Arroword is a real-time, collaborative arrow-word puzzle-solving app for iOS built with SwiftUI and Firebase.
It brings live presence collaboration - similar to real-time document editing - to the world of arrow-word puzzles.
Users can upload a puzzle (from image, PDF, or live scan), invite friends, and solve it together - with each participant’s contributions shown live on the board in real time.
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Multiple users solve the same puzzle together in real time.
State is synchronized using Firestore listeners, so all participants see updates instantly - with no manual refresh. |
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All active puzzles appear in the main lobby as cards, each showing a compact visual summary of the group’s progress:
This allows players to see progress at a glance and encourages friendly competition, while remaining lightweight through lazy loading and local snapshot caching. |
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Users can start a new shared puzzle group by importing:
Arroword then automatically detects the puzzle’s grid dimensions and initializes a structured puzzle board. |
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After a puzzle file, scan, or image is selected, Arroword automatically detects the grid dimensions and distinguishes definition cells from answer cells. The puzzle is then converted into a precise, coordinate-indexed grid model. This enables:
Any printed puzzle becomes a fully interactive, cell-accurate board - ready for collaborative play. |
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Arroword has been distributed privately through TestFlight for real-world testing with multiple users. This allowed refinement of:
This ensures the app performs reliably outside the simulator and under real network conditions. |
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A built-in chat system is being developed, allowing members to discuss specific riddles directly on the board.
A long-press on a cell opens a chat scoped to that clue’s context.
This feature is currently being tested in latest builds and iterated based on feedbacks.
Arroword is an active project in ongoing development.
The real-time collaboration, lobby experience, and core puzzle mechanics are fully implemented and tested with real users through private TestFlight distribution.
The codebase is currently private while the app is being prepared for broader release.
If you're reviewing this in the context of a role or collaboration, I’d be happy to walk through architecture and implementation details in conversation.
If you are an Android developer or interested in helping port the experience to Android, feel free to reach out - collaboration is welcome.
Jonatan Vider
Product & Game Developer - Tel Aviv, Israel