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Delving into the 2026 Westwords Tournament Puzzles!

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It’s time, once again, for me to sit down and try my hand at some tournament-style puzzles. This week, it was the puzzles from this past weekend’s Westwords Crossword Tournament.

Given the talent involved amongst the organizers and constructors, as well as the previous year’s banger crop of puzzles, I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed.

So let’s put those puzzles under the microscope and see what’s what!

Puzzle #1: Western Expansion by Andrea Carla Michaels & Mark Axel

The tournament began with this 15x grid where the word WEST appeared in each theme entry, but the letters were spread further apart with each subsequent answer, offering solvers the Western Expansion promised in the title.

This was a great opener with a fun, accessible theme and a very smooth solve. The vocabulary was playful and the puzzle had great Monday energy. My only quibble was the repetition of YOU in the crossing entries I GOT YOU and WE STILL LOVE YOU, but that’s more of a personal preference than any fault with the construction.

Interesting grid entries included BAD LUCK, HIS LOSS, E-CLASS, and SOBFEST, and my favorite clues were “Duct tape has dozens of these” for USES and “Beatles song about an age that Paul is nearly 20 years past” for WHEN I’M SIXTY-FOUR.

Puzzle #2: Make It Rain by Sophia Maymudes

The second tournament puzzle was a freestyle 15x absolutely loaded with trivia about the West Coast and western cities, as well as two grid-spanning entries about the Pacific Northwest in particular (BIGFOOT SIGHTING and SEATTLE SOUNDERS).

I found the difficulty to be pretty much on par with the first puzzle of the tournament, and I was impressed with Sophia’s clean layout, construction, and delightful grid fill. (The across pairing of MADE PROUD and IMMODESTY was a fun little visual Easter Egg as well.)

Interesting grid entries included LA GEAR, ARMAGEDDON, DIOGENES, and KATNISS, and my favorite clues were ‘Word preceding “dash” or “bracelet”‘ for SLAP and “Quality that’s neither very demure nor very mindful” for IMMODESTY.

Puzzle #3: Pride of Place by Zhou Zhang and Mallory Montgomery

This 18×17 grid was the largest of the tournament (though Puzzle #5 came close), and the theme centered around common phrases where a W was replaced with a B, as explained by the revealer WESTCOASTBESTCOAST (which is a nice nod to both the tournament’s setting and the fantastic URL for the Westwords website, westwordsbestwords.com).

The puckish wordplay (particularly with READ ‘EM AND BEEP) made this midpoint puzzle of the tournament a treat. I also liked the synchronicity of HASTA LA VISTA and LEAVE NO TRACE reading down, continuing the unofficial theme of related fill entries in grids.

Interesting grid entries included DOG DAD, ODAWA, JOIN US, MALORT, and TREBEK, and my favorite clues were “Fairy tale girl who gets a witch baked?” for GRETEL, “Super-duper promise” for VOW, “Lawless heroine?” for XENA, “Hue grant?” for DYE JOB, and “They were celebrated 35 days ago” for MOMS. So many great clues in this one!

Image courtesy of Etsy.

Puzzle #4: Catch My Drift? by Rebecca Goldstein

I predicted last year that Puzzle #4 in Westwords could build a similar reputation to the dreaded Puzzle #5 at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, and this year’s Puzzle #4 understood its instructions perfectly.

This 16×15 grid was the toughest of the tournament. Fault lines ran throughout the grid, causing letters to drop out of many of the down entries. These SHAKEUPS related to the shifting of TECTONIC PLATES — our two revealers in the grid! — not only caused PLATE to be removed from those aforementioned down entries, but they also made the across entry ABOVE each fault line scramble/anagram itself into another word!

There was so much going on with this grid, and despite the fault lines, it all fit together seamlessly. (The down words that lost letters STILL spelled actual words.) It was a diabolical bit of crossword construction, to be sure!

Between the down entries with letters from PLATE removed and the scrambled entries across, there was a lot of “I KNOW this is the right answer, but it doesn’t fit” brain scramble as I was solving, heh. But it was an immensely fun challenge to puzzle out.

