crosslet.net

Crosslet

A daily word puzzle game where players place letters on a grid to form valid words

Visit Site
The Prompt
Build a daily word puzzle game like a mini crossword. Players get a set of letters and must place them all on a grid to form valid words. Include user authentication, leaderboards, and a puzzle picker.
itsalive Features Used
🔐

Auth

Magic link email authentication for user accounts and leaderboard participation

💾

Database

Stores user profiles, display names, and daily puzzle completions with word counts for the leaderboard

What itsalive Eliminated

Without itsalive

  • Set up a backend server (Node.js/Express or similar)
  • Configure email service (SendGrid, SES) for magic link authentication
  • Set up and manage a database (PostgreSQL, MongoDB) for user data and scores
  • Implement session management and authentication middleware
  • Deploy and maintain server infrastructure

With itsalive

  • Auth just works with simple API calls - magic links sent automatically
  • Database ready instantly with public/private collection settings
  • Leaderboard queries with sorting and filtering built-in
  • Zero backend code needed - pure static frontend
  • Instant deployment with npx itsalive-co
Build Time

Built in a few hours with Claude Code