Okay, here’s my blog post about making the NYT Spelling Bee more fun and addictive, written in the style of a personal journal entry:
So, I’ve been hooked on the NYT Spelling Bee for a while now. It’s a fun little word puzzle, but I wanted to see if I could make it even more fun. I wanted that extra bit of ‘oomph’, you know?
First, I messed around with the interface a bit. I mean, it’s functional, but pretty plain. So, my idea, is to make it more personalized.
My “Addictive” Tweaks
- Changing up the colors: that default yellow? It’s okay, I guess, but not exactly inspiring. I added my color, to make the honeycomb pop! I also changed up the font – something a little more playful.
- Adding sound effects: the sounds are the most important. I added some “bling” sound when I find a word, and a little “thunk” when I try a word that’s not in the list.
Implementing them step by step.
After all these settings, the biggest change, of course, was adding a timer. I set a pretty generous timer at first, just to get used to it. The idea is to give myself a bit of a challenge, but not make it too stressful. It’s all about having a good time, right?
And what’s a game without a bit of competition? I added a simple score tracker. Nothing fancy, just a running total of my points, plus a spot to keep track of my best scores. Gotta have something to aim for!
So, how did it all turn out? Honestly, pretty great! The colors and sounds make the whole thing feel more lively. It’s silly, I know, but it really does make a difference. And the timer? It definitely adds an extra layer of excitement. It’s like, “Can I find all the words before the clock runs out?” Super fun.
The score tracker is cool too. It’s motivating to see my scores go up, and it pushes me to try and beat my personal best. I’m still messing around with things, and maybe change it up a little every now and then. But for now, I’m pretty happy with my amped-up Spelling Bee!