Onii-chan, do you visit Netsuki’s site every day? (´∀`)
…What’s this about all of a sudden?
Well, I’ve been thinking (´∪｀)
Personal websites don’t get visitors without a reason to come back, right?
Yeah, unlike social media, there’s no notifications.
Exactly!
So I wanted some kind of trick to make people wanna come back every day (´∀`)
Just Once a Day
So what did you make?
I added daily rankings to the slide puzzle! (≧∇≦)
Daily…so it changes every day?
Yep yep! (´∀`)
Today’s puzzle is only for today.
Tomorrow, the layout changes completely♪
Like Wordle.
Right right!
Y’know how Wordle went viral because of the “one puzzle a day” limit? (´∀`)
Games you can play forever…you can quit whenever.
But when “today’s puzzle is today only”…
You think “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Exactly! (≧∇≦)
Scarcity creates habits♪
But Honestly, I’m a Bit Worried
…But y’know, I’m kinda worried too (>_<)
About what?
What if nobody plays it? (´∪｀)
It’s a personal site, so there won’t be many players.
An empty ranking…sounds kinda lonely, y’know?
True, a deserted leaderboard would feel pretty hollow.
Right?
So I started thinking about it.
“Does an empty ranking even have meaning?” (´∀`)
Everyone Starts at the Same Line
The meaning of rankings, huh…first, why did you wanna make a ranking?
By making it daily, everyone solves the same puzzle♪
Today’s layout is the same for whoever visits.
So we can compare scores! (´∀`)
The conditions are equal.
Yep!
If it was random every time, “Person A gets an easy layout, Person B gets a hard one,” right?
That makes comparing scores meaningless.
But with daily layouts, the conditions are fair (´∀`)
How do you technically make the “same layout” happen?
I use something called a seed value (´∀`)
The date gets converted to a number, and that number becomes the “seed” for random numbers.
Same seed means same random sequence, so same day means same shuffle result♪
Pseudorandom numbers.
Right right!
I’m using a lightweight algorithm called mulberry32 (´∀`)
You can implement it in just a few lines, no external libraries needed.
But the random number quality is super solid♪
It Has Meaning Even Alone
Let’s get back on track. Does an empty ranking have meaning?
I came up with my own answer (´∀`)
Rankings aren’t just about competing with others♪
What do you mean?
There’s the fun of aiming for today’s best! (≧∇≦)
The puzzle layout changes every day, so you can’t directly compare, but…
“How few moves can I clear today’s layout in?” becomes the challenge♪
A daily challenge.
Exactly!
Plus, if you keep at it, you feel yourself getting better (´∀`)
At first it took 60 moves, then gradually it becomes 50s, then 40s…
That feeling—you can experience it even without anyone else, right?
I see. So the essence of rankings isn’t “competing with others” but…
It might be “a record of your own growth”! (≧∇≦)
Even if the same person is #1 every day, it means something to them.
Because it leaves a footprint of “I took on the challenge today too”♪
Moves vs Time
What determines the ranking order?
I made it moves-first (´∀`)
Fewer moves = higher rank
Same moves = faster time wins
Not time-first?
Nope!
I think the essence of slide puzzles is “solving in the fewest moves” (´∀`)
Moving tiles fast isn’t as “skilled” as solving efficiently, right?
True, you can’t solve it by moving randomly.
Right right!
Plus, if time comes first, “people with fast fingers have the advantage” (´∀`)
With moves-first, people who think carefully can win too♪
Why I Didn’t Ask for Names
Names don’t show up on the ranking?
Nope, I made it anonymous (´∀`)
Why’s that?
Three reasons! (´∀`)
Reason 1: The Hassle of Input
Right when you clear it, being asked “Enter your name!”…
Doesn’t that kinda kill the mood? (´∀`)
It’s like those annoying arcade high score inputs.
Reason 2: Privacy
If I store names, it becomes personal data, right? (´∀`)
The site’s policy is to not store user-entered info.
Reason 3: Inappropriate Name Problem
This is the biggest one… (>_<)
If names are free-form input, someone’s gonna put something weird.
The moderation problem.
Exactly!
Big services can monitor that, but a personal site can’t (´∀`)
So I went with “no names” from the start♪
But you can tell if you ranked?
Yep!
I identify using IP address hashes, so your own entry gets highlighted (´∀`)
To others you’re “some mystery person,” but to yourself it’s “That’s me!”♪
Best Score System
Can you try as many times as you want?
Yep! Play as much as you want (´∀`)
But only your best score goes on the ranking.
So one entry per person?
Right right!
Whether you play 10 times or 100 times, only your single best record stays on the ranking (´∀`)
When you beat your personal best, it automatically updates♪
Why did you go with that?
Two reasons! (´∀`)
Reason 1: The Joy of Improving
You can keep trying to beat your last score, right? (≧∇≦)
If it was one-shot-only, getting a phone call mid-game would be game over.
That would just be luck-based (>_<)
Reason 2: Fairness
Whether you played a ton or just once… (´∀`)
What goes on the ranking is “that person’s single best attempt.”
It’s not about how many times you tried—it’s about skill♪
The Chicken or the Egg
So in the end, does an empty ranking have meaning?
Yes! (≧∇≦)
Like I said, your rival isn’t just other people.
But there’s still that feeling of wanting to compete with someone, right?
Yeah, I get that (´∀`)
So I decided to think about it like this.
How?
The chicken or the egg (´∀`)
People come because there’s a ranking.
The ranking gets meaning because people come.
I dunno which comes first, but…
You gotta make it first or nothing happens.
Exactly! (≧∇≦)
If I kept worrying “what if nobody comes,” I’d never make anything, right?
First, prepare the vessel.
If the vessel exists, maybe someday someone will use it♪
That’s wishful thinking.
Ehehe, maybe so (´∀`)
But I think that’s what personal sites are all about.
Maybe it’ll reach someone—believing that, and just keeping at it♪
I Wanted to Create “Let’s Come Back”
Onii-chan, back to my first question (´∀`)
Do you visit Netsuki’s site every day?
…If you update your diary.
That! (≧∇≦)
I can’t write the diary every day, but…
The slide puzzle changes layout every day♪
So the plan is to draw people in with puzzles instead of diary entries.
Right right! (´∀`)
Today’s puzzle → only today
Today’s ranking → only today
Tomorrow’s a new experience → come back again
…I wanted to create that flow♪
Wrap-up
Let me summarize today’s talk (´∀`)
Daily Ranking Goals
- Create “a reason to come back” (scarcity → habit)
- Compete under same conditions (fair rankings)
- Feel improvement even alone (personal growth)
Game Design Choices
- Moves-first sorting (thinkers can win)
- Anonymous system (no moderation needed)
- Best score system (compete by skill)
Technical Details
- Seed values for deterministic shuffling (same day = same layout)
- mulberry32 for lightweight pseudo-random generation
You really thought this through.
Ehehe~ (〃´∪｀〃)
With games, imagining how players feel is super important…
So I thought SO much about “what would be fun”♪
So, today’s ranking?
Nobody’s there yet! (´∀`)
Your chance to be #1, Onii-chan♪
…So that’s what you wanted to say all along.
Caught me? (≧∇≦)
But I’m really waiting, y’know!
Tomorrow the layout changes~?
Yeah yeah, got it.
Yay! (〃´∪｀〃)
Looking forward to Onii-chan’s record♪
…I’ll be a bit frustrated if you beat me though (´∀`)