How to Keep Node Spacing Consistent for a Puzzle-Style Layout in graphviz?

I’ve been experimenting with a small word-connection puzzle in an attempt to replicate the visual layout of spellbeegame, where the connections are readable even when the puzzle moves and the letters remain evenly spaced.

I’ve experimented with Dot and Neato, but I consistently get irregular spacing—some nodes group together, others drift apart, and some edges overlap in ways that make it difficult to follow the path. Even after adjusting overlap, ratio, and custom node sizes, the layout still seems uneven.

Has anyone here discovered a dependable method to maintain a layout’s visual balance while letting Graphviz handle the positioning before I start manually placing everything? Or is this simply one of those situations where more geometric, game-like patterns aren’t the best fit for Graphviz?

Any suggestions?

Could you provide a some visual examples of what you are looking for. Hand drawn sketches would be fine.