There’s so much going on in the intertwined worlds of puzzles and games, so let’s skip the intro and get to the good stuff!
Bryant Park Crossword Tournament This Weekend!
The summer crossword bonanza might have come to an end for another year, but tournament solving fans still have plenty to look forward to! Not only is Chicago’s Midwest Crossword Tournament looming in early October, but the 8th Bryant Park Crossword Tournament is this Saturday, September 19th!
Although you’re welcome to walk in and participate, things go much smoother if you register ahead of time. Click here to get started!
They’ve even borrowed Will Shortz’s clock for the tournament!
With three Mike Shenk puzzles waiting for competitors, you should absolutely make an effort to participate in this year’s event.
The Boswords Fall Themeless League Returns Soon!
And speaking of crosswords, there’s still time to register for this year’s Fall Themeless League, which starts up on Monday, October 5 (though they have a preseason puzzle launching the week before on September 28th).
If you’re unfamiliar, the Boswords Fall Themeless League is a clever weekly spin on traditional crossword tournament-style solving. Instead of cracking through a number of puzzles in a single day (or two), the Fall Themeless League consists of one themeless / freestyle crossword each week, scored based on your accuracy and how fast you complete the grid.
Each week’s puzzle only has one grid, but there are three sets of clues, each representing a different difficulty level for solvers. Smooth is the least challenging, Choppy is the middle ground, and Stormy is the most challenging. (When you register to participate, you choose the difficulty level that suits you best.)
Each week’s puzzle is accompanied by a one-hour broadcast on Twitch, starting with a preseason puzzle and broadcast.
The Fall Themeless League then runs the next nine Monday nights starting at 9 PM.
Scrabble and the Canadian English Dictionary
The Tyee dropped an article recently about a group of Canadian linguists, the Society for Canadian English, that are working on a new Canadian English Dictionary.
And they’ve started with the letter Q.
“Q is a short fascicle, but not as trivially so as X, and it’s a favourite among Scrabble players,” its quintet of authors explained, in an article published in Dictionaries: The Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America.
“Q has plenty of quite quintessentially quirky and quotable words that are useful in attracting attention to our project.”
They wish to raise awareness of their undertaking, not just for public support, but to find a publisher and secure funding for the project.
Check out the full article here. It’s an in-depth and fascinating exploration of the intersection of language, culture, play, and politics.
Two Puzzle Games to Try Out!
One of the coolest things about running PuzzCulture is getting to learn about new puzzles and creators in the puzzle space. Several enterprising constructors have reached out to me recently, and I’m pleased to help spread the word about their puzzly endeavors.
The first is Esteban Martin’s daily decathlon of click-and-drag puzzles, Roughly.Is.
Each day, solvers are presented with ten minigames that pose a question for the reader. Some are simply trivia, others are guessing games or games of skill.
I’m a sucker for puzzles that teach me things, so the games of Roughly.Is are a delight. How big is a blue whale, compared to a Saturn V rocket? What did a steak cost in Zurich in 1970? Where do bison live?
The variety of topics means you’re sure to learn something new or find something to entertain you for a minute. What more can you ask for?
Check out Roughly.Is for all ten minigames, no ads and no login required.
But if you’re looking for a meatier daily challenge, consider Jeff Doka’s Morning Mystery.
Part of the BossFeed puzzle lineup, Morning Mystery is a logic puzzle that invites solvers to use the facts at hand to determine the puzzly truth.
The twist? You can’t trust all of the facts you’re presented with. Some are guaranteed to be genuine, but others could be the characters in the mystery misleading you.
Can you solve the puzzle and determine who is being truthful and who is lying? Give Morning Mystery a shot by clicking here.
Widow’s Bay and Its Sinister Board Games
Let’s wrap up today’s post with some insight into Widow’s Bay, fresh off a record-setting bevy of wins at the Emmy Awards.
Widow’s Bay is a horror comedy that’s drawing all sorts of eyes, and for good reason. It’s brilliantly cast, well-paced, and razor-sharp.
And, if you’re a board game fan, there was a creepy treat for you in episode two, as the mayor visited a local inn and discovered a number of board games with unnerving art and unpleasant implications
The New York Times did a fantastic piece with the show’s creative team and the episode’s writer about the board games and fans’ fascination with them.
Check it out, it’s a great read about how visuals and prop production can enhance both humor and horror. (Who’s up for a round of RUN?)
Did I miss any puzzly news or fun board game stories from the last few weeks? Let me know in the comments section below! I’d love to hear from you.
PuzzCulture 