For today’s post, I’ve gathered a few tidbits from around the world of puzzles to keep you informed. We’ve got puzzles to solve, a discount code, a new crossword tournament in 2027, and more!
It’s a multi-page printout because the puzzle is loaded with trivia and references to her life, career, and accomplishments. It was clearly a labor of love, one that George kindly allowed me to share with all of you.
A new crossword tournament has been announced for 2027, as crosswords are coming to Canada!
The Canadian Crossword Open will be held on June 5th in Toronto! And they’ve already got constructors announced for the event.
Emma Lawson, Will Nediger, Ada Nicolle, Jess Shulman, and Nam Jin Yoon are all constructing for the tournament.
Not only that, but they’re hosting an open submission contest for Canadian constructors to contribute a puzzle to the inaugural tournament. Click here for more details!
Did you know that September is Sudoku Month? (At least, according to one calendar I saw.)
Well, apparently it is, and our friends at Penny/Dell Puzzles are running a promotion all month!
They’re offering a 15% off discount code on all Sudoku magazines, subscriptions, and value packs.
Just use the code “ilovesudoku” on their website to receive your discount and indulge in some Sudoku solving!
It’s always important when a constructor identifies a gap in the market or a group that is being underrepresented in puzzles.
Construct Robin Stears (a previous contributor to The Inkubator, Women of Letters, and several These Puzzles Fund Abortions collections) recently lamented the lack of an outlet featuring women-focused crosswords.
So she decided to create one herself.
Go to her Patreon to sample her Midi puzzles highlighting the accomplishments of women. You can download PDFs or solve digitally with puz versions of these 9×9 crosswords.
It’s a worthwhile endeavor to be sure, so please check it out.
Were there any stories or puzzly promotions this week that I missed? Let me know in the comments section below! I’d love to hear from you.
The nineteenth edition of Lollapuzzoola, as is tradition, arrived on a Saturday in August. Last Saturday, in fact. (I was not in attendance, but I did purchase the Solve at Home puzzle pack.)
I had a chance to sit down and try my hands at this year’s tournament puzzles, and I was certainly not disappointed.
This year’s theme was “Around the World.” Every puzzle had something to do with travel or geography, and the constructors were clearly inspired in all sorts of ways. Let’s take a look at what they came up with.
Warmup Puzzle A: Twinlets by Brian Cimmet
A traditional Cimmet Twinlets (Cimlets? CimTwins?) puzzle begins the day’s proceedings and boy, did he hit the ground running! He presented the solver with two identical grids and two sets of clues, and you have to figure out which grid each answer applies to.
This was complicated by the fact that EIGHT of the answers across both grids had the same clue: “European country.” But I started filling in answers to establish the first grid, then worked back and forth as the answers continued to populate and reveal which clues fit which grid.
I really dig Twin Crosswords or Twinlets puzzles, and Brian has a knack for putting just enough common letters in the same spaces in both grids to keep you guessing. (And for writing several long clues that never disappoint.) I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle.
Interesting grid entries included LOST ART, SILENT O, and O, CANADA, and my favorite clues were “Three-syllable berry that’s great for both health and crossword construction” for ACAI and the 39-Across pairing of “____ on the Roof” for FIDDLER and “The other 39-Across, for one” for MUSICAL.
Warmup Puzzle B: Up in the Airby Brooke Husic
With a grid layout that feels like a moth or butterfly in flight, Husic clearly had flying on the brain, and her travel-centric apt pair — JETLAGGED and FLIGHT DELAYED — stacked together nicely. (Heck, having a grid that was short in one direction and long in the other FELT like travel, the trip there and the trip home.)
Brooke is a master at maximizing smaller grids, and she paired fun grid fill with longer, trivia- and opinion-focused clues, many of which continued the travel theme. (Also, she shouted out the board game Sky Team, which is a blast.)
Interesting grid entries included ALT LIT and JINX, and my favorite clues were “…—…” for SOS and “Plucked bass?” for ANGLED. (Though I didn’t know that pets can ride on Amtrak if they’re under 20 pounds. I love learning things from puzzles!)
There was also a contest puzzle featuring locations from famous musicals, which definitely tested my theatrical knowledge.
I’m sure there was frantic Googling during the breaks between puzzles for solvers to complete this one before the Puzzle 5 deadline!
Puzzle #1: Screen Sharing by Ada Nicolle
Kicking off a day of tournament solving is a daunting challenge — balancing accessibility, difficulty, style, flavor, skill, and playfulness, all while ably representing that event’s energy or that year’s theme — and I’m always impressed by the constructors who tackle that challenge.
Fortunately, solvers and tournament organizers were in the capable hands of Ada Nicolle, who created a great opening puzzle. It was a smooth solving experience with engaging cluing and tons of personality (as one should expect from Nicolle).
The theme was impressive, featuring compound words or phrases where both parts of the answer could be placed in front of the word CHECK to form a common phrase (RAIN check and COAT check for RAINCOAT, for instance), ably showing off the PRE-CHECK promised by the revealer.
Interesting grid entries included NU METAL, HO-HOS, TONSIL, and BAGUETTE, and my favorite clues were “What it might take to ask out a crush” for COURAGE and “Wide-brimmed accessory for Carmen Sandiego” for HAT.
Puzzle #2: Wherever the Wind Takes You…by Carina da Rosa
This year, the ORCAS crowned Carina as an Emerging Constructor to watch, and I think she’s proven everyone who voted for her correct.
The eye-catching shape of a hot-air balloon grid was just the tip of the iceberg with this puzzle, as solvers would discover that one letter from each theme answer had floated up, up, and away from the main entry, appearing in a circle above as part of the balloon’s design. The capper was each letter spelling out HOT AIR.
This is beautiful design and execution, especially with a packed grid like this. The page itself was equally packed with longer clues which made it a little difficult to read and solve (a pattern that would continue with the next puzzle… or maybe I need to revisit my prescription with my eye doctor). Nonetheless, this was a highlight of the day.
Interesting grid entries included RAW OYSTER, UNSUNG, COLBERT, and ADROIT, and my favorite clues were “Place to park your butt?” for ASHTRAY, “Hoffman whose FBI file was 13,262 pages long” for ABBIE, and “Portuguese greeting formed by dropping one letter from a Spanish greeting” for OLA.
Puzzle #3: What to Know Before You Travelby Amie Walker
Intend your puns indeed, as Amie Walker has some doozies for you in this one! The clues take traditional travel terms (“Baggage claim,” “Carry-on item,” “Domestic carrier,” etc.) and deliver tongue-in-cheek responses as answers (I’VE GOT TRUST ISSUES, TEMPER TANTRUM, BABY STROLLER).
Packing seven answers into this grid was no small feat, but Walker managed to stack the grid with charming fill as well, offering the densest and most ambitious puzzle design of the day. My puzzly mind definitely appreciated this one, even if my eyes didn’t.
Interesting grid entries included BLITHERING, ICE CAVES, EGG CUP, and COBBLE, and my favorite clues were “Word ____ (you, maybe)” for NERD and “Enjoy a Manhattan tour, say?” for BARHOP.
Puzzle #4: Crossing the Lineby Adam Wagner
Much like the dreaded Puzzle #5 at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Puzzle #4 at Lollapuzzoola is usually a super-heavyweight challenge, and this might be the toughest I can remember from any previous event.