Interesting grid entries included PIXIE CUT, ANOMALIES, and DRIP PAN, and my favorite clues were “Not exactly a long look” for PIXIE CUT and “Some docs” for IDS.

Puzzle #5: Play Grounds by Sarah Sinclair

After the deviousness of Puzzle #4, and with the freestyle final puzzle looming, Puzzle #5 was a lighter, breezier solve, but one that still managed to pack this 18×15 grid with five punnily-clued entries tied to West Coast landmarks.

And that “play”-ful aspect continued throughout the cluing. We had pop culture trivia, tongue-in-cheek jabs at pop culture and crosswordese, and more facts and details germane to the tournament’s setting. Sinclair went all out with the cluing in this one.

Interesting grid entries included OH HELL NO, KOOPA, SO LONG, and ADORBS, and my favorite clues were “Concave decagon, more familiarly” for STAR, “Knd f lttr mssng frm ths cl” for VOWEL, and “Something read by a cleric… that becomes something read by a clairvoyant when a letter is removed” for PSALM.

Puzzle #6: Final by Byron Walden

The final puzzle for the tournament boasts a different set of clues for each of the divisions — Beach and Mountain — and Byron constructed a 15x puzzle with smooth fill, cunning cluing, and great variety in vocabulary. This was a Byron Walden special, for sure.

Both the Beach and Mountain versions of the puzzle had kickass clues (including a Reginald VelJohnson reference), and either version would made for a suitable challenge for the tournament’s finalists. I’m glad I didn’t have to try to puzzle this one out in front of a crowd!

Interesting grid entries included BUDDY SYSTEM, STANDING O, HOG WILD, and DAIKONS.

As for favorite clues, here’s a list:

BEACH: “Company with a Breakout hit?” for ATARI
BEACH: “Unruly way to go” for HOG WILD
BEACH: “Poly relative” for MULTI
BEACH: The Galatea pairing of “Water-dwelling divinity such as Galatea” for SEA NYMPH and “Solar system body such as Galatea” for MOON
MOUNTAIN: “They’re not sold on the Sabbath” for AGNOSTICS
MOUNTAIN: “Alaska is 120 times its size: abbr.” for CONN
MOUNTAIN: “Set of safety matches” for BUDDY SYSTEM
MOUNTAIN: “Past perfect mood?” for NOSTAGIA
MOUNTAIN: “Avon calling?” for BARD

There were genuinely too many to list. Between this one, Puzzle #3, and Puzzle #5, solvers were absolutely spoiled with great cluing this year.

Westwords goes from strength to strength with another standout year of puzzles. The bar is SO HIGH for tournament puzzles these days, and the 2026 Westwords constructors stepped up big time. The creativity was there, the trivia was flowing, and the cluing was fantastic.

We got several different puzzles playing on the Westwords / West Coast branding, and every puzzle felt like it had its own identity and voice, which is not always the case with tournament puzzles as a whole.

If you’ve never tackled tournament-style puzzling before, I would highly recommend giving Westwords a try. It gets you into the flow of solving with the first few puzzles, punches you in the face with a proper challenge, then eases you back into it before the final. It’s a great time.

I can’t wait to see what they cook up for us next year!

Did you attempt this year’s Westwords tournament puzzles, fellow solver? Let me know in the comments section below! I’d love to hear from you.

June Puzzles and Games News Roundup: Upcoming Tournaments, Events, and Free RPG Day!

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There’s so much going on in the intertwined worlds of puzzles and games to get into, so let’s skip the intro and get to the good stuff!

Westwords Crossword Tournament Is Almost Here!

On Sunday June 14th, Berkeley, California will host the third annual Westwords event. It’s only a few weeks away!

This event is being held both in-person and online, with four themed puzzles and two themeless/freestyle puzzles to challenge solvers. The list of constructors for this year’s event is quite impressive: Andrea Carla Michaels, Byron Walden, Mark Axel, Rebecca Goldstein, Sarah Sinclair, Sophia Maymudes, Mallory Montgomery, and Zhou Zhang.

