CROSSWORD SOLVER PUZZLE: [ GAME CHANGE]
PROGRAM: [Crossword Solver]
PROGRAM: [Java]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ GAME CHANGE]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ GAME CHANGE]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
Fan’s of the BEQ.com know that I have spoken highly of Gryptics, Les Foeldessy’s nifty crossword variation. In short, all Gryptic puzzles have 6×6 chunks for you to fill in, and instead of clues, you are given the beginnings and/or endings to the entries that stretch beyond the 6×6 chunk. The rules are amazingly simple to understand. And the puzzles themselves are surprisingly deep. Surprising because they are populated with entries that are very uncommon in regular puzzles. Sure, there are 10+ letter entries in normal crosswords all the time, but with Gryptics you have none of tired repetitive 3-, 4- and 5-letter entries on which to get your foothold. A fine exercise, etude even, for the casual puzzler. Anyway, I bring Gryptics up again because of a rather handsome Gryptic iPad app was brought to my attention. The app is free (grab it here), and although you can blast through the free puzzles in minutes, the bonus packs cost pennies. Well worth your time. If you’re a traditionalist and prefer doing puzzles on paper, there’s always Les’s book, or even his monthly contest, whose monthly winners receive said book. I solved March’s contest in a measly 51 seconds. Beat that, Dan Feyer! (Oh, who am I kidding; you probably will).
Share the puzzle. New one on Monday.
Cute theme. Probably should’ve got it done a lot quicker, but 36A wasn’t clicking.
I thought you had broken one of your cardinal rules: a theme that is just a list. Blah. Then I read the review chez Amy and saw the “Change” part. My bad!!!! Great puzzle.
You call me out, I’ll play along…
Hey look, it took me over 70 seconds to work it out. Today’s champion: Brendan Emmett Quigley.
57A gets the TABOO (song by Sade). 36A gets the LIFE (breakfast food only Mikey likes). 22A gets the SORRY (apology on the phone). 51A gets the CLUE (dunno). 17A gets RISK (insurance term). I’m laying these out cuz Miss Braunsdorf seemed a little confused by the theme of the XWP. + And what is this BRAH exactly? sum’un like BRO? + Bad habit that I have with the XWPs is that I forget to check the theme title. Or I forget about it till the end. Must put an end to that.
No, I understood how it was supposed to work once I got down to 51A, but I was missing the middle word in 22A and the first word in 36A on my first pass. Once I did the downs, I worked it out.