It took me a LONG time to realize the trick of this one. The revealer DAY OFF pointed me towards some sort of time shift, but I kept staring at the entries that crossed the dotted line down the middle of the grid and coming up empty. Seven of the clues simply refused to match their entries, until I finally noticed that each of those seven clues started with same letter as a day of the week (“Mob target” for Monday, “Tutor coaches” for Tuesday, etc.)
And when you shift the first two letters of each clue back a day, the clues suddenly make sense. “Mob target” becomes “Sub target,” which makes total sense for DESTROYER.
Tough clues, TOUGH gimmick, but a well-constructed puzzle. Although I easily completed it within the 40 minutes allowed, I don’t know that I understood it during that 40 minutes.
Interesting grid entries included RUH-ROH, U-HAULS, SAMURAI, and FROYO, and my favorite clues were “Beat generation?” for PULSE, “Breakfast accompaniment?” for BED, and “Construction term that becomes a meteorological term if SO is added after the first letter” for IBAR.
Puzzle #5: Every Second Countsby Will Nediger
Nediger closed out the pre-championship puzzles with this grid that feels like one long, snaky journey from the upper left to the lower right, meandering like a river.
Solvers found a very cool theme waiting for them where the theme answer was one location, but another location was circled in alternating spaces within the theme answer, like ALGERIA (AGRA within ALGERIA). Will packed six of these pairings into the grid, plus the revealer ALTERNATE PLANS. (And I quite liked SIDE TRIP as sort of a bonus revealer.)
All in all, a very impressive bit of construction, research, and theme execution. A terrific closer before the big finale.
Interesting grid entries included IDEOGRAMS, PIPING HOT, TRIMARAN, CLARISSA, and Wario, and my favorite clues were “Like plants that produce little to no chlorophyll” for ALBINO and “Punishment from a Discord moderator” for BAN.
Puzzle #6: Championship Finalby Trenton Charlson
As always, there were two sets of clues for the Finals puzzle, the Local and the more difficult Express clues. No matter which clues you were working with, you were in for an excellent tournament finale.
This grid had clean stacks of 8-letter entries and 9-letter entries in the corners, and some unforgiving crossings that really reminded me of how much skill and creativity it takes to construct a great themeless puzzle.
The cluing was surprisingly accessible for a championship final (across both the Local and Express clues), and I can imagine many of the solvers in attendance performing well on this solve.
I don’t know Charlson’s work, but I’ll definitely be looking for their byline in the future.
Interesting grid entries included JUMBO JET, SEE STARS, YTTRIUM, and DON QUIXOTE. Both the Local and Express sets of clues had some gems, so I’ll list them separately below:
Local clues:
“Farm animal follower” for EIEIO
“Festival celebrating the arrival of spring” for TET
“Starter starter?” for NON
Express clues:
“Agrarian refrain” for EIEIO
“Something a guitarist often has on hand?” for CALLUS
“One who dreams knightly?” for DON QUIXOTE
“Palms or pockets” for STEALS
“Start to sense” for NON
“9 to 5, e.g.” for ODDS
There was also a tiebreaker themeless midi by Laura Braunstein, which was an excellent, quick solve. The playful cluing and great flow made it an enjoyable interlude before the championship, and the apt pair of FIRST SIGHT and LAST RESORT really encapsulated the travel theme of the event nicely.
Interesting grid entries included WIGGLE ROOM and DARK HORSES, and my favorite clues were “Place for a pawdicure” for PET SPA and “General of the Resistance” for LEIA (put some respect on her name!).
There were ALSO two bonus puzzle suites — a variety one by Scott Weiss and a meta crossword one by Crossword Gentleman Doug Peterson — which I did not have an opportunity to solve before posting.
Another year, another parade of bangers from the Lollapuzzoola team. There were visually impressive grids, devious acts of cluing chicanery and cruciverbalism, and many many MANY trivia-loaded clues (a personal favorite of mine).
Every puzzle was well-constructed, smartly filled, and clued with love, personality, snark, and enthusiasm. It’s hard to precisely put a finger on what makes a crossword feel like a Lollapuzzoola puzzle — a unique blend of rock n’ roll and Tom Lehrer, maybe — but the LPZ spirit is alive (and often kicking) in each of these entries.
I can only imagine what they’ve got in store for us next year to mark the 20th edition of the tournament. Sadly, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
On the plus side, I’ve got puzzle suites to solve while I wait! Happy puzzling, everyone!
Did you tackle this year’s Lollapuzzoola crossword tournament, fellow puzzlers, either from home or live in person? Let me know in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you!
Just a quick post today to talk about a puzzly event this weekend, two more coming up, and a brand-new one announced for next year!
Lollapuzzoola always happens on a Saturday in August, and this Saturday, August 15th IS that Saturday in August.
Trenton Charlson, Carina da Rosa, Will Nediger, Ada Nicolle, Adam Wagner, and Amie Walker have constructed puzzles for this year’s event, “Around the World.”
(And those aren’t the only names contributing this year! Laura Braunstein constructed the tiebreaker puzzle, Crossword Gentleman Doug Peterson constructed the crossword meta suite, and Scott Weiss constructed the variety puzzle meta suite.)
If you’re missing out on Lollapuzzoola, don’t fret. There’s another NYC puzzly event next month!
The 2026 Bryant Park Crossword Tournament returns on Saturday, September 19, with singles and pairs division solving available!
Mike Shenk has constructed all three puzzles for the event and will be co-hosting with Amy Goldstein, who is genuinely one of the nicest people in puzzles.
Registration is open (and is nearly full, so sign up ASAP) for this year’s edition of the Midwest Crossword Tournament! Mark down October 3rd, 2026 on the calendar.
Shannon Rapp and Sally Hoelscher are organizing the tournament, and Christina Iverson and Tracy Bennett are signed up as editors, so you know the tournament is in good hands!
2026 has been jam-packed with puzzly fun, and 2027 is looking just as bright. A new tournament will be debuting in March!
The Rain City Crossword Tournament brings puzzly challenges to the Pacific Northwest, as Seattle can now claim its own destination tournament!
Registration opens in early Autumn (I’ll keep you posted!) but you can click here for more details as the inaugural event approaches.
Will you be participating in any of these events, either in person or from home, fellow puzzler? Are you excited for a new tournament to be hitting the West Coast? Let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.
The ORCAS are the Oscars of the crossword community, dedicated to celebrating excellence in crosswords, and that was certainly the case during last night’s awards ceremony!
Clocking in at just under an hour, this was an event at breakneck speed, opening as all online award shows should: with technical difficulties.
David Kwong offered some anagram suggestions for other award shows and then passed the mic to Rich Proulx, whose bowtie game was ON POINT.
Rich’s intro was delightful, particularly when he shared that over $15,000 had been raised for the Trevor Project through the ORCAS puzzle packet!
With 97 people in attendance — including many nominees and puzzle luminaries in the chat — the first award was preceded by a tough trivia puzzle celebrating all of this year’s presenters:
After the solution was revealed, Ophira Eisenberg joined David in the hosting duties before inviting our first two guest presenters to handle BEST META CROSSWORD and BEST EASY CROSSWORD.
I must confess that meta crosswords aren’t always my bag, but there’s no denying the skill and craftiness it takes to construct an effective meta. I ended up voting for “Blind Stitch” by Hanh Huynh because it felt like such a solidly constructed introduction to the concept of meta crosswords. It’s a great solve.
