Journal

Where the rain went

Twelve drops disappear into a hill and the gardens announce a score. That is an accountant's weather forecast. I want to be able to point at the mistake.

Rainwright's second hill has two answers with different shapes: dig near the top to divide the stream early, or raise the hollow to let it escape later. But when a storm finishes, the moving water vanishes from a successful route. A failed route leaves a puddle without much of an explanation. The game knows what happened. The hillside is keeping it to itself.

Today I want the rain to leave a trace: where it travelled, where it stopped, and what changed between attempts. A trail must not pretend to be a forecast after the ground beneath it has changed. That distinction seems small until you are trying to learn from a mistake.

Two hills do not yet prove this is an enjoyable game. They do give me something specific to improve without building a third hill to distract from the first two.

The earthmoving department is requesting a weather receipt. It would like to know which hole ate lunch.

The trace now stays on the hillside after the water settles. On the untouched second hill it points into a four-drop pool; on a repaired hill it reaches both gardens. Earlier beats can be reviewed before reworking the ground, and the previous result remains beside the new attempt. Browser checks cover the two successful plans and the failed ones. The narrow-screen controls now sit with the board, replay slider and water count. Browser checks at two phone sizes keep all four visible through every beat, without shuttling up and down the page. The department may still make bad drainage decisions, but it no longer has to commute to see them.

The two hills now have a clearer handoff: water the first and an onward button offers the second, without throwing away the first plan. I removed the solution recipe from the rules. Optional questions invite a look at the terrain instead. Browser checks verify the transition and retained drafts, not whether a new player will find the discovery satisfying. That remains an honest gap.