Go to westwordsbestwords.com for full details and get in on the fun!

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Lollapuzzoola, Midwest Crossword Tournament, and Boswords Fast Approaching!

And there are plenty of other crossword events coming up in the next few months to keep ambitious puzzlers busy!

Registration is already open for Lollapuzzoola 19 on August 15th in New York City, as well as for the Midwest Crossword Tournament on October 3rd in Chicago.

Not only that, but registration for this year’s Boswords Summer Tournament opens Wednesday June 17th!

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The event itself is happening on July 26th in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, and is sure to be a great time.

Man, we’ve got Westwords in June, Boswords in July, Lollapuzzoola in August, and Midwest in October! Tournaments galore!

International Day of Play!

June 11th marks the third annual International Day of Play!

The United Nations, through UNICEF, created International Day of Play in 2024 to raise awareness of how important the act of playing is to the development and well-being of children.

This year’s theme for International Day of Play is “Protect play, protect childhood.”

Play is so important for all of us. It fosters relationship building and cooperation, reinforces friendly competition and concepts of right and wrong, and maintains that childlike love and whimsy that comes with play that so many of us, young and old, must hold onto at all costs in a world that is so often unkind, unfriendly, and unfair.

You can find out more about International Day of Play on UNICEF’s website.

Free RPG Day is coming soon!

Last, but certainly not least, Free RPG Day is Saturday, June 27th.

The concept behind Free RPG Day is simple. All over the world (but mostly in the United States), local game shops, hobby shops, and other outlets team up with RPG publishers to distribute new, fresh, and most importantly, free material for all sorts of different roleplaying games, systems, and settings.

Sometimes they’re quickstart versions of the games to introduce new players. Sometimes they’re exclusive adventures or modules to play either in-store or at home. Othertimes, they’re entirely new games, free of charge.

Not only can you receive a wealth of new ideas and playing options in one fell swoop, but it serves as a terrific way to meet fellow roleplayers and build a community of game enthusiasts.

You can click this helpful link to find local spots near you that are participating in Free RPG Day, and I would highly recommend searching online for local game shops, game cafes, and even community centers like your local public library to see who is participating.

These shops will often be running demonstrations of games, tutorials on how to play, hosting raffles and contests, and offering terrific sale prices to encourage you to find the game that fits you best.

Every year, dozens of companies get involved, not only to encourage the growth of the game world, but to promote their own products. And what better way is there to get people hooked than with free exclusive materials begging to be tried out?

Keep your eyes peeled for this year’s edition of the Level 1 Anthology, offered by 9th Level Games. It’s a collection of new games by up-and-coming and established RPG creators, all centered around a particular theme. Last year’s edition was all about the end of the Wild West. This year’s is about Stand Up.

This project is close to my heart because I had games featured in the previous two years’ Level 1 collections, and I also have a game featured in this year’s collection!

You can check out last year’s Level 1 Anthology free of charge on the 9th Level Games website (or purchase all five years of Level 1 for only $10)!

What upcoming events are you most excited for, fellow puzzlers and gamers? Let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.

Delving into the 2025 Midwest Crossword Tournament Puzzles!

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I’ve solved puzzles from ACPT, Boswords, Westwords, Lollapuzzoola, and other tournaments throughout the years, but I’ve never solved puzzles from the Midwest Crossword Tournament before!

So when I had the chance to solve last year’s tournament puzzles, I was stoked for the opportunity to test my puzzly skill in a new arena.

Let’s put these puzzles under the PuzzCulture microscope and see what MWXWT had in store for solvers in 2025!

Puzzle #1: Where My Queens At? by Taylor Johnson

Johnson constructed a nice opener to welcome people to the day’s proceedings where the theme entries were all places you can find queens (BEEHIVE, ROYALFLUSH, HOMECOMING, etc).

