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Honeycomb word hunt

Pro packv3.0.0-0WordNew

A ring of letters round a centre letter, and every word they make that uses it. The pack builds a board worth playing, judges every word, keeps the score and the ranks, and leaves the hexagons to you.

This is a Pro pack. Upgrade to Phaser Pro to use it in your games.See Phaser Pro →

Released October 21, 2026

Honeycomb word hunt: a screenshot of its demo
A note about these graphics

Expansion packs don't come with graphics. This screenshot is one way of drawing what the pack does, made for its demo: none of the sprites, tiles or backgrounds in it are in the pack.

That's by design. A pack is a game's logic, mechanics and effects, and it works with whatever art you give it. Some packs draw effects, backdrops or 3D scenes of their own, but none carries a game's sprites.

So the look is yours. Make the art on phaser.io, bring your own, or let your agent draw it in code: the same pack can look like anything.

The pack

honeycomb

function honeycomb(): Pack<{ honeycomb: HoneycombApi }>

The honeycomb pack: honeycomb word hunt rules over the english-words lists. Pure logic, so it runs headless.

Helpers

createHoneycomb

function createHoneycomb(options: HoneycombOptions): Honeycomb

Make a puzzle. Throws a RangeError for options out of range: a letter count below 2 or above 26, set letters that repeat or a centre not among them, a set puzzle with no answers, or no generated puzzle within the answer range.

HONEYCOMB_RANKS

const HONEYCOMB_RANKS: ReadonlyArray<HoneycombRank>

The default ranks, from nothing to most of the points.

honeycombScore

function honeycombScore(word: string, pangram: boolean, scoring: HoneycombScoring = 'classic', minLength = 4): number

Points for one word: 'classic' gives a word of minLength letters (or fewer) 1 point and a longer word a point a letter, and a pangram 7 more. Throws a RangeError when a scoring function returns a negative or non-finite number.

Types

Honeycomb

interface Honeycomb

A honeycomb word hunt. Make one with createHoneycomb.

  • observation(): HoneycombView — The puzzle as it stands.
  • check(word: string): { readonly ok: true; readonly points: number; readonly pangram: boolean } | Refusal — Would this word count now? Its points and whether it is a pangram, or the refusal. Changes nothing.
  • submit(word: string): { readonly ok: true; readonly result: HoneycombResult } | Refusal — Submit a word. Refused when it is too short, uses letters not on the board, misses the centre, is not in the word list or was found already.
  • shuffle(): void — Put the ring's letters in a new order (the centre stays).
  • end(): void — End the puzzle: the missed answers are shown.
  • undo(): boolean — Take back the last move.
  • hints(): HoneycombHints — Counts of the answers not yet found.
  • answers(): ReadonlyArray<string> — Every answer, alphabetically, for a solution screen or a test.
  • snapshot(): HistorySave<HoneycombMove> — The puzzle as a save: the seed and the moves. Restore it into a puzzle made with the same options.
  • restore(save: HistorySave<HoneycombMove> | string): void — Replace this puzzle's moves with a save. Throws, changing nothing, when it does not replay.

HoneycombApi

type HoneycombApi = typeof rules

game.honeycomb: every function and type this pack carries, as one namespace.

HoneycombHints

interface HoneycombHints

Counts of the answers not yet found, to point a player without giving words away.

  • readonly byStart: Readonly<Record<string, Readonly<Record<number, number>>>> — By first letter, then by length: { a: { 4: 2, 6: 1 } }.
  • readonly byPair: Readonly<Record<string, number>> — By their first two letters: { ap: 3 }.
  • readonly left: number — Answers not found.
  • readonly pangramsLeft: number — Pangrams not found.

HoneycombMove

type HoneycombMove = | { readonly kind: 'word'; readonly word: string } | { readonly kind: 'shuffle' } | { readonly kind: 'end' }

A move: a word, a shuffle of the ring, or the end of the puzzle.

HoneycombOptions

interface HoneycombOptions

How a puzzle is made. Only seed is required.

  • seed: number — Picks the letters, the centre and the ring's order, as an unsigned 32-bit integer.
  • letters?: number | string — The board's letters: a number of distinct letters to generate (default 7, a centre and six round it), or the letters themselves for a set puzzle ('pangrmc'), each once.
  • centre?: string — A set puzzle's centre letter; default the first of letters. Ignored for a generated puzzle.
  • requireCentre?: boolean — Must every word use the centre letter? Default true.
  • minLength?: number — Shortest word, in letters. Default 4.
  • words?: WordList — The words that count. Default the English lexicon.
  • exclude?: string — Letters a generated board never has ('s' keeps plurals out). Default none.
  • minAnswers?: number — Fewest answers a generated puzzle may have. Default 20.
  • maxAnswers?: number — Most answers a generated puzzle may have. Default 80.
  • attempts?: number — Letter sets tried before giving up. Default 80.
  • scoring?: HoneycombScoring — Points per word. Default 'classic'.
  • ranks?: ReadonlyArray<HoneycombRank> — The ranks, by share of the maximum score. Default HONEYCOMB_RANKS.

HoneycombRank

interface HoneycombRank

A rank: its name and the share of the puzzle's points that reaches it, 0..1.

  • readonly name: string — What a player is called at this rank.
  • readonly at: number — The share of the maximum score that reaches it, 0..1.

HoneycombRankView

interface HoneycombRankView

Where a score stands among the ranks.

  • readonly name: string — The rank's name; '' below the first rank.
  • readonly index: number — Its place in the rank list, from 0; -1 below the first.
  • readonly next: { readonly name: string; readonly points: number } | null — The points that reach the next rank, and its name; null at the top.

HoneycombResult

interface HoneycombResult extends HoneycombWord

What an accepted word did.

  • readonly rankUp: boolean — Did it take the player to a new rank?
  • readonly complete: boolean — Is every answer now found?

HoneycombScoring

type HoneycombScoring = 'classic' | ((word: string, pangram: boolean) => number)

Points for a word: 'classic' (a word of the shortest length 1 point, longer words a point a letter, a pangram 7 more) or your own function.

HoneycombView

interface HoneycombView

The puzzle as it stands. Never lists an unfound answer until the puzzle is over.

  • readonly phase: 'playing' | 'over' — 'playing', or 'over' once end is called or every answer is found.
  • readonly centre: string — The centre letter.
  • readonly outer: ReadonlyArray<string> — The ring's letters, in their current order.
  • readonly letters: string — Every letter on the board, alphabetically.
  • readonly requireCentre: boolean — Must every word use the centre letter?
  • readonly minLength: number — Shortest word, in letters.
  • readonly found: ReadonlyArray<HoneycombWord> — Words found, in the order found.
  • readonly score: number — Points scored.
  • readonly maxScore: number — Points in the whole puzzle.
  • readonly rank: HoneycombRankView — The rank now.
  • readonly ranks: ReadonlyArray<{ readonly name: string; readonly points: number }> — Every rank with the points that reach it.
  • readonly pangrams: { readonly found: number; readonly total: number } — Pangrams found and in all.
  • readonly answers: number — Answers in all.
  • readonly byLength: ReadonlyArray<{ readonly length: number; readonly total: number; readonly found: number }> — For each word length in the puzzle, how many answers and how many found.
  • readonly missed: ReadonlyArray<string> — Once the puzzle is over, every answer not found, alphabetically; empty while playing.

HoneycombWord

interface HoneycombWord

A word found.

  • readonly word: string — The word, lower case.
  • readonly points: number — Points it scored.
  • readonly pangram: boolean — Does it use every letter on the board?