PuzzleTide

What PuzzleTide MCP server does

PuzzleTide MCP server makes puzzle-generation and puzzle-analysis functions available to MCP-compatible AI clients. Its tools cover word searches, crosswords, sudoku, bundled word banks, and reproducible evaluation tasks. The package is suited to agents that need structured results rather than hand-written grids, especially when correctness or repeatability matters.

Word-search generation accepts custom words, files, or themed word banks. Results include placement information that can be checked, and the generator can produce printable PDF or SVG output. Crossword generation creates interlocking grids with standard numbering and validates the clues supplied for the puzzle. Sudoku tools generate easy through expert puzzles, solve an 81-character puzzle string, and validate conflicts, solvability, and solution uniqueness.

How it works

The MCP companion package is installed and launched as a local stdio process. An MCP client sends tool calls to that process, which invokes the corresponding PuzzleTide functionality and returns structured results. The documented client configuration uses npx -y puzzletide-mcp, so the server can be registered without manually wiring each operation.

PuzzleTide MCP server uses deterministic generation where supported. A seed can make generated output reproducible across machines. Sudoku generation checks for exactly one solution, while crossword generation reports words that cannot be interlocked instead of silently removing them. The daily Sudoku operation provides the same puzzle to users on a given UTC day.

Setup and configuration

Install the MCP server through the client’s MCP configuration. A typical entry is:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "puzzletide": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "puzzletide-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

The README specifically documents Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf setup, and describes the package as usable with any MCP client. The underlying CLI is distributed through npm and also provides ptide and puzzletide command names, but those commands are separate from configuring the MCP server.

Tools and capabilities

The exposed operations include:

• Generate word searches from supplied words, files, or themes, with verifiable placements and PDF/SVG output.
• Generate numbered, interlocking crosswords with validated clues.
• Generate, solve, and validate sudoku puzzles, including uniqueness checks.
• Browse word-bank categories and themes, list theme words, and inspect word-bank statistics.
• Match words against patterns, find anagrams, and select random words.
• Create reproducible puzzle tasks for LLM or agent benchmarks and grade submitted answers by construction.
• Print the daily Sudoku for the current UTC day.

The bundled word tools operate on the package’s starter themes. Custom word lists remain available to the word-search and crossword generation tools through their supported inputs.

Limitations and notes

PuzzleTide MCP server provides puzzle-generation and word-bank search functions; it does not provide a general word-search or crossword solver. The anagram and pattern tools search the bundled starter word banks rather than an unrestricted dictionary. The available word-bank content is limited to the themes included with the package.

The server is local and uses the npm package named in the MCP configuration. Client-specific setup details, tool arguments, and input formats should be checked in the project’s MCP documentation.