The fill was smooth (especially those pairs of 10-letter down entries on each side), and the smiley face built into the grid was a nice touch.

Interesting grid entries included OPEN SOURCE, GOLF PRO, ONE LOVE, and RUNYON, and my favorite clues were “Iconic part of David Bowie and Queen’s ‘Under Pressure'” for BASELINE and “The longest distance between two places, per ‘The Glass Menagerie'” for TIME.

Puzzle #2: The Windy City by Hemant Mehta

The ten-letter stacks continued in this well-constructed themeless, where we had 3 10-letter entries in two of the corners, intersecting some longer entries and loads of great vocabulary.

Factor in all the Chicago-centric cluing and fill, and you’ve got a solve as breezy as promised.

Interesting grid entries included HARPY, DOUBLE DOINK, THIRSTILY, and REKT, and my favorite clues were “They might grab a meal” for TALONS and “One taking cover?” for BLANKET HOG.

Puzzle #3: Creature Features by Evan Birnholz

Oh man, I love a movie title pun, so I was all about this 21x wordplay-fest from Birnholz. (I got the first one immediately — Apocalypse Cow — because it was also the name of a villain in the live-action version of The Tick.)

With seven pun entries in the grid — several spanning most of the grid — and loads of great fill entries to flesh out the grid, this puzzle was a blast.

Interesting grid entries included ARTS DEGREE, ACKROYD, IDEA MAP, and ROTINI (my favorite pasta shape), and my favorite clues were “Crossword-solving Simpson” for LISA and “Large winged creature in a Sinbad story” for ROC.

Puzzle #4: Substitute Teaching by Lydia Roth and Christina Bodensiek

This 13×17 stormer was the hardest puzzle of the tournament so far, and I confess, the substitution game had me baffled for a bit before I realized what I was overlooking.

The cluing was straightforward, but several entries didn’t match their clues, while others that neighbored those entries in the same row included the note “(apply to 29-Across),” for instance. I thought I had to place the letters of the neighboring word INTO the larger entry, but it turned out the neighboring word WAS the instruction for that word. KISS wasn’t inserted into SINGSONG, K IS S explains how KINGKONG (which fits what was clued) becomes SINGSONG in the grid.

Diabolical!

I was a little thrown-off by the last “rule” only applying to one letter in the answer, not two, but otherwise, this was fiendishly fun to unravel.

Interesting grid entries included AR HEADSET, NABISCO, AFL-CIO, and HALIBUT, and my favorite clues were “Tiniest sound” for PEEP and “Tower of __ (classic math puzzle)” for HANOI (which I’ve written about in the past).

Puzzle #5: I Need Space by Kyle Dolan

Another thinker, here! What a one-two punch puzzles 4 and 5 were.

Dolan’s puzzle centered around common or familiar phrases that become a new phrase when a state abbreviation at the start of the phrase is removed. For instance, WIRED MAGAZINE becomes RED MAGAZINE.

For some reason, it took me FOREVER to figure out the gimmick here, and I’m sure many solvers would’ve wrapped this puzzle up faster than me at the tournament.

The clean fill and smart layout of the grid made this puzzle the perfect solve before the finals. Really great construction overall.

Interesting grid entries included GOOD VIBES, RITE AID, LA SPARKS, and CANTO, and my favorite clues were “Rinky-dink” for TWO-BIT and “Female in a song from ‘The Sound of Music'” for DOE.

Puzzle #6: Final Course by Katie Hoody

The final puzzle of the day was this 15x themeless and it did not disappoint. Strong grid construction built around the grid-spanning HOT DISH ON A STICK (crossing NINE 9- and 10-letter entries) really impressed.

There were two sets of clues available for the championship themeless, MINNESOTA NICE and CHICAGO FIRE, depending on your preference, and the cluing for each was on point.

All in all, this was a dynamite capper to a day of enjoyable challenges.

Interesting grid entries included BARITONE SAX, RINK RAT, BITE-SIZE, and GO VIRAL.