WINNER: Evan Birnholz for “Flying Colors”
“Queen of the Mondays” Lynn Lempel then read out the nominees for BEST EASY CROSSWORD.
Making easy crosswords is way tougher than it looks, and making easy crosswords that are still surprising and engaging is even harder. Despite that, this was a stacked category.
My vote went to Nate Cardin’s Untitled puzzle from the LA Times on February 25. Managing to find five phrases/compound words (OVERDRAFT, BODY WASH) where both parts could be followed by the word BOARD was an impressive feat of cruciverbalism.
WINNER: Jess Shulman for “Clear Up to Here?” (Lynn was the first presenter of the evening to do the “opening the envelope” gimmick for the winner.)
T Campbell and Laura Braunstein joined to present the next two categories.
Laura, one of the minds behind The Inkubator crossword, presented the EMERGING CONSTRUCTOR AWARD.
I sadly wasn’t familiar with all of the nominees in this category, so I had to go with someone whose puzzles I felt I’d had a good sampling of. My vote went to Carina da Rosa, whose work in Puzzmo and LilAVCX I’d enjoyed throughout the year.
And it turns out I wasn’t alone in my assessment!
WINNER: Carina da Rosa
T Campbell did a wonderful introduction about what separates BEST SUNDAY-SIZED CROSSWORD from the usual crossword fare before reading the nominees.
Despite the sheer ambition of “Just One Clue 2” and its crowd-sourced cluing, my vote came down to either the grid shape wordplay of Jonathan Raksin and Jeff Chen’s “Self-Starters” and the diabolic vocabulary in crosstina Aquafina and erik agard’s “themeless no. 36.”
I mean, we got SATAN WORSHIP and TWO CHEEKS OF THE SAME ASS, neither of which I’ve ever encountered in a grid. That being said, my deep affection for visual gimmicks in crosswords won out here.
WINNER: crosstina Aquafina and erik agard’s “themeless no. 36.”
Stella Zawistowski and Kim Vu were the next two guest presenters, with Stella handling BEST VARIETY CROSSWORD.
I love variety crosswords, because there are so many ways you can play with the traditional crossword formula to make something new and exciting. Rows Garden and Marching Bands puzzles are deviously designed masterpieces when constructed well, and this category showed off skill and cleverness in equal measure.
My vote went to a puzzle style I’d never seen before, as Ryan Faley’s “Nonplussed 4” combined across and down cluing with a non-traditional grid and a Rows Garden-style interior shape (pluses instead of blooms). I loved the construction and creativity, and the revealer was the cherry on top. Terrific stuff.
WINNER: joon pahk’s Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad
“joooooooooooooooooooooooooon” calls rang out both over the stream and in the chat to celebrate joon’s win.
Kim then read the nominees for BEST TOURNAMENT CROSSWORD.
Tournament puzzles are invariably bangers because they can push the difficulty AND creative envelopes, and this category was LOADED with heaps of cool ideas and challenges. (Last year’s Lollapuzzoola alone could have filled this entire category.)
We then got a sincere send-off for influential creator and puzzle icon Mel Taub.
Our next two guest presenters were Peter Collins and Vic Fleming. They had a great little gimmick involving a swear jar and a virtual handover of $10 to celebrate the eventual winner of BEST CLUE (and my favorite of the nominated clues):
WINNER: [They might have “fuck you” money] for SWEAR JARS by Amie Walker and Amanda Rafkin, AVCX, April 18th
They next presented BEST THEMED CROSSWORD, which was another stacked category.
This category was a case of leading with your strongest contender, because Ada Nicolle blew me away with “Would You Let Me Finish” from Apple News+ on January 5th.
The grid is populated with longer entries that, when the last letters are removed, form the actual answers to the clues. So GOT THE ICK becomes GO-TH-IC, for example. It’s a great gimmick and a fun reveal when you get it.
WINNER: Untitled by Adam Wagner and Rebecca Goldstein
Rafael Musa, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Ben Gross then interrupted the proceedings for an interactive game with the audience. But first, they had a surprise award to hand out!
The Leviathan Award celebrates important contributions to the world of crosswords, so Ryan was blindsided by this award for creating the crossword software Ingrid. A video full of kind words from fellow constructors was played. It was heartwarming stuff.
Three instances of a puzzle game called Bracket City challenged the audience next. The goal was to unravel a series of crossword-style clues nested within each other, like so:
I doubt I was the first to solve this puzzle, but I was the first to post the solution in the chat: BLACK AND WHITE.
Work from the inside out with the brackets. [gun, as an engine] is REV, so you get [REVolving __] for DOOR, then [Friday with REVolving DOORbusters] for BLACK. [south of Spain] is SUR, so you get [flag raised in SURrender] for WHITE. BLACK AND WHITE is the final answer.
David and Ophira solved the first two puzzles live while the audience solved at home, and everyone was challenged to solve the third (and most complicated) bracket city puzzle in their free time. Can you unravel it?
David and Ophira continued the awards and presented the next category, BEST MIDI CROSSWORD.
As was the case with several categories, we were absolutely spoiled for choices when it came to midi crosswords. Crossword Gentleman Doug Peterson had a great one, we had ablaut reduplications from Alex Rossell Hayes, a tightly constructed foursome of BOOM-based entries from Amie Walker, and Peanuts grid art from franci dimitrovska.
But I had to go “By the Numbers” by Kaye Brown. The sheer ambition of a LOST-centric puzzle with character names reading across and aligning with the infamous numbers from the show. It’s a fantastic bit of constructing wizardry.
WINNER: Amie Walker for “Bangers”
Our next presenters were Brad Wilber and Mangesh Ghogre to handle the one-two punch of BEST CRYPTIC CROSSWORD and BEST VARIETY CRYPTIC CROSSWORD.
I have been on a quest to improve my cryptic crossword solving over the last few years, so the nominees in these two categories put me through my paces! The devious cluing was at its peak in the cryptics, and I think I spent more time on each cryptic than I did on any two or three of the puzzles in the other categories!
Amidst all the tough cluing and interesting vocabulary, it was Jamie Ding’s AVCX Cryptic and The Rackenfracker’s “High Definition” who got my votes this year.
WINNER, BEST CRYPTIC: PiGuyN for “pi guy cryptic 22”
WINNER, BEST VARIETY CRYPTIC: The Rackenfracker (JonMichael Rasmus & Sean Weitner) for “High Definition”
Our penultimate pair of guest presenters were Katie Grogg (looking glam!) and Jared Goudsmit. They presented the nominees and some great puns as well (and made a strong case for hosting next year’s awards).
The first award they presented was BEST CROSSWORD-RELATED MEDIA.
This is a new category for this year’s ORCAS, and as you can imagine, I was absolutely stoked to be included amidst a murderer’s row of excellent, insightful commentary on all things crosswords.
I quite selfishly voted for a PuzzCulture piece, as I was immensely proud of “The Curious Case of Richard Simon’s Aunt, Hedwig.” I didn’t expect to win, and was very content just for the opportunity for new eyes to find the blog.
Katie and Jared then presented BEST CROSSWORD COMMENTARY.
I love the behind-the-curtain glimpses offered in columns like Rex Parker’s, Wordplay, and the LA Times Crossword Corner, many of whom have been commenting crosswords longer than some of the attendees have been making crosswords or solving them!
