- Just saw our first player from Mumbai! Cricket puzzle might be working - The new "answer pattern" feature (showing L□□□ below clues) increased average session time by 3 minutes - Fascinating pattern: Players use an average of 8.1 hints but still complete puzzles (ultra-forgiving design working as intended)

For the curious about the tech debt: The 4300-line component started at 500 lines. Every bug fix and feature added complexity. Classic "ship first, refactor later" situation. But hey, it works!

The obscuring algorithm is actually simple: 1. Take answer letters as a Set 2. Scan clue text, replace any letter in the Set with □ 3. Remove spaces for initial presentation 4. Progressive hints restore spaces, then reveal letters

The hardest part isn't the code - it's puzzle construction. Need to ensure enough letters overlap between clue and answer, otherwise you get unsolvable puzzles.

If anyone wants to try: Puzzle #10012 (cricket themed) has helper words at 25%, making it easier. Previous puzzles were brutal with only 10% helpers.

Apt letters missing from "Te_h_ology r_view si_e" (CNET)

Apt letters missing from "_tea_th_" (SLY)

Note that there are many radically different crossword clue conventions around the world, e.g. U.S. style is often a definition but made more difficult with puns or misdirection (trying to get you to misinterpret the clue in a plausible way), British style is often based on a formalized set of cryptic crossword rules involving the spelling of the answer, many Continental European crosswords are often more direct tests of general knowledge without deceptive clues...

The "apt letters missing from" style occurs in U.S. style crosswords but is considered rather odd (because it focuses attention on spelling, which is not a usual emphasis for U.S. crossword clues). For the NYT Daily I think it originated with their "Puns and Anagrams" crossword series, which sort of emulates Cryptic Crossword clues, but in a less formal (and less difficult) way.