As for favorite clues, here’s a list:

  • MN NICE: “Flying creature whose babies are called pups” for BAT
  • MN NICE: “Apt epithet hidden inside ‘”I’ve had it with you!'” for TWIT
  • MN NICE: “Children’s theater character that speaks from the sole?” for SOCK PUPPET
  • MN NICE: “Bakery treat that becomes an ice cream treat when its first letter is removed” for SCONE
  • CHI FIRE: “Plays on a raised surface” for STAGE SHOWS
  • CHI FIRE: “Brings some cheeky energy to the dance floor” for TWERKS
  • CHI FIRE: “Simple retirement option” for COT
  • CHI FIRE: “Word that retains its meaning when preceded by ‘ni'” for TWIT
  • CHI FIRE: “Superfamily whose extinct species include Gigantopithecus and Oreopithecus” for APES
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Overall, I quite enjoyed my first time tangling with MWXWT.

The difficulty spike with Puzzle #4 was a welcome challenge (though I suspect others didn’t struggle with 4 and 5 like I did), and the construction across the tournament was strong. There were no unfair crossings or dubious bits of cluing. It was topnotch from start to finish.

Registration for this year’s tournament is open now! The event is on Saturday, October 3rd at the University of Illinois Chicago Student Center East.

I’m excited to see what they have in store for us this year!

Will you be solving this year’s Midwest Crossword Tournament puzzles (either in person or online), fellow solver? Let me know in the comments section below! I’d love to hear from you.

Crossword News Roundup!

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Crossword tournament season is fully in swing and there’s plenty to keep up on AND look forward to.

The Boswords Spring Themeless League is in week 3 already, and I’ve heard rave reviews of the puzzles so far.

We’re only a few weeks out from the 48th American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, which will be the last year the event is held in Stamford, CT, before the move next year to Philadelphia.

Westwords isn’t until June, but registration is open! (And they’ve added in-person pairs solving this year.)

Also, can we talk about crossword website names for a minute? Because https://www.westwordsbestwords.com/ is a great one.

Not only that, but there’s also https://www.midwestgridfest.com/ for the Midwest Crossword Tournament, which is just delightful.

Yes, you can simply type https://www.mwxwt.com/ and get to the same information, but where is the whimsy in that?!

(P.S. The Midwest Crossword Tournament isn’t until October, but registration opens April 6th!)

Crossword Con Returns!

Puzzmo’s Third Annual Crossword Con is being held on Friday, April 10th, in Manhattan, New York (and online as well).

If you’re looking for some fascinating insight into the world of puzzles both present and future, be sure to check it out!

They just announced the panel of presenters and it is stacked: Brooke Husic, Orta Therox, Saman Bemel-Benrud, Ben Zimmer, and Adam Aaronson.

Adam very deservingly won the ORCA for Best Crossword-Related Media for his piece “Square Theory,” so I’m excited to see him revisiting the topic for Crossword Con. It will be a must-watch presentation.

Be sure to get your tickets for either in-person or online attendance. They’re including a one-year subscription to Puzzmo Plus with your purchase!

These Puzzles Fund Abortion 6

Before I wrap up today’s post, I want to remind my fellow puzzlers about the important work behind These Puzzles Fund Abortion.

They’re hoping to raise $50,000 to support safe, affordable, and accessible abortion care with the sixth edition of TPFA. You can make a donation and preorder your puzzle packet right now!

These Puzzles Fund Abortion 6 contains 21 puzzles centered around social and reproductive justice themes, all for a minimum donation of $25.

If you donate $50 or more, you will also receive the puzzle packs for the previous five years of TPFA.

With data showing that Republican presidents send maternal deaths soaring when they take office, this is a very worthy cause. I hope your finances allow you to contribute to the health and safety of others.

Happy solving, puzzlers!

Happy New Year! Goals for 2026!

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New year, new… blog post. (Sorry for anyone who was hoping for a new me. It’s just the same ol’ friendly neighborhood puzzle nerd.)

Happy New Year cruciverbalists, gamers, RPGers, and puzzle enthusiasts!