All of these nods are well-deserved — Deb and Malaika are brilliant, distinct voices in the crossworld — but it was “Malaika Handa and Stephen Lurie” by Renee Thomason that got my vote.
WINNER: Sally Hoelscher for “Terrors of the Deep”
Our final two awards were presented by Christina Iverson and the very dapper Andy Kravis. First up was BEST THEMELESS CROSSWORD.
This one was a three-horse race for me, with killer efforts by Paolo Pasco, guest host Christina, and Erik Agard, all chock-full of great vocabulary and ambitious crossings. I finally managed to narrow it to Erik’s August 18th New Yorker puzzle when it came to my vote, but really, any of these three would be worthy winners.
WINNER: Erik Agard’s August 18th New Yorker puzzle
Finally, it was time for CONSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR.
I genuinely have no idea how you even narrow down nominations for this category, because there are SO MANY talented constructors. My shortlist would be 30 people deep, easy!
Each of the puzzles included in the Trevor Project Puzzle Pack represented the nominees well, but it was Rafael Musa and Adam Wagner’s puzzles that stuck with me the most. I loved the gimmick in Adam’s “Endless Loop,” but in the end, I went with Rafael Musa. Each time I saw that name in the byline, I knew I was guaranteed a terrific solve.
WINNER: Adam Wagner
Adam was there to accept and gave a very sweet speech, celebrating the welcoming crossword community and the support of his wife and family. Amazingly, he only started constructing in 2019!
You can’t complain about an award show that only takes up an hour of your time, especially when Oscar and Emmy broadcasts can last into the wee hours. And the crossword community is full of quirky, likable folks, so anytime you can get a bunch of them in a room (virtual or otherwise) together, you’re guaranteed a good time.
I thought it was a little weird that the games got more time than some of the categories, but this was my first ORCAS. Maybe that’s how the show usually goes!
Congratulations to all the winners! There were so many amazing puzzles published last year, and it was a pleasure to get to solve so many mind-bending, entertaining, and lovingly crafted cruciverbalist creations.
It was cool to see 5 out of my 15 selections get the nod (and a few other winners in my honorable mentions). And I’m already taking notes to contribute nominees to next year’s ORCAS!
What did you think of the ORCAS, fellow puzzler? Did your favorites win? Was there a puzzle you loved that you wish had gotten more of a spotlight?
Let me know in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!
Welcome to the PuzzCulture 2025 Holiday Puzzly Gift Guide!
We’re so excited to be bringing you our biggest ever gift guide! There are so many tremendously fun and puzzly products to share with you this year. We just might be your one-stop shop for all things puzzly!
In this edition of the Holiday Puzzly Gift Guide, we have endeavored to strike a balance between the most affordable price we could find for each product and the most reliable outlet to get your gifts to you in time for the holidays!
Please enjoy this assortment of dice games, brain teasers, card games, puzzle books, group & party games, murder mysteries, escape room games, and board games, all organized in price from lowest to highest. We’re sure you’ll find the right gift for any puzzler on your list!
Any amounts in Pounds have been placed where they’d land roughly when converted to dollars. And please note that shipping is not factored into any of these prices.
Since most of the puzzle books, magazines, and puzzle bundles in this year’s gift guide are between $5 and $15, and most subscription services are between $15 and $30 per year, we figured we’d bundle them all up front before we get into all of the games, puzzles, and other terrific holiday treats!
Pencil-and-paper puzzles are alive and well, and we’re happy to share some of our favorites with you.
Maybe you’re looking for a grab bag full of different puzzles, like their Winter Fun Holiday Pack ($27.95) or a Championship Puzzle Pack of 40 magazines ($33.95)! Or perhaps you’d prefer one kind of puzzle, with the ease of printing at home with Print N’ Solve Magazines and Puzzle Packets (starting at $4.75). Either way, the folks at Penny Dell Puzzles have got you covered.
And be sure to check out their deals on Facebook and Twitter throughout the holiday season. They’ve got bundles and discounts for days!
And while we’re on the topic of puzzle books, some of the best constructors (and many favorites of the blog) have released their own books for your perusal! And with New York Times,Los Angeles Times, and USA Today puzzles to their credit, you’re sure to find some quality puzzlers within these pages!
Many top constructors and organizations market their puzzles directly to solvers, so between email subscriptions and downloadable puzzle bundles, you’ve got plenty of quality choices!
You’re all scientists that have invented time travel, but can you outfit your time machine and outrace your fellow inventors to the day the patent office opens and claim US Patent #1? This strategy game is an all-time favorite and it’s a perfect Print-and-Play joy for friends and family to try out! ($5)
Flip 7 (Eric Olsen/USAopoly, party/group game)
In this push-your-luck card game with the cards numbered one through twelve, the concept is simple: flip over your cards and don’t repeat a number. Problem is, there’s 1 one and 12 twelves, so you’re bound to repeat sometimes. Can you Flip 7 and score extra points? ($7.99)
Math Dice (ThinkFun, dice game)
Can you out-think and out-math your opponents when it comes to addition, division, square roots, and more? That’s what awaits players with Math Dice, a deviously fun game of who can get closest to the target with only their math skills and cleverness! ($7.99)
Coaster Games is a six-pack of games encompassing all sorts of gameplay styles. Counting, word building, deduction, strategy, resource management, and more, and they all fit in your pocket. Perfect for parties or quickplay fun between longer game sessions, you’re guaranteed to find something to enjoy here! (£6.99)
There’s Been a Murder (Pressman, party/group game)
Can you and your friends solve a murder? In this card game, every card can help you solve the crime (or hinder the investigation, if you’re the murderer). It’s amazing how Pressman boiled down all of the elements of a murder mystery into a card game this easy to learn, a game that you’ll happily play again and again. ($8.99)
That’s Not a Hat (Ravensburger, party/group game)
A White Elephant gift exchange is always a fun time, especially watching the gifts getting traded all around. But, if they were still wrapped, could you remember every gift as it moved from person to person? That’s Not a Hat puts your memory to work, asking if you can recall each gift as it is hidden from view and passed around the table. It’s tougher, and more fun, than you think! ($9.99)
Tired of turn-based combat and strategy? Light Speed has you covered. In this real-time card game, you play your ships as quickly as you want until one player runs out of cards, and then you see what happens! With combat, mining, strategy, and speed, this card game is great fun. ($10.95)
FALLING (Crab Fragment Labs, card game)
Some card games go quickly, but FALLING only takes 90 seconds. You’re all falling, and you want to hit the ground last. This game is insanely fast, chaotic, and an absolute riot to play over and over. Give it a shot. Trust me, you’ve got the time. ($10.98)
Get Lucky (Crab Fragment Labs, card game)
In this quick-play card game, you must scheme against your fellow players to be the first to kill Doctor Lucky. But Doctor Lucky is called that for a reason, so it’s gonna take a few tries, even with upgraded weapons, motives, and opportunities. Will you be the one to succeed? ($14.95)
Exit: The Game: Dead Man on the Orient Express (Kosmos, escape room/solve the mystery game)
Exit: The Game products create an escape room experience by combining a deck of cards, a guidebook, a sliding decoder ring, an interactive phone app, and miscellaneous items to be used throughout the game. What sets Dead Man on the Orient Express above and beyond is that there’s a mystery to solve in the background, even as you tackle all the delightful escape room-style puzzles! ($14.99)
All of us have rolled dice in games before, but can you roll what you need as fast as possible? That’s the challenge of Tenzi, a game that pits up to four players against each other in tests of speed and dexterity. Can you roll ten 6’s before everyone else? ($18.95)
It’s a race against time to locate all of your spies before your opponents. But in order to do so, you need to communicate information with a single word. Codenames will put your word association skills to work as you try to find secret agents disguised with code words, while avoiding innocent citizens and dangerous assassins along the way! ($19.94)
