Dynamic Crossword Difficulty via Reactive Puzzle Construction
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Traditionally, crosswords are made as complete puzzles and then shared with players. In the digital age, crosswords can be created dynamically while the player plays, and can even react to how the player is performing. In this paper, we present a system for reactive crossword construction as a form of dynamic difficulty adjustment. Difficulty can be adapted within a single puzzle, by constructing a puzzle while the player plays, and the word/clue pairs can be chosen to be more or less difficult. We also show that hints, in the form of additional words, can be embedded into the puzzle for struggling players. We tested this system with three player personas across five levels of puzzle difficulty, using time as a proxy for difficulty. Our results show that reactive puzzle construction reduced the time needed to solve puzzles compared to static construction. The addition of hints further reduced the time to solve. These results are limited to simulated player personas, but establish a foundation and identify directions for future evaluation with real players. We expect that reactive puzzle construction could be applied to otherwise static puzzle types, by revealing clues as players progress.
Authors: Colan Biemer, Seth Cooper
Institution: Northeastern University
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7171740759