Word Harvest - Print n' Play word puzzle game - FREE

SquareHeart

Hi everyone,

I mentioned in my, rather ropey interview, that I was releasing a pen and paper word game - Well I finally shuffled it out to the public...
www.word-harvest.com
from that site you can download the free PDF that includes the introductory puzzles and the play-as-you-go rules from there.

Would love to hear some feedback.
Thanks
Peter

tatiang

Intriguing! Can't wait to try it.

tatiang

First of all, the instructions are superb. It's easy to take something like that for granted but you obviously put a lot of thought into them. I've only played the game once so I may have more comments later but for now I enjoyed it and it mixes some familiar word games such as traditional word searches and Boggle-style anagram puzzles with a two-stage process that clearly sets you up for some serious strategizing. Well done!

The scoring seems a bit overly complex. I wanted to double-check that you divide by the number of circled letters without including squared letters... correct?

I scored 89 on the first puzzle. I imagine that's not particularly good.

SquareHeart

thanks for giving it a try tatiang -

Yeah the scoring calculation is a bit heavy - it's up to it's 5th iteration. But any thoughts I'd be interested in hearing. My original thoughts was this to be a iPhone game - so keep the scoring a little more deep than usual - and then rather liked what the scoring was doing to how one played the game (as Reiner Knizia says- 'scoring will drive player behaviour' - something like that).

The goal for the scoring was to make its fairly balanced across the 3 aspects of the game so:
1) rewarded for good words
2) rewarded for many words
3) rewarded for efficient harvesting.

with the last 2 being dependant on the first. In a way it creates a cyclic thinking, which helps link the harvesting and constructing together. I understand the scoring is a bit beyond casual and have been considering a simplified scoring option - but have struggled to find a way to keep it balanced and the puzzles opaque enough be interesting.
Will keep on twiddling the knobs.

As to your question - yes you only count the letters you have circled - not the 'squared letters' i.e the ones that the lines have crossed. consider each circling as an ACTION.

nice score - I reckon on your second attempt you should be able to hit above 110-120

wordysmith

As a matter of first importance, the directions are brilliant. It's anything but difficult to underestimate something to that effect however you clearly put a considerable measure of thought into them. I've just played the game once so I may have more comments later yet for the time being I delighted in it and it blends some well known word diversions, for example, conventional word pursuits and Boggle-style re-arranged word baffles with a two-organize handle that unmistakably sets you up for some genuine strategizing. Well done!

The scoring appears a bit excessively unpredictable. I needed to double-check that you isolate by the quantity of circled letters without including squared letters... correct?

anagram finder

Braydon_SFX

Going to close this one. Last response was more than 2 years ago.