It’s hard enough to build a cube out of Tetris-style puzzle block shapes, but imagine trying to disassemble — and then reassemble one — INSIDE a 3-D triangular frame. Egyptian Triglyph bends your brain into new shapes and taxes your spatial awareness in very cool ways. A topnotch reinvention of a puzzly classic! ($19.99)
What’s better than a trivia game? A trivia game with bluffing! Can you convince your fellow players that your fake trivia answer is the correct one? Try your luck and your skill with Sounds Fishy! ($19.99)
Enigmas Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards: Midnight edition (David Kwong/Dave Shukan, solve the mystery game)
A puzzle hunt lurking within a normal deck of cards? It sounds impossible, but when you’re dealing with puzzler and magician David Kwong, anything can happen with Enigmas! Can you unravel the mystery hiding amongst these playing cards? ($20)
12 Days (Calliope Games, card game)
A proper holiday-themed game for the holidays? You betcha. This wagering game, based on the 12 Daysof Christmas, has some of the most beautiful art in the entire card game genre. Plus the two ways to earn points — winning each day of Christmas with the lowest card in the pot vs. keeping as many of a certain value card as possible for the end of the game — offer tons of strategic opportunities in a simple card game. What a treat! ($20)
Word Fluxx and Cat Fluxx (Looney Labs, card game)
The chaos and ever-changing rules of Fluxx have taken many forms over the years, from anatomy and astronomy to Star Trek and Alice in Wonderland — and they’ve made their most accessible Fluxx games yet with Word Fluxx and Cat Fluxx. Build your words or delight in your feline friends as you try to win this classic quick-changing card game! ($20)
Up to $30
Alice is Missing (Hunters Entertainment, escape room / solve the mystery game)
Can you and your fellow players solve a mystery without ever saying a word? That’s the challenge offered by the uniquely atmospheric and haunting RPG mystery gameAlice Is Missing.
A game played entirely through text messaging, each player takes on the role of a character in the town of Silent Falls, trying to find out what happened to Alice Briarwood. We promise, you’ve never played anything like it. ($21.99)
Puzzometry (jigsaw puzzle)
For a next-level jigsaw challenge, Puzzometry is tough to top. These beautiful pieces can be combined in seemingly endless combinations, and yet, there’s only one solution. Available in seven different styles — Puzzometry ($22.33), Puzzometry Jr. ($17.58), Puzzometry Squares ($22.33), Puzzometry Hex ($22.33), Puzzometry Steps ($22.33), Puzzometry Six ($22.33), and Puzzometry Jr. 2 ($17.58) — you’ve got distinct challenges appropriate for all different ages!
[Check out the full review of the original Puzzometry by clicking here!]
Fragments of Chaos: An Einstein Tile Challenge (Palmetto Puzzle Works, fill-the-frame puzzle)
Einstein’s influence is still felt today, as we have recently discovered the “Einstein monotile” (a tessellation without symmetry), and naturally, someone clever has turned the idea into a puzzle. Can you place these 23 irregularly-shaped pieces into the hexagonal grid? ($22.50)
Qwirkle (MindWare, board game)
A wonderful mix of Uno and Mexican Train Dominoes, Qwirkle is a tile-placing game where you try to maximize your points while minimizing the help you give to your opponents. With six bright colors and six different shapes to match up, Qwirkle is endless fun that’s so easy to jump into! ($22.99)
The Game of Wolf (Gray Matters Games, party/group game)
In the dog-eat-dog world of trivia, is it better to go alone or with the pack? In The Game of Wolf, trivia and strategy meet as you try to answer questions and double your points! With fresh topics and loads of interesting questions, The Game of Wolf has become my go-to trivia game. ($23.48)
Slapzi (Tenzi, party/group game)
Slapzi will keep you on your toes. In this quick-reaction game, you’ve got to match your picture cards to the clue cards before your opponents. But with clues like “Not sold in a hardware store” or “Two of the same letter together,” this isn’t as easy as it appears! ($23.95)
[Click here to check out our full review of Slapzi!]
Athena (Project Genius, brain teaser)
Put your chess skills and tactics to the test with Athena. A puzzle requiring you to think several steps ahead in order to reunite a statue with its pedestal on a busy archaeological dig site, Athena has over 50 challenging patterns for you to solve! ($24.99)
Cracker Games: The Imp Box (The Dark Imp, party/group game)
Six unique family games in a reusable box that looks like a Christmas cracker? What an idea! Voting, collecting, observation, and trading are among the gameplay styles you’ll find in The Imp Box, and this neat little package packs a lot of variety into a small space! (£19.99)
This advent calendar has no numbers on the doors, and solving a daily puzzle is the only way to figure out which door to open! This clever, festive, chocolate-filled treat is a puzzly twist on a holiday classic! ($27)
Spaceteam (Timber and Bolt, card game)
Can you repair your ship and get the engines up and running before a black hole ends your space adventure forever? That’s the name of the game in Spaceteam, a cooperative, communication-based game where you have to accomplish various tasks with your fellow players while sharing tools. It’s delightful chaos, heightened by the five-minute hourglass timer counting down your dwindling seconds before disaster strikes! A definite favorite around here. ($27.95)
Gloomand Gloomier (Atlas Games, card game)
Do you enjoy The Addams Family or the art of Edward Gorey? Then Gloommight be a strategy game worth checking out. In this tactical game with a sinister twist, you’re trying to make your Victorian family miserable for points and the lives of your opponents’ families better! Yup, misfortune equals good fortune for you! With gorgeous transparent cards you can lay over each other to track your scores, there’s no storytelling game out there quite like it.
Tavern Puzzles / Tucker-Jones House Inc. (brain teaser)
These hand-forged beauties are ready to challenge your dexterity and cleverness, as you accept the Tavern Puzzles challenge. Whether you’re trying to remove twice as many pieces in a Collaborative Effort or free the triangle from Tridiculous, you’re sure to put your skills to the test. ($29.95 each)
A trip to the beach in game form, Seaside is all about collecting tokens from the sea and building the biggest stack. This simple game offers surprising depth and strategy, and the tokens are beautiful and environmentally friendly. You could take this game anywhere and set up in seconds! ($31.99)
The Light in the Mist (Allplay, solve the mystery game)
We’ve got puzzles in calendars, puzzle boxes, games, and playing cards, but how about a puzzle AND a story hidden in a tarot deck? The Light in the Mist walks you through the memories of a missing friend and creates a unique puzzle-solving experience! ($34)
Bring your puzzle skills to life as you assemble a working roller coaster from these wooden pieces. Assembling handcranks and gears to operate the machine along with the structure of the roller coaster itself makes this 3-D puzzle more exciting and satisfying than the average 3-D puzzle. ($39.95)
Unlock!Games(Asmodee, escape room / solve the mystery game)
Unlock! games consist of entirely of a deck of cards and your app. The cards provide locations, challenges, helpful items, solutions, and warnings, all identified with numbered or lettered cards in the deck. There are numerous Unlock! escape games to try — covering everything from haunted houses to desert islands — and they’re offered in sets of three! ($39.99)
Wavelength (Asmodee, party/group game)
Can you get your teammates to pick the exact spot on the dial you want… with a single word? That’s the challenge of Wavelength, a literal game of inches that shows where our opinions differ and where they align. A terrific party game you can learn in seconds! ($39.99)
Tsuro: The Game of the Path (Calliope Games, board game)
A path-laying game with tons of style and historical spirit, Tsurocasts up to eight players as flying dragons, and tasks you with laying out your path with special tiles. Try not to meet any other dragons or fly off the board! It’s a simple mechanic with plenty of replay value, and perfect for quick games with large groups. ($40)
Sagrada (Floodgate Games, dice game)
One of the most beautiful strategy games on the market today, Sagrada is a singularly peaceful gaming experience. Compete with other players to build the most beautiful stained glass window, but with dice instead of glass! Unique and challenging, Sagrada is something else. ($40)
Up to $60
Godzilla: Tokyo Clash (Funko Games, board game)
Choose one of these four iconic monsters and let loose your fury all over Tokyo in Godzilla: Tokyo Clash. This tactical monster-vs.-monster game allows you to smash buildings, vehicles, and your fellow monsters on a game board that’s different every time you play! Will you be King of the Monsters by the time Tokyo is in ruins? ($42.99)
[Check out our full review of Godzilla: Tokyo Clashhere!]
