I built a small browser puzzle about sorting lists by hidden rules
I recently started working on Catalogues Game, a small browser puzzle where players sort seven items by figuring out the hidden ordering rule.
The core idea is simple: you get a short shuffled list, a title, and a limited number of guesses. The answer might depend on chronology, alphabetic order, geography, numbers, calendar logic, or another clear property. The challenge is not clicking fast, but noticing the pattern. https://cataloguesgame.com
I’m building it as a solo side project because I like short games that are easy to start but still make you think. I also wanted to test whether an original no-signup puzzle site can work as a lightweight web product, instead of becoming a large app with accounts, leaderboards, and too many features too early.
Right now I’m focusing on three things:
Making the rules obvious within the first minute
Creating puzzles that are not too easy, but not unfairly obscure
Keeping the page fast and simple enough to play on mobile
The hardest part so far is puzzle quality. It is easy to generate random lists, but much harder to make a list where the hidden rule feels satisfying after the player solves it.
I’d be interested in feedback from other makers on the product direction: should I keep this as a very small daily-style puzzle, or add more archive and progression features over time?
