Home//Games World of Puzzles/December 2015/In This Issue
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015...FROM THE EDITORWelcome to the last issue of GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES of 2015. We’ve got plenty of holiday treats nestled in these pages— some of which you’ve eagerly anticipated. For months, readers have been asking us if the December issue would include a list of the year’s best games. We promised you that it would, and now we deliver on that promise: Starting on page 34, you’ll find our longtime game reviewer Thomas L. McDonald’s picks for Game of the Year, both electronic and traditional, along with winners and runners-up in four different categories. Whether you’re looking to add to your own game collection or seeking ideas for holiday gifts, you’ll find lots of great information here.But that’s not all! Editor Raymond Simon surveyed a group of 24 notable men and…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015OPPOSITE OUTCOMESContrary to what you might be thinking, the word fragments below will easily become complete words if you insert a pair of familiar opposites in the blanks for each set. Give it a SHOT; we won’t SCOLD you for peeking at the answers!ANSWERSOPPOSITE OUTCOMES1. Scoff, once2. Comet, gopher3. Close, window4. Shout, shin5. Stake, forgive6. Cup, downfall7. Queasy, hardy8. Hemp, sheep9. Pushover, pulley10. Nearly, farthing11. Leftover, fright12. Shortwave, install13. Father, think14. Olive, diesel15. Enfold, knew16. Bogus, thematic…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015SINGING ANAGRAMSWelcome to the Opt 40 Countdown, where all the song titles have anagrams! This month we’ll be spinning some hot new sounds—”The Sounds of License,” you might say. Heading up the list are the 12 tunes we’ve illustrated on these pages. Each is a familiar song title that has one of its words anagrammed to form a new word, with the resulting new version of the title pictured. For example, a picture of a pistol-packin’ sweetie would illustrate ARMED LOVER—our new version of the 1959 Bobby Darin hit ”Dream Lover.” Think you can identify this daffy dozen? The number of words and letters in each answer is indicated by the blanks beneath the drawing.ANSWERSSINGING ANAGRAMS1. ”Bowlin’ (Blowin’) in the Wind”2. ”A Horse With No Mane (Name)”3. ”Baby Café (Face)”4. ”Cork…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME5 LETTERSADMIXALARMAWARDBASILB CELLBENJICOMICE. COLIHAULMHEXADIMMIXIVIEDLLOYDMIMICMR. MOMNBC TVSCRAMSIC ‘EM6 LETTERSAGE-OLDAND ALLARGYLLATRIUMCALAMICHISELEMPOLIHILLELLIENALMANIACMEAT AXMYTHICOMNIUMQUEUEDSLAVICVELLUMXENIALZIPLOC7 LETTERSARCHAICART FILMAXLE ARMCTRL-DELDWEEZILEL MISTIESCAPEDICE CHAII’LL TELLLILY PADMAXWELLMCSUSHIRESITEDRETINALSCACCHISET FORMSHAR PEISPIKE TV8 LETTERSAGNUS DEIAVIATRIXBREZHNEVCARBONICDAIQUIRIDATA DISCED O’NEILLEDUCATEDFAX MODEMGRIMALDIIDIOT BOXMACKERELMATCHBOXMCCALLUMON SAFARIULTRAISMVIRTUOSIWEEVILEDANSWERSALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME HINTThe first word across is DAIQUIRI.ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 20151-2-3 CUBISMThis is a 3D challenge much like our standard Cubism puzzles, but with an added twist: Each square will contain either one, two, or three letters. The number of letters in each square is for you to determine.Answers are entered in three different directions. The Down and Right answers “step” down the pink and gray sides of the cubes, while the Down and Left answers follow the pink and white sides of the cubes. The Across answers traverse the grid from left to right, following the white and gray sides of the cubes. Each of the three directions has five rows with two clue answers per row. The first Down and Right answer, U-HA-ULT-R-UC-K, has been entered as an example.DOWN AND RIGHT1 Moving vehicle: 2 wds. Jackal-headed god2 Greek poetic…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015MIXED DOUBLES: SHADES OF MEANINGThis puzzle is solved like a standard Mixed Doubles in that each answer word has two clues leading to it, using different meanings of the word. The clues are separated into Across and Down, but are otherwise ordered randomly.When you find two Across or two Down clues that seem to have the same answer, add up their clue numbers to determine the place in the grid at which the answer should be entered. For example, if the clue for 1-Across were “Metallic element” and the clue for 17-Across read “Starring role,” the answer would be LEAD, which would go in 18-Across (1 + 17). Tags such as “Hyph.” and “2 wds.” have been omitted.In this puzzle, there is an added twist: The Across and Down clue lists each contain one…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015GO WITH THE FLOWTo complete this puzzle, you must send words cascading down each of the six streamlets. Words in the streamlets flow into one another and overlap by at least one letter. There are also words reading across each row of the diagram. These words are clued in no particular order; you must determine where each across word fits as you solve. So go ahead—get your feet wet!STREAMLETS1. Take the place of (a scheduled show)Used a stopwatch“Easy ___ it!”Keyboard key for quittersNoisy to chewGo separate ways2. Being broadcast: 2 wds.Time of Celts and druids: 2 wds.Post-baby-boom baby: Hyph.Monthly payment, for manyTurkic language of Russia3. Cup, in CannesMushy (maybe) lunch choice: 2 wds.Refinery waste matterSore-throat bacterium, brieflyClean-air watchdog gp.4. Ambulance folks: Abbr.Showed some teethLady with a fine set of pipesHoover, for exampleAdvil rival5.