I like the core idea of NookGrid. The puzzle itself is clear and easy to understand once you know how the clue system works, and I can see how the daily format could be enjoyable for people who like logic puzzles.
My main feedback is about the first-time experience.
When I opened the game for the first time, I was taken directly to Today’s Puzzle. I didn’t immediately realize that there was a starter puzzle available. I think a simple start screen would help a lot, with clear choices such as:
- Today’s Puzzle
- Starter / Tutorial
- How to Play
That would let returning players jump straight into the daily puzzle, while new players could choose to learn the game first.
I also think the current Starter Puzzle is still quite difficult for a first-time player. It presents all 9 places and many clues at once, but at that point the player is still learning the basic controls, how to place items, how clues work, and what the different relationships mean.
For me, the most important thing would be progression.
The first few starter puzzles could be extremely simple — almost impossible to fail — and teach only one thing at a time. For example:
- first, learn how to place one item
- then learn “directly left”
- then “same row / same column”
- then “touching”
- then start combining multiple clue types
The Starter section could even contain several small puzzles instead of just one.
I think that would make the learning process feel much more natural. By the time the player reaches Today’s Puzzle, they would already understand both the controls and the logic of the game, so the challenge would come from solving the puzzle itself rather than from figuring out how the game works.