How to write great clues

A great ThoughtMatch clue is one your friends solve in seconds and the Dener stares at blankly. Here's how to write clues like that, with weak and strong examples side by side.

By Ansh R. Suryavanshi, creator of ThoughtMatch

What a clue is made of

Every clue in ThoughtMatch has two parts. The first is a word that only you can see. It has to be a real English dictionary word, it has to start with the letters of the secret word revealed so far (the prefix), and it can't be a word that has already been revealed this round. The second part is the clue text, which everyone sees, including the Dener. It can be 1 to 100 characters long and must not contain your word.

When a teammate thinks they know your word, they press Contact! and type it privately. If everyone who joins the contact writes your word, the contact holds and the Dener reveals the next letter. If the Dener types your word first, the clue is broken. You'll find the full rules on the how to play page.

Writing for two audiences

This is what makes clue writing different from a crossword. A crossword clue only has to be solvable. A ThoughtMatch clue has to be solvable by your teammates and unsolvable by the Dener, who reads the same text and has unlimited guesses.

The Dener has one big disadvantage: they only see the clue text, never the word, and they're busy watching every other clue too. Your teammates have one big advantage: they know you. They know your habits, your favorite films and the stories you tell. The best clues use that gap.

So before posting, ask two questions. Would at least one teammate get this in under ten seconds? Would the Dener get it in under ten seconds? You want yes and no.

Shared references and in-jokes

The dictionary rule only applies to words: the secret word, the word behind your clue, and the words people type when they make contact. The clue text itself is free. You can mention people's names, places, shows, songs, games and anything that happened at last month's barbecue.

That's the strongest tool you have. Some kinds of shared reference that work well:

• Group history. "What broke on our camping trip" only works for the people who were there.
• Personal habits. "What Theo orders at every single restaurant" points at one word for anyone who has eaten with Theo.
• Shared media. A line from a show you watch together, or an object from a game you all play.
• Earlier in the game. "The word Ana nearly broke last round" is a reference the Dener might have missed while they were busy.

Be careful when the Dener shares the reference. If the Dener was also on the camping trip, they know what broke. In-jokes work best when you pick ones the Dener wasn't part of.

Levels of obscurity

It helps to think of clues on a scale from plain to private. Each step up makes the Dener's job harder and your teammates' job harder too.

1. Definition. "A tall plant with a trunk" for tree. Anyone can solve it, including the Dener. Only useful when the Dener is swamped.
2. Association. "Goes with peanut butter" for jelly. One step sideways, but still easy to guess.
3. Shared culture. A reference to a film, song or book that your group knows well. The Dener may know it too, but they have to make the jump.
4. Shared experience. Something that happened to your group. Very hard for an outsider.
5. Private. Something only you and one other player know. Strong if that player is paying attention, useless if they aren't.

Early in a round, when the prefix is a single letter, levels 2 and 3 often work, because there are so many possible words that the Dener can't try them all. Later, as the prefix grows and fewer words fit, the Dener can list the candidates, so you'll need levels 3 to 5.

Weak clues and strong clues

Here are the same words with a weak clue and a stronger one. The stronger clues assume a group of friends with some history. Swap in your own.

The weak clues are definitions, and a Dener with the right prefix will try those words almost at once. The strong clues point at a single word through something only the group knows.

Clues the game rejects

The game won't accept a clue whose text contains your word. The check ignores capital letters and punctuation, and it covers the singular and plural forms as well.

• For apple, "Apple pie filling" and "Two apples a day" are both rejected.
• The word also counts when it's hidden inside a longer word. "Not a pineapple" is rejected for apple.
• For berry, "Mixed berries" is rejected, and so is "Strawberry jam".

If your clue is rejected, rephrase around the word rather than fighting the check. Rhymes, sounds-like hints and partial spellings tend to be easy for the Dener anyway.

Your word itself can also be rejected. It has to start with the current prefix, be in the dictionary, and not be a word already revealed this round. People's names aren't in the dictionary, so "Theo" can't be your word, though it can appear in your clue text. Common places and festivals, like "rome" or "holi", are allowed.

How long a clue should be

Clue text can be up to 100 characters. That's room for a short sentence, not a paragraph.

• Short clues are fast. Teammates can read and contact quickly, which cuts the Dener's time. But a short clue is usually a definition, and the Dener reads fast too.
• Longer clues can set up a reference. "What Jay ordered, then sent back, at the diner after the concert" takes a moment to read, but it points somewhere only your group can go.
• Cut extra words. Every detail should either help a teammate or mislead nobody. Details that don't help just give the Dener more to work with.

A quick checklist

1. Does my word start with the prefix, and is it a real word that hasn't been used this round?
2. Is it a word the Dener won't try in their first few guesses?
3. Will at least one specific teammate get the clue straight away?
4. Does the clue lean on something the Dener doesn't share?
5. Does it point at exactly one word, with no likely synonyms?

For more on how clues fit into the wider game, like timing contacts and managing your three open clues, read the strategy guide. If you want to see clue writing from the other side, the guide to playing the Dener explains how a good Dener attacks clues.