Cluebox Escape Rooms in a Box (iDventure, brain teaser)
These multi-stage puzzle boxes are completely self-contained. You need to explore every inch of its surface to find clues and tools to unlock each stage of the puzzle box and reveal further challenges. Whether you delve into Davy Jones Locker ($49.99) or try to unravel the mystery of Schrodinger’s Cat ($44.99), you will definitely find your puzzly mettle tested by these devious devices!
Knot Dice Celtic Animals (Black Oak Games, dice game)
Can you twist, turn, and spin these dice to complete beautiful, elaborate patterns inspired by Celtic knots? That’s the name of the game with Knot Dice Celtic Animals, a dice game as challenging as it is gorgeous. With single-player and multi-player puzzles included, you’ll be tying yourself in knots for days! ($45, available in several colors)
And you can add new wrinkles and patterns to your solving with Knot Dice and Knot Dice Squared! ($40 and $45, respectively)
[Click here to check out our full review of Knot Dice and Knot Dice Squared!]
Chessplus
The first thing you learn in chess is how the pieces move. But what if that could change? What if you could make new pieces that move in unexpected ways? How would that change the game? With Chessplus, you’ll find out, as you mix and match chess pieces in order to capture your opponent’s king. The possibilities really are endless! ($45)
How about the chance to build your own game? Is that puzzle enough for you? Pinbox 3000 provides all the pieces you’ll need, plus valuable advice for brainstorming and creating your very own pinball game. It’s endlessly customizable, so you can make your Pinbox pinball game as simple or as complex as you like! ($49.95)
The Great Dinosaur Rush (APE Games, board game)
Bring the insane real-life rivalry of paleontologists Cope and Marsh to life in The Great Dinosaur Rush! As you collect fossils and discover your own unique dinosaur, you must also steal bones, sabotage other scientists, and more! Show off your cunning and creativity in this game that proves historical truth is weirder than fiction! ($50)
Arcs (Leder Games, board game)
Each player represents a different alien civilization, trying to complete their established goals and rule the galaxy. Arcs is a fairly complex game, and it’s definitely one that takes some time to play. But the art is beautiful, the gameplay is nicely balanced, and there are tons of different choices to make. ($54)
$70 and Over
Leviathan Wilds (Moon Crab Games, board game)
In this exciting strategy board/card game, you must climb one of seventeen leviathans and scramble all over it to heal it while avoiding its attacks. Be both action hero and environmentalist by scaling these beautiful beasts and trying to save them! ($74)
Lightbox (Eric Clough, brain teaser)
A puzzle box unlike anything you’ve ever seen, Lightboxcreates different patterns of shadow and light as you shift and arrange the various plastic plates that make up the box. As you twist and reset them, different electrical connections are made, and different plates light up. As gorgeous as it is challenging, Lightbox is a very eye-catching puzzle that always wows new solvers. ($85)
[Check out our full review of Lightbox by clicking here!]
Simply the coolest marble run builder I’ve ever seen, the Gravitrax Starter-Set XXL offers hundreds of pieces and a terrific base to build upon. Create ramps, loops, and elaborate patterns with ease! And although there are smaller Gravitrax games to start with, the Gravitrax Starter-Set XXL is an absolute wonder! ($129.99)
Thank you to all of the constructors, designers, and companies taking part in this year’s holiday puzzly gift guide! So great to have so many of you back, and so marvelous to welcome so many new faces and new puzzles and games!
Welcome to the PuzzCulture 2025 Holiday Puzzly Gift Guide!
We’re excited to be bringing you our biggest gift guide ever! There are so many tremendously fun and puzzly products to share with you. We just might be your one-stop shop for all things puzzly!
This guide is broken down by age group, so we’re sure you’ll find the perfect gift for puzzlers of any age on your list!
The first thing you learn in chess is how the pieces move. But what if that could change? What if you could make new pieces that move in unexpected ways? How would that change the game? With Chessplus, you’ll find out, as you mix and match chess pieces in order to capture your opponent’s king. The possibilities really are endless! ($45)
A wonderful mix of Uno and Mexican Train Dominoes, Qwirkle is a tile-placing game where you try to maximize your points while minimizing the help you give to your opponents. With six bright colors and six different shapes to match up, Qwirkle is endless fun that’s so easy to jump into! ($22.99)
For Ages 7 and Up
Tenzi (dice game)
All of us have rolled dice in games before, but can you roll what you need as fast as possible? That’s the challenge of Tenzi, a game that pits up to four players against each other in tests of speed and dexterity. Can you roll ten 6’s before everyone else? ($18.95)
Tsuro: The Game of the Path (Calliope Games, board game)
A path-laying game with tons of style and historical spirit, Tsurocasts up to eight players as flying dragons, and tasks you with laying out your path with special tiles. Try not to meet any other dragons or fly off the board! It’s a simple mechanic with plenty of replay value, and perfect for quick games with large groups. ($40)
For Ages 8 and Up
Flip 7 (Eric Olsen/USAopoly, party/group game)
In this push-your-luck card game with the cards numbered one through twelve, the concept is simple: flip over your cards and don’t repeat a number. Problem is, there’s 1 one and 12 twelves, so you’re bound to repeat sometimes. Can you Flip 7 and score extra points? ($7.99)
Word Fluxx and Cat Fluxx (Looney Labs, card game)
The chaos and ever-changing rules of Fluxx have taken many forms over the years, from anatomy and astronomy to Star Trek and Alice in Wonderland — and they’ve made their most accessible Fluxx games yet with Word Fluxx and Cat Fluxx. Build your words or delight in your feline friends as you try to win this classic quick-changing card game! ($20)
A trip to the beach in game form, Seaside is all about collecting tokens from the sea and building the biggest stack. This simple game offers surprising depth and strategy, and the tokens are beautiful and environmentally friendly. You could take this game anywhere and set up in seconds! ($31.99)
Simply the coolest marble run builder I’ve ever seen, the Gravitrax Starter-Set XXL offers hundreds of pieces and a terrific base to build upon. Create ramps, loops, and elaborate patterns with ease! And although there are smaller Gravitrax games to start with, the Gravitrax Starter-Set XXL is an absolute wonder! ($129.99)
It’s hard enough to build a cube out of Tetris-style puzzle block shapes, but imagine trying to disassemble — and then reassemble one — INSIDE a 3-D triangular frame. Egyptian Triglyph bends your brain into new shapes and taxes your spatial awareness in very cool ways. A topnotch reinvention of a puzzly classic! ($19.99)
Coaster Games is a six-pack of games encompassing all sorts of gameplay styles. Counting, word building, deduction, strategy, resource management, and more, and they all fit in your pocket. Perfect for parties or quickplay fun between longer game sessions, you’re guaranteed to find something to enjoy here! (£6.99)
A White Elephant gift exchange is always a fun time, especially watching the gifts getting traded all around. But, if they were still wrapped, could you remember every gift as it moved from person to person? That’s Not a Hat puts your memory to work, asking if you can recall each gift as it is hidden from view and passed around the table. It’s tougher, and more fun, than you think! ($9.99)
Put your chess skills and tactics to the test with Athena. A puzzle requiring you to think several steps ahead in order to reunite a statue with its pedestal on a busy archaeological dig site, Athena has over 50 challenging patterns for you to solve! ($24.99)
Knot Dice Celtic Animals (Black Oak Games, dice game)
Can you twist, turn, and spin these dice to complete beautiful, elaborate patterns inspired by Celtic knots? That’s the name of the game with Knot Dice Celtic Animals, a dice game as challenging as it is gorgeous. With single-player and multi-player puzzles included, you’ll be tying yourself in knots for days! ($45, available in several colors)
And you can add new wrinkles and patterns to your solving with Knot Dice and Knot Dice Squared! ($40 and $45, respectively)
[Click here to check out our full review of Knot Dice and Knot Dice Squared!]