…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015MATCHBOXESHere’s your big chance to play with matches. Enter words relating to each puzzle’s theme, one letter per box, so that the boxes with connecting lines have matching letters. We’ve shown one such connection to start you off.1. U.S. PRESIDENTS Example: Cleveland2. DRINK THIS Example: Root beerANSWERSMATCHBOXESPuzzle 1:top to bottom: Kennedy, McKinley, Lincoln, Clinton, Wilson, Eisenhower, Washington, Harrison, Harding, Garfield, Fillmore.Puzzle 2:top to bottom: eggnog, ginger ale, iced tea, café au lait, co*cktail, chocolate milk, Vichy water, nectar, cider, ice-cream soda, lemonade.…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015THE YEAR’S BEST GAMESWelcome to our year-end roundup of 2015’s best games, both electronic and traditional. We’ve played everything from apps and video games to board and card games. Many of these titles have been reviewed previously in GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES; others you may be seeing for the first time.If you’ve ever wondered how we choose our winners, the process involves sifting through the games published between August of one year and the next, paying attention to games that are generating some buzz, testing them out with a team of seasoned gamers, and making final decisions.For 2015, we’ve boiled it down to one Game of the Year overall and four categories, with awards for both traditional and electronic gaming. We selected the top two games in each category: a winner a runner-up.…10 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015CROSSWORD HAIKUFirst Prize $1005 Runner-Up Prizes: a one-year subscription to games world of puzzlesThis month’s challenge is to create a sensible, PG-rated haiku using the clues and/or answers from one of four crossword puzzles in this issue: “Peanuts Gallery” (page 6), “One Too Many” (page 21), “Self-Explanatory” (page 52), or the World’s Most Ornery Crossword (page 67). If you choose the World’s Most Ornery Crossword, you must create your haiku from either the Hard or the Easy clues—you may not combine them.A haiku is a non-rhyming poem with three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second seven, and the third five. Traditional haiku refer to nature, but your haiku can be about anything—within reason.All words and names in your haiku must come from a single puzzle, but they may…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015ROWS GARDENWords fit into this flower garden in two ways. The Rows answers stretch horizontally from the lettered markers; each row takes two consecutive answers reading left to right (except A and L, which each have one answer reading across the nine protruding spaces). Each Row’s two answers are clued in order.The Blooms are six-letter words or phrases that fill the colored hexagons, reading either clockwise or counterclockwise— you decide. Bloom clues are divided into three lists: White, Pink, and Gray. Place answers to the White clues in the white hexagons, Pink in the pink, and Gray in the gray. All three Bloom lists are in random order, so you must use the Row answers to figure out where to plant each Bloom.ROWSA Fictional band behind “(Listen to the) Flower People”:…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015SIAMESE TWINSThis puzzle gives you two grids for the price of one. And two sets of clues to go with them, so you can work both crosswords at the same time. What’s the catch? Each clue number is followed by two different clues to two different answers. The puzzle is to figure out which answer goes with which grid. 1-Across has been filled in for you.ACROSS1 One of the sounds of a British dish cooking... ...and the other7 White House family Turkish capital13 Head Hun Egyptian god of the underworld14 Western Pacific island nation One-___ (short film)15 In a warm way Casaba and honeydew16 Eye stupidly: 2 wds. Political pamphlets17 Drive too fast Cuppas18 Web crawler “X” amount19 Chance, old-style Foreman foe20 Ancient Rome was built around them: 2 wds. William…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015WHAT’S UP?The title is the question, and this puzzle will tell you the answer—if you know how to play. Fourteen of the answers in this variety cryptic crossword are too long for their spots in the grid. When this happens, you must remove a pair of letters from the front of the entry and place the remaining letters (which won’t be a real word, except in one case) in the grid. The excised pairs, taken in clue order (Across before Down) hold the key to the title’s answer; once you figure out what to do with them, you’ll know what’s up.ACROSS1 What Krupa played after “Half-Dollar Blues”5 Special present at Saturday balls10 Make demands of naughty child, Rose, right away12 Deputy leader, for example, cuts housing payment14 Pilot from Albania’s capital…3 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015WILD CARDSNUMBER PLAYCOCOA AND NUMEROLOGYAt the mall I ran into my old friend Athena Numerowski, the numerologist. We took a break from shopping to chat over cocoa.“Can you give me any insights into what 2016 will bring?” I asked.“For free?” she replied, smiling. “I’m a professional, but all right. Write the digits of 2015 in a column. Then make another column on the right, and add 1 to each digit. Then make a third column, where you multiply the second column by 2. And then in a fourth column, raise the third column to the power 3.”“Like this?” I wrote on a napkin:“Very good! See what a logical progression you have: one, two, three; and plus, times, exponent! Now add up the final column,” she said.I did so, and gasped. “2016!”…4 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015QUOTE BOXESTo solve Quote Boxes, drop the letters from each vertical column—not necessarily in the order in which they appear—into the empty squares below them to spell a quotation reading from left to right, line by line. Words may continue from one line to the next; black squares indicate ends of words. The author of each quote is given above its grid.1. Victor Hugo2. William Inge3. Kenneth GrahameANSWERSQUOTE BOXES1. Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. (Victor Hugo)2. Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true. (William Inge)3. After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015TURN OF PHRASELet’s redirect our thinking: Find each two-word phrase listed below in the arrow. Right after you begin the second word, the path will make a sharp turn (not necessarily a right angle). After you’ve circled all 21 phrases, the leftover grid letters, read left to right and top to bottom, will spell a word meaning “the fear of names.”ALIEN RACECARAMEL COLORCLOSE SHAVECTRL KEYDEEP DISHGAME BIRDGOLD THREADGONE AMOKGOOD MOVEHOLY GHOSTLEASH LAWMODEL TRAINNICK NOLTEOPEN HARMONYPAY WAGESPOWER SETTOP CARDVILLAGE IDIOTWITH CHILDWORD SEARCHYOKO ONOANSWERSTURN OF PHRASEThe leftover letters spell ONOMATOPHOBIA.…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015CRYPTOLISTSBelow are four lists of related words and phrases that have been translated into simple cipher alphabets. The letter substitutions remain constant within any one group of words (for instance, if V represents G in one word, it will represent G in all the words in that list), but change from one list to the next. A tip to new solvers: Start by thinking of answers that might fit one of the categories; then see if any enciphered words in the list have the same letter pattern. The fourth list has been left untitled. Solve the code to determine what the items have in common.1. BRRR...THAT’S COLD!Ex.: SiberiaH L F T L V D L X A Z M C DQ T U L X C A ’ J J…3 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015BATTLESHIPSWWW.CONCEPTISPUZZLES.COMThe six puzzles on this page are solitaire versions of the classic paper-and-pencil game of Battleships. Each grid represents a section of ocean in which a fleet is hiding. This fleet consists of one battleship (four grid cells in length), two cruisers (three cells each), three destroyers (two cells each), and four submarines (one cell each). The ships may be oriented either horizontally or vertically, and no two ships can occupy adjacent grid cells, not even diagonally. The digits along the grid’s perimeter indicate the number of cells in the corresponding rows and columns that are occupied by vessels.You’ll notice that some “shots” have been taken to start you off. These may show water (indicated by wavy lines), a complete sub (a circle), the bow or stern of a ship…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015WORD SANDWICHIn each puzzle below, you’re going to make “word sandwiches.” First, enter the answers to the Middles clues in the correspondingly numbered white spaces. Then add a letter in the pink square on each side, making a new word. Each of these words will match up with one of the Wholes clues, which are listed in random order. Once you’re done, the extra letters you’ve added in the pink squares will spell out a familiar twoword phrase. In the example below, the Middles answers—URN, RAT, and OVER— become Wholes answers BURNT, IRATE, and GOVERN. The letters in the pink squares, reading down, spell out BIG TEN.PUZZLE 1MIDDLES1 “Flashdance…What a Feeling” singer Irene2 Chapter’s companion3 Muscle spasm4 Children’s singer who did “Bananaphone”5 Chow downWHOLES2000 Michael Douglas filmSacred Egyptian beetleCandy bar with…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015ONE, TWO, THREESolve this puzzle as you would a regular crossword, except that each space may hold one, two, or three letters. The number of letters in a space is for you to determine, using logic and the crossing of words. The answer to 1-Across, G-AR-CON, has been filled in as an example.ACROSS1 French restaurant waiter4 Increase the value of, as a benefit8 Reason to cancel an outdoor event: 2 wds.12 Burdened (with)13Neighbors costar Seth14 Lacking flexibility15 Speed-related simile: 5 wds.18 Credit card documents19 Make reparation20 Hannigan of How I Met Your Mother22 Often-unread stipulations: 2 wds.26 It’s east of Turkey29 Give up31 Get back32 Certain particle accelerator33 Like rhyming verse34 Asset in a trying situation35 