Words by Ryan — complete UI and flows
This page is static HTML so ChatGPT and other agents can read the whole product without running JavaScript. Live app: /app (Solver) and /game (Play). Shop: Tools by Ryan. Support: toolsbyryan@protonmail.com.
1. Product overview
- Name: Words by Ryan (homescreen / titles use this name; “Solver” is only a mode label).
- Free: Play mode; Solver Hint mode; limited free Help/Cheat uses with a confirm screen first.
- Pro: Unlocks Help and Cheat fully. Sold only through Polar checkout (no in-app gift-code box, no WDL-DEV bypass).
- Word length: 4, 5, 6, or 7 letters (dropdown).
2. App shell (shared chrome on /app and /game)
Top bar:
- Play | Solver mode switch (segmented control).
- Centered brand: WORDS by Ryan (stays visible when the menu opens). Lifetime Pro shows a green PRO superscript on the wordmark. Help and Cheat keep their own green PRO superscript while locked.
- Stats sits in the top bar, always visible, and opens stats with History underneath. It does not finish or reset the game.
- Hamburger (⋯) far right opens a panel with Feedback and Updates separated by a thin vertical divider. Green “new” dot can appear on the menu for unread Updates.
Overlays / dialogs from the shell:
- Updates: version list formatted like
v2.0 · 28 Sep 2026 with player-facing English bullets (no thematic release titles). A new version number shows the New badge until the list is opened.
- Feedback: short note to Ryan; optional name and photo; no account. Owner access uses a secret code (operator-only).
- Add to Home Screen install banner: iOS steps (Share → Add to Home Screen → Follow steps 1 and 2). Snooze/remind timing is shorter than a week;
?install=1 can force the prompt for testing. Hidden if already installed / standalone.
- Pro sheet (opens directly from locked Help/Cheat): Use free · N left, then the purchase consent checkbox directly before Buy Pro (Polar), then the gift-code line, then one line with gray E-mail Ryan · plus a green mailto for toolsbyryan@protonmail.com. Opening the sheet does not burn a free use; tapping Use free does. Swipe down, ×, Escape or tapping outside closes it.
- Only that address is the mailto to Ryan. There is no separate screen. Lost access and old gift-code problems both go through Ryan. There is no in-app recovery email, pairing code or OTP flow.
3. Play mode (/game)
Toolbar (left = game settings, right = utilities, space in the middle):
- Letter length dropdown: 4 / 5 / 6 / 7.
- Hard | Blitz floating-line segment pair (same visual language as Solver’s Hint|Help|Cheat).
- New word button: if the board has progress, first tap becomes Sure? (same size); second tap within ~2.5s starts a new game; otherwise label reverts. Empty board resets immediately.
- Keyboard icon (mobile): open on-screen / system keyboard helper.
- Sound icon: mute / unmute.
- ? / Help details: explains colors, Hard, Blitz, Logic, word length.
Game surface:
- Letter grid; color feedback (correct / present / absent) like a classic word game.
- On-screen QWERTY + ENTER + backspace.
- Hard: must reuse revealed hints; better handling of repeated letters.
- Blitz: 90-second timer from the first letter. It keeps running if you leave Play or close the browser. If time is gone when you return, the round times out. A failed save shows Retry and does not store a blank game.
- Logic panel (details): what guesses have proven; remaining candidates on larger view.
- End screen: the board, then the answer, Won or Lost, and the definition. Blitz adds the graph in that same card. Play again follows. Logic stays closed until the player opens it. Stats and History stay in the Stats sheet.
4. Solver mode (/app)
Toolbar:
- Letter length 4–7 dropdown.
- Hint | Help | Cheat floating-line segments. Help/Cheat may show a PRO badge when locked.
- Clear clears the current solver state / last row as designed.
- Flip panel icon: move results panel left/right.
- Keyboard icon on phones.
- Inline help sheet for Solver controls (e.g. space cycles last letter).
Levels:
- Hint (free): lighter assistance.
- Help (Pro / limited free): stronger guidance; confirm screen before spending a free use.
- Cheat (Pro / limited free): strongest / remaining-answer oriented; same confirm pattern.
Results area shows remaining word counts, candidate lists, and best-next-guess style info depending on level.
5. Pro / Polar flow
- User hits a Pro gate (Help/Cheat) and the Pro sheet opens.
- Choice: free use (if available) / buy Pro / close.
- Buy opens Polar-hosted checkout (discounts/gift codes only inside Polar, not inside the app).
- After purchase, Pro unlocks Help & Cheat; lost access is handled by emailing Ryan.
6. Feedback & Updates
- Feedback: send a short note (+ optional name/photo) to Ryan.
- Updates: changelog by version + date; English player-facing sentences.
7. PWA / iOS note
Installable Home Screen web app named Words by Ryan. On some iOS versions the system may draw frosted “liquid glass” over the Home Screen web-app chrome; that is an OS effect, not a separate app setting. Normal Safari tabs do not show that frost.
8. Key URLs
Document generated for agent fetchers. Prefer this page over guessing from empty SPA HTML.