Today’s bonus puzzle is a flexible themed midi titled “Shifting Positions.” If you’re working from home during this period, remember to take breaks to get up and stretch every once in a while!
I’ve been enjoying the themed midi format as a showcase for bite-size, often simpler three-part themes that would get eclipsed by a large grid. Minis and midis (ranging from roughly 5x5 to 11x11 size) are plentiful out in the wide world of crosswords, but I’d love to see more of them incorporate themes. One series of themed minis I’m excited about just started on The Daily Beast, by noted meta-crossword constructor Matt Gaffney—consider bookmarking it if you haven’t already.
This month we’re going for a ride along some “Highways And Byways” with a little non-standard trickiness in the mix to keep you honest. Enjoy!
Other fun recent developments: I had a guest variety puzzle (a pangram midi) appear on the delightful Sid’s Grids, as well as my second Universal Crossword puzzle publication. Look forward to more where those came from!
For the second puzzle this month, we have a themed midi titled “Perfect Bores” that may have you looking for the nearest exit. I’ve been honing in on certain approach to this style of puzzle: 11x-ish in size with 2-3 theme answers and an optional reveal. Who says little puzzles can’t pack full-size themes?
Given that more themed midi ideas have been popping up for me recently—many are themes that don’t quite scale up to a 15x size—I’ve decided to make this a regular feature! So each month, a full-sized puzzle will appear on the 1st, as usual, and a themed midi will show up on the 15th.
This month we have a timely puzzle titled “Remote Controls.” The theme came to me almost fully formed a few days ago. We’re entering April in a situation many of us didn’t envision until very recently, but I know crosswords are helping provide some light and fun these days—I hope this puzzle can contribute to that.
In other Crossworld news, this past month marked the inaugural Couchword Tournament, which was an absolute blast and a great opportunity to build community in difficult times—I’m looking forward to more. Another great resource that debuted is Daily Crossword Links, which I’m already using on a daily basis to stay current on indie crosswords from around the web. Stay safe and puzzly, friends.
This month, we’re pounding the pavement in a themed puzzle titled “Concrete Jungle.” The wordplay carries out its fiduciary duties as best it can. Enjoy!
In other Crossworld news, this past week marked my debut in the venerable Universal Crosswords. Head on over here (select “Is This Thing On?” for 2/27/2020) to solve that puzzle! Also, don’t forget to sign up for the mailing list on the sidebar over to your left to receive this monthly series straight to your inbox.
Surprise! Another bonus themed midi is here, titled “About Face.” It packs a light theme related to that certain part of the body.
While I had originally planned a meta/contest puzzle as a bonus this month, I’ve realized that the idea needs some more baking time in the oven. It will show up later this year, but in the meantime, please enjoy this bite-size puzzle snack!
This month in the Datalexic crossword series brings a puzzle titled “All For Naught” that has some bite to it. Enjoy!
And if you’re new to Datalexic crosswords, a friendly invitation to sign up for the mailing list, over on the left sidebar—a new puzzle will get delivered fresh to your inbox every 1st of the month.
New year, new start to a monthly puzzle series. This themed puzzle is titled “Famous Names” and brings you a take on a few of them. Enjoy!
And speaking of puzzles, my published debut is now available through the wonderful AVCX. Big thanks to the editorial team there for generously guiding me through the process!
Welcome to a sneak peek at Datalexic’s upcoming crossword series. Today’s themed midi “Cattle Callings” winks at the holiday season. I’ll be posting a puzzle on the first of every month, plus a bonus themed midi puzzle on occasion. Enjoy!
Note: My themed midis are going to focus on 11x-ish crosswords with 2-3 theme answers and an optional revealer. Perfect for those theme ideas that don’t quite work as full puzzles, but still provide some bite-size word play.