PUZZLE LINK: Online Solver
Hello! Here is a puzzle. How do you solve said puzzle?
The four grids in this puzzle are shapeshifters. In each grid, the two staircase-shaped sections can be pushed together vertically or horizontally, forming two different sets of words reading across. For example, the upper-left grid can form four 5-letter words, or five 4-letter words. The clues have been grouped by answer length, but you will have to determine which grid each answer goes in, and where it goes within its grid.
How do you make said puzzles? Check out the new shapeshifters tool. This is a puzzle type invented by Patrick Berry that I really like, and hopefully we get to see more of them out there!
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This was fun, but really tricky! I’m going to explore the tool.
Hey Alex,
I used the tool to make a shape shifter (6- and 7-letter words) and posted it on my site. Really fun. I’m now trying to make a four puzzle set. I was able to make the first three without any difficulty. But when I try to make the 7- and 8-letter word set, using the spreadthewordlist.dict, I repeatedly get the message that no viable candidates can be identified. Interestingly, when I plug in the starting point you used in your 7- and 8-letter grid, CONTRAS, it still doesn’t work, i.e., doesn’t come up with CONTRAST as an option. Any ideas?
No idea! It’s working for me.
Shapeshifter grids that push staircase sections together into either four 5-letter words or five 4-letter words are the kind of Patrick Berry trick that makes a Monday puzzle feel like architecture. Grouping clues by length while forcing you to assign each answer to a grid is deliciously mean in the best way. I run Voxalike, a guide site for a free browser dubbing party game, and wordplay that reshapes itself mid-solve is oddly similar to friends rewriting a line on the fly.
I really enjoyed the insights you shared in Puzzle #159 about shapeshifters! The concept of using wordplay to switch meanings is fascinating and adds a delightful layer of complexity. I’m curious, how do you come up with such creative clues? Do you have a particular process or inspiration when designing these puzzles? Also, what advice would you give for someone looking to improve their skills with this kind of gameplay? Thank you for fostering such an engaging community around crossword Snow Rider 3D puzzles!