Cracker Games: The Imp Box (The Dark Imp, party/group game)
Six unique family games in a reusable box that looks like a Christmas cracker? What an idea! Voting, collecting, observation, and trading are among the gameplay styles you’ll find in The Imp Box, and this neat little package packs a lot of variety into a small space! (£19.99)
Math Dice (ThinkFun, dice game)
Can you out-think and out-math your opponents when it comes to addition, division, square roots, and more? That’s what awaits players with Math Dice, a deviously fun game of who can get closest to the target with only their math skills and cleverness! ($7.99)
A proper holiday-themed game for the holidays? You betcha. This wagering game, based on the 12 Daysof Christmas, has some of the most beautiful art in the entire card game genre. Plus the two ways to earn points — winning each day of Christmas with the lowest card in the pot vs. keeping as many of a certain value card as possible for the end of the game — offer tons of strategic opportunities in a simple card game. What a treat! ($20)
Slapzi (Tenzi, party/group game)
Slapzi will keep you on your toes. In this quick-reaction game, you’ve got to match your picture cards to the clue cards before your opponents. But with clues like “Not sold in a hardware store” or “Two of the same letter together,” this isn’t as easy as it appears! ($23.95)
[Click here to check out our full review of Slapzi!]
This advent calendar has no numbers on the doors, and solving a daily puzzle is the only way to figure out which door to open! This clever, festive, chocolate-filled treat is a puzzly twist on a holiday classic! ($27)
Leviathan Wilds (Moon Crab Games, board game)
In this exciting strategy board/card game, you must climb one of seventeen leviathans and scramble all over it to heal it while avoiding its attacks. Be both action hero and environmentalist by scaling these beautiful beasts and trying to save them! ($74)
US Patent #1 (Crab Fragment Labs, board game)
You’re all scientists that have invented time travel, but can you outfit your time machine and outrace your fellow inventors to the day the patent office opens and claim US Patent #1? This strategy game is an all-time favorite and it’s a perfect Print-and-Play joy for friends and family to try out! ($5)
Godzilla: Tokyo Clash (Funko Games, board game)
Choose one of these four iconic monsters and let loose your fury all over Tokyo in Godzilla: Tokyo Clash. This tactical monster-vs.-monster game allows you to smash buildings, vehicles, and your fellow monsters on a game board that’s different every time you play! Will you be King of the Monsters by the time Tokyo is in ruins? ($42.99)
[Check out our full review of Godzilla: Tokyo Clashhere!]
Sounds Fishy (Big Potato Games, party/group game)
What’s better than a trivia game? A trivia game with bluffing! Can you convince your fellow players that your fake trivia answer is the correct one? Try your luck and your skill with Sounds Fishy! ($19.99)
Light Speed (Crab Fragment Labs, card game)
Tired of turn-based combat and strategy? Light Speed has you covered. In this real-time card game, you play your ships as quickly as you want until one player runs out of cards, and then you see what happens! With combat, mining, strategy, and speed, this card game is great fun. ($10.95)
Pinbox 3000 (Cardboard Teck Instantute)
How about the chance to build your own game? Is that puzzle enough for you? Pinbox 3000 provides all the pieces you’ll need, plus valuable advice for brainstorming and creating your very own pinball game. It’s endlessly customizable, so you can make your Pinbox pinball game as simple or as complex as you like! ($49.95)
Unlock!Games(Asmodee, escape room / solve the mystery game)
Unlock! games consist of entirely of a deck of cards and your app. The cards provide locations, challenges, helpful items, solutions, and warnings, all identified with numbered or lettered cards in the deck. There are numerous Unlock! escape games to try — covering everything from haunted houses to desert islands — and they’re offered in sets of three! ($39.99)
Bring the insane real-life rivalry of paleontologists Cope and Marsh to life in The Great Dinosaur Rush! As you collect fossils and discover your own unique dinosaur, you must also steal bones, sabotage other scientists, and more! Show off your cunning and creativity in this game that proves historical truth is weirder than fiction! ($50)
Spaceteam (Timber and Bolt, card game)
Can you repair your ship and get the engines up and running before a black hole ends your space adventure forever? That’s the name of the game in Spaceteam, a cooperative, communication-based game where you have to accomplish various tasks with your fellow players while sharing tools. It’s delightful chaos, heightened by the five-minute hourglass timer counting down your dwindling seconds before disaster strikes! A definite favorite around here. ($27.95)
One of the most beautiful strategy games on the market today, Sagrada is a singularly peaceful gaming experience. Compete with other players to build the most beautiful stained glass window, but with dice instead of glass! Unique and challenging, Sagrada is something else. ($40)
For Ages 11-12 and Up
Enigmas Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards: Midnight edition (David Kwong/Dave Shukan, solve the mystery game)
A puzzle hunt lurking within a normal deck of cards? It sounds impossible, but when you’re dealing with puzzler and magician David Kwong, anything can happen with Enigmas! Can you unravel the mystery hiding amongst these playing cards? ($20)
FALLING (Crab Fragment Labs, card game)
Some card games go quickly, but FALLING only takes 90 seconds. You’re all falling, and you want to hit the ground last. This game is insanely fast, chaotic, and an absolute riot to play over and over. Give it a shot. Trust me, you’ve got the time. ($10.98)
Puzzometry (jigsaw puzzle)
For a next-level jigsaw challenge, Puzzometry is tough to top. These beautiful pieces can be combined in seemingly endless combinations, and yet, there’s only one solution. Available in seven different styles — Puzzometry ($22.33), Puzzometry Jr. ($17.58), Puzzometry Squares ($22.33), Puzzometry Hex ($22.33), Puzzometry Steps ($22.33), Puzzometry Six ($22.33), and Puzzometry Jr. 2 ($17.58) — you’ve got distinct challenges appropriate for all different ages!
