Very cool idea! I think what I came up with should count as a solution too but alas it didn’t work, and that left me wondering if I understood the idea correctly. Otherwise a great game.
[Solution spoiler!] My non-accepted option that I feel should have been accepted
- SPACE
- EPICS
- PINES
- ASPER
- THETA (this one should be optional IMO)
- LOAMY
I found later in the comments that when the last word is SPICE but I’m not sure I would have easily figured that out as nothing points at that.