Cruciverbalizer -- Crossword Generator/Builder

October 21, 2009 8:21 AM

Cruciverbalizer -- Crossword Generator/Builder
Features a crossword generator that can randomly generate full-sized crosswords as well as a builder which can complete partially filled grids. Crosswords can be exported to PDF for a low-fi version or played online.

I posted this here about a year ago, but it's got a new URL and has enough extra stuff in it to warrant it being an entirely separate project, I wager.

posted by clawtros (6 comments total)

This is really great---I love the randomly generated puzzles with definitions from wordnet. (Flirts with the dada-esque while not seeming entirely unplayable.)

I wonder whether you might add the ability to log in with Google Accounts or Facebook Connect or Twitter OAuth or something? OpenID, even. It's a hassle to create a new account, from both a "aw man not another form to fill out" standpoint and a "what's going to happen to my info?!" standpoint.
posted by aparrish at 3:50 PM on October 21

I was definitely toying around with OpenID, the framework I'm using even has some manner of auth adapter for it, so I can get that going shortly. It's currently filed under "things I should do that aren't very fun or flashy but important". In the meantime, passwords are SHA1 hashed, and email is optional, if that changes anything.
posted by clawtros at 6:07 PM on October 21

Lordy, like I needed (yet) another timesucking website to get addicted to - brilliant, thanks clawtros!
posted by ceri richard at 1:21 PM on October 22

That's brilliant. The coder in me started considering the programming behind this and then my eyes glazed over. Great job.
posted by empyrean at 1:03 PM on October 27

I've added a few random little things to the site that are accessible here. I figured that a huge shortcoming was the dadaistic (thanks, apparish) nature of the clues, so I wrote a PUZ file parser and a book parser to hopefully generate some slightly more human results.

Oh, and there's one that searches flickr tags for the clues, but holy hell those tags are loose.
posted by clawtros at 12:42 PM on October 30

this is great. I've been looking for a site to assemble my own crosswords.
posted by zzazazz at 4:54 PM on November 11