[Check out the full review of the original Puzzometry by clicking here!]
Get Lucky (Crab Fragment Labs, card game)
In this quick-play card game, you must scheme against your fellow players to be the first to kill Doctor Lucky. But Doctor Lucky is called that for a reason, so it’s gonna take a few tries, even with upgraded weapons, motives, and opportunities. Will you be the one to succeed? ($14.95)
Exit: The Game: Dead Man on the Orient Express (Kosmos, escape room / solve the mystery game)
Exit: The Game products create an escape room experience by combining a deck of cards, a guidebook, a sliding decoder ring, an interactive phone app, and miscellaneous items to be used throughout the game. What sets Dead Man on the Orient Express above and beyond is that there’s a mystery to solve in the background, even as you tackle all the delightful escape room-style puzzles! ($14.99)
Gearjits Roller Coaster (Gearjits, marble puzzle)
Bring your puzzle skills to life as you assemble a working roller coaster from these wooden pieces. Assembling handcranks and gears to operate the machine along with the structure of the roller coaster itself makes this 3-D puzzle more exciting and satisfying than the average 3-D puzzle. ($39.95)
For Ages 13-14 and Up
Words Apart by Aimee Lucido, illustrated by Phillippa Corcutt and Rachael Corcutt (puzzle book)
Olive and Mattie are sisters, two years apart, but in the same grade. While Olive expresses herself with an impressive vocabulary and a love of wordplay, Mattie struggles with reading but finds comfort expressing herself through cartoons, sketches, and comic strips.
This wonderful coming-of-age story mixes poetry, prose, comics, and crosswords to tell a lovely story that everyone will find relatable. ($9.99)
[Click here to check out our review of Words Apart!]
The Game of Wolf (Gray Matters Games, party/group game)
In the dog-eat-dog world of trivia, is it better to go alone or with the pack? In The Game of Wolf, trivia and strategy meet as you try to answer questions and double your points! With fresh topics and loads of interesting questions, The Game of Wolf has become my go-to trivia game. ($23.48)
There’s Been a Murder (Pressman, party/group game)
Can you and your friends solve a murder? In this card game, every card can help you solve the crime (or hinder the investigation, if you’re the murderer). It’s amazing how Pressman boiled down all of the elements of a murder mystery into a card game this easy to learn, a game that you’ll happily play again and again. ($8.99)
Arcs (Leder Games, board game)
Each player represents a different alien civilization, trying to complete their established goals and rule the galaxy. Arcs is a fairly complex game, and it’s definitely one that takes some time to play. But the art is beautiful, the gameplay is nicely balanced, and there are tons of different choices to make. ($54)
The Light in the Mist (Allplay, solve the mystery game)
We’ve got puzzles in calendars, puzzle boxes, games, and playing cards, but how about a puzzle AND a story hidden in a tarot deck? The Light in the Mist walks you through the memories of a missing friend and creates a unique puzzle-solving experience! ($34)
Gloomand Gloomier (Atlas Games, card game)
Do you enjoy The Addams Family or the art of Edward Gorey? Then Gloommight be a strategy game worth checking out. In this tactical game with a sinister twist, you’re trying to make your Victorian family miserable for points and the lives of your opponents’ families better! Yup, misfortune equals good fortune for you! With gorgeous transparent cards you can lay over each other to track your scores, there’s no storytelling game out there quite like it.
Cluebox Escape Rooms in a Box (iDventure, brain teaser)
These multi-stage puzzle boxes are completely self-contained. You need to explore every inch of its surface to find clues and tools to unlock each stage of the puzzle box and reveal further challenges. Whether you delve into Davy Jones Locker ($49.99) or try to unravel the mystery of Schrodinger’s Cat ($44.99), you will definitely find your puzzly mettle tested by these devious devices!
Wavelength (Asmodee, party/group game)
Can you get your teammates to pick the exact spot on the dial you want… with a single word? That’s the challenge of Wavelength, a literal game of inches that shows where our opinions differ and where they align. A terrific party game you can learn in seconds! ($39.99)
Tavern Puzzles / Tucker-Jones House Inc. (brain teaser)
These hand-forged beauties are ready to challenge your dexterity and cleverness, as you accept the Tavern Puzzles challenge. Whether you’re trying to remove twice as many pieces in a Collaborative Effort or free the triangle from Tridiculous, you’re sure to put your skills to the test. ($29.95 each)
Codenames (Czech Games, card game)
It’s a race against time to locate all of your spies before your opponents. But in order to do so, you need to communicate information with a single word. Codenames will put your word association skills to work as you try to find secret agents disguised with code words, while avoiding innocent citizens and dangerous assassins along the way! ($19.94)
A puzzle box unlike anything you’ve ever seen, Lightboxcreates different patterns of shadow and light as you shift and arrange the various plastic plates that make up the box. As you twist and reset them, different electrical connections are made, and different plates light up. As gorgeous as it is challenging, Lightbox is a very eye-catching puzzle that always wows new solvers. ($85)
[Check out our full review of Lightbox by clicking here!]
For Ages 16 and Up
Alice is Missing (Hunters Entertainment, solve the mystery game)
Can you and your fellow players solve a mystery without ever saying a word? That’s the challenge offered by the uniquely atmospheric and haunting RPG mystery gameAlice Is Missing.
A game played entirely through text messaging, each player takes on the role of a character in the town of Silent Falls, trying to find out what happened to Alice Briarwood. We promise, you’ve never played anything like it. ($21.99)
For Ages 18 and Up
Fragments of Chaos: An Einstein Tile Challenge (Palmetto Puzzle Works, fill-the-frame puzzle)
Einstein’s influence is still felt today, as we have recently discovered the “Einstein monotile” (a tessellation without symmetry), and naturally, someone clever has turned the idea into a puzzle. Can you place these 23 irregularly-shaped pieces into the hexagonal grid? ($22.50)
Most puzzle books would probably fall in the Age 9-10 and Up range, but oftentimes, the cluing is geared toward an older audience, so to avoid confusion, I’ve bundled the majority of the puzzle books here.
Maybe you’re looking for a grab bag full of different puzzles, like their Winter Fun Holiday Pack ($27.95) or a Championship Puzzle Pack of 40 magazines ($33.95)! Or perhaps you’d prefer one kind of puzzle, with the ease of printing at home with Print N’ Solve Magazines and Puzzle Packets (starting at $4.75). Either way, the folks at Penny Dell Puzzles have got you covered.
And be sure to check out their deals on Facebook and Twitter throughout the holiday season. They’ve got bundles and discounts for days!
And while we’re on the topic of puzzle books, some of the best constructors (and many favorites of the blog) have released their own books for your perusal! And with New York Times,Los Angeles Times, and USA Today puzzles to their credit, you’re sure to find some quality puzzlers within these pages!
Many top constructors and organizations market their puzzles directly to solvers, so between email subscriptions and downloadable puzzle bundles, you’ve got plenty of quality choices!
Thank you to all of the constructors, designers, and companies taking part in this year’s holiday puzzly gift guide! So great to have so many of you back, and so marvelous to welcome so many new faces and new puzzles and games!
PuzzCulture 