Guides
Long-form strategy for the games on this site. Written by the people who built them, and tested against the games themselves.
Five Bugs I Wrote Into a 276-Line Physics Engine
A Verlet integrator is short enough to read in one sitting and long enough to be wrong in ways that never throw an exception. Here are the five that cost me the most, each one measured rather than remembered.
The Best Opening Word for Word Guess, Computed Against Our Own List
Every "best starting word" article is calculated against someone else’s answer list. This one is calculated against the 760 words our game actually draws from — and the word with the most information is not the word that wins fastest.
I Played 400,000 Games of 2048 to Test the Corner Strategy
Everyone repeats the same advice about corners and never pressing up. I built a bot to play our own 2048 engine four hundred thousand times and measure what each part of it is actually worth.
Five-Letter Word Game Strategy: Openers, Information, and the Endgame
Your first guess should not be a guess. Here is how to pick openers, read the board, and stop losing on the sixth line.
How to Solve Any Sliding Puzzle: The Layer Method
The 15 puzzle looks like trial and error. It is not. Solve it in layers, learn one rotation trick, and every board becomes routine.
The Minesweeper Patterns That Solve Most Boards
Minesweeper is not a guessing game. Four recurring patterns cover the overwhelming majority of deductions you will ever need.
How to Type Faster: A Realistic Path from 40 to 100 WPM
Speed is a side effect of not making mistakes. The route from average to fast is mostly about unlearning three habits.
What Is a Good Reaction Time? A Look at the Actual Numbers
The human average sits near 250 milliseconds. Here is where that number comes from, what moves it, and how much of your score is you versus your hardware.
How to Win 2048: The Corner Strategy, Step by Step
Almost every 2048 win is built on one habit. Here is the habit, why it works, and the three mistakes that undo it.