levels of these seniors were comparable to those of 20-year-olds who do not solve puzzles, the study found.

About Us

Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us!

Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.