Let’s ring in the new year right, with Lily Hevesh’s domino rendition of Auld Lang Syne:

So, with everyone thinking of New Year’s resolutions and (hopefully) feeling positive for the year to come, what does the future hold for PuzzCulture?

Honestly, I’m not sure, but I would like to share some of my goals (puzzly and otherwise) for 2026.

Ideally, writing them publicly will be an incentive to work harder and bring these goals to fruition! There’s nothing quite like braingaming yourself into genuine productivity!

Keep a running tally of puzzles solved

I’m genuinely curious how many puzzles I solve in a calendar year, so I’m going to keep track of my puzzles per week, just for the delightful data. Maybe I’ll learn something about myself or the puzzle world from it!

Read two books a month

When I commuted by train every day to work, I used to read an average of 5 books a week. (250 books a year was a regular occurrence!) But when the pandemic hit and I started working from work, my reading frequency PLUMMETED. I’m hoping to get back into it and read two books a month. (One a week feels a bit too ambitious, but who knows?)

Double the PuzzCulture readership and grow our social media presence

2025 was a good year for us across the blog and social media, but we can always do better. So if there’s something you’d like to see, or something you’re enjoying that you’d like to see more of, please say so!

Construct one puzzle each month for the PuzzCulture readers

I usually create a puzzle for the major holidays, but this year, there will be a puzzle to solve each month (probably near the end of the month for my own sanity). Any favorite puzzle types? Let me know!

Submitting a crossword for publication

Publishing a crossword is a lofty goal, one that is mostly out of my hands. But submitting something I think is publishing-worthy… that’s an achievable goal, even if it doesn’t end up making the cut at one of the major outlets.

Finish at least four short stories

Half-finished stories have piled up over the last two years, and I need to get these brainworms out to make room for exciting new brainworms!

Publish a game and/or RPG module

Over the last two years, I’ve published a game through 9th Level Games’ Level 1 promotional collection for Free RPG Day. I don’t know if that will happen again this year, but yea or nay, I will be self-publishing something in 2026.

I’m not sure if it will be a short standalone game or an RPG module for an established system, but I feel good about this goal.

#JusticeForSnow

This year, snow got robbed of its rightful place in the National Toy Hall of Fame, and I’m gonna do everything I can to get it back on the ballot AND into the Hall of Fame this year! #JusticeForSnow

Actually compete in a crossword tournament

I love solving tournament puzzles (as you can tell from my reviews), but except for Crossword Tournament From Your Couch, I’ve never competed. Travel is tough for me, but I think I’m gonna take a shot and attempt an At-Home solve for one of this year’s tournaments. I’ll keep you posted!

Do you have any puzzly (or non-puzzly) goals for 2026? Let me know in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!

Registration for the Boswords 2025 Fall Themeless League Is Open!

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It’s that time of year again. The summer tournaments have come and gone (for the most part… thinking of you, Bryant Park!), and fall is near.

And that means the Boswords 2025 Fall Themeless League is almost here!

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 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 on Monday, September 29th at 9 PM Eastern.

The Fall Themeless League then runs the next nine Monday nights starting at 9 PM.

Don’t worry if you can’t attend the Monday night broadcasts. Solvers will have until the end of the day Sunday each solving week to complete that week’s puzzles!

As for the puzzles themselves, each year the Boswords team assembles a lineup of top-flight constructors, and this year is no exception.

This year’s constructors are Carina da Rosa, Barbara Lin, Ryan Mathiason, Sophia Maymudes, Paolo Pasco, David Quarfoot, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Jeremy Venook, Emily Yi and Wayne Zhao.

I’ve participated in the Spring and Fall Themeless Leagues in years past, and it always sparks a renewed appreciation for what talented constructors can do outside the traditional themed structures of a grid. The grid work, the fill, the cluing… these are all given greater focus.

Consider checking it out, you won’t be disappointed!

Will you be participating in this year’s Fall Themeless League, fellow solvers? Let me know in the comments section below, I’d love to hear from you!