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VWLS: Reimagining Word Games Through Rapid Prototyping

VWLS is an addictive word puzzle game developed in our innovation lab in less than an hour. Players start with a vowel and build six words of increasing length, creating an engaging challenge that demonstrates our rapid prototyping capabilities and "tinkering" philosophy.

VWLS: Reimagining Word Games Through Rapid Prototyping
Purple Horizons

Purple Horizons

Tech Strategy Lab & Innovation Consultancy

About Purple Horizons

Project Duration

August 2024 - Present

Project Status

in-progress

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Services Provided

VWLS combines minimalist design, engaging gameplay, and rapid development. This word puzzle challenges players to start with a vowel and build a pyramid of increasingly complex words. Created in under an hour using simple web technologies, it demonstrates how the gap between concept and creation has collapsed. Beyond being fun, VWLS serves as a proof of concept for businesses wanting to quickly test ideas with minimal investment—showing how our "tinkering" approach transforms concepts into user-validated experiences.

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The Challenge

  • Transform a concept into a functioning digital product in under an hour
  • Create an engaging game mechanic distinct from oversaturated word puzzle market
  • Design an experience that's intuitive yet challenging enough to drive replay
  • Demonstrate how modern tools eliminate traditional barriers to digital creation
  • Develop a prototype that could serve as a template for client marketing applications

Our Solution

  • Utilized accessible tools (Canva, Claude, Glitch) for ultra-fast development
  • Created a reverse approach to word puzzles starting with vowels, not guesses
  • Designed a pyramid structure (2-4-6 letters) for satisfying difficulty progression
  • Built with client-side architecture for unlimited scalability without infrastructure costs
  • Optimized for universal accessibility, instant learnability, and natural shareability
  • Designed the underlying system to support themed variants for marketing applications

Key Features & Highlights

Core capabilities and innovations that define this project

Innovative pyramid structure with six words of increasing length

Unique vowel-first gameplay that inverts traditional word puzzle mechanics

Thoughtfully curated word selection ensuring balanced difficulty

Responsive design that works flawlessly across all devices

Visual keyboard interface with dynamic state indicators

Minimal, distraction-free UI focusing entirely on gameplay

Instant feedback system with color-coded results

Eight-attempt limit creating perfect tension between challenge and accessibility

Results & Impact

42%

Return Players

89%

Completion for First-time Players

"
VWLS started as a 'let's see if we can' experiment and turned into a powerful demonstration of our core philosophy: in 2024, nothing is holding back businesses from building their ideas. What used to take dev teams and VC funding can now be accomplished in an afternoon with the right tools and mindset.
Ralph Quintero
Co-Founder, Purple Horizons

Technologies Used

HTML5
CSS3
JavaScript
Glitch
LocalStorage
Claude

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