Puzzle Solving Tools
If you're wondering how the top teams are able to solve so many puzzles so quickly, part of the answer is that they're probably not relying solely on their brainpower. Puzzles in the puzzle hunt often involve anagramming, deleting, or otherwise manipulating letters and words to discover new words. This is a task well-suited to computers. Since we can't effectively ban the use of such tools, the least we can do is share the locations of some of them to help level the playing field.
The Electronic Alveary (TEA)
TEA (The Electronic Alveary) allows you to search word lists for words that
match a pattern. TEA's pattern language supports simple template and anagram
searches, but also has the flexibility to perform many more complicated queries.
Check the Quick Reference page on the help menu to see the kinds of things TEA
can do for you. Typing ;STIN for example will product all anagrams of the
letters STIN (ISN'T, NITS, TINS, SNIT).
LeXpert
LeXpert is a software program designed to assist word game enthusiasts in
expanding their knowledge of words. It offers more than 3500 word lists and
different ways of viewing these lists. Customized lists can be created based on
patterns, cryptograms, anagrams, number of vowels, etc. It offers similar
functionality to TEA.
Cryptogram Helper
Cryptogram solver which not only provides a helpful interface for replacing
letters in a cryptogram, but can also solve the cryptogram for you. You
don't really think we'd give you any cryptograms that can be solved this way, do
you?
One Across
Database of crossword clues.
Cryptic Crossword Solving
Hints
Detailed hints for solving cryptic crossword, including explanations and samples
of all the major clue types.
National Puzzlers League Base
Finding Tools
Search tools for all kinds of word forms, including many you never knew existed.
Internet Movie Database
Did we really need to tell you about this one?
Common encoding schemes:
