Curious Almanac: Cipher School, a Word Rule Game

About Curious Almanac: Cipher School

The storm has cut the road, so the night shift at a small radio station takes lessons from the engineer, Static. Each lesson teaches one trick of how words are built: words that read the same backwards, words with a twin letter, words that hide a body part, words that are still words without their first letter, words in alphabetical order, words that hide a number. A card shows a worked example, one word that follows the rule among two that do not, and then the test begins on the console.

Three dial windows light up with a pack of words and you keep the one that follows the rule. A right keep sends an arc of signal up the mast; a wrong one fills the window with static. After every pick the board says why, so a miss teaches the rule. Win a lesson by solving it with no hint and at most one wrong keep, and lightning strikes the mast. A hint is always there, but a lesson that used one can only be passed. Name the rule for a bonus.

A term is three lessons and takes about five minutes. Lessons you do not win come back in a later term, and there is a daily term for everyone. Your records stay on this device only; nothing is uploaded.

How to play

A lesson card shows a worked example: three words, one of which follows the hidden rule. Study it, then press Tune in.
In the test, tap the dial window whose word follows the rule, or press 1, 2 or 3. With a keyboard, move with the arrow keys and press Space.
After each pick the board says why the word fits or not. A wrong keep ends your streak but never ends the lesson.
Win a lesson with no hint and at most one wrong keep. Press H for a hint, which lets you pass but not win. Press N to name the rule.
A term is three lessons. Lessons you do not win come back in a later term. Press P or Escape to pause.

Controls

Tap a dial window, or press 1, 2 or 3 — keep that word
Arrow keys or D-pad, Space or Ⓐ — move and keep
S or Ⓑ — skip the pack
H or Ⓧ — hint (the lesson cannot be won)
N or Ⓨ — name the rule, Enter to send
P, Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

What is a lesson?

A lesson teaches one rule about how words are built, with a worked example. Then six packs of three words test it: you keep the word in each pack that follows the rule.

How do I win a lesson?

Solve it without taking a hint and with at most one wrong keep. If you used a hint or missed more, the lesson is passed, not won, and it comes back in a later term.

Does a wrong keep stop the lesson?

No. It costs points and ends your streak, and the board tells you why the word did not follow the rule, so the miss teaches you. The lesson always finishes.

Is the daily term the same for everyone?

Yes. The daily term has the same three lessons and the same packs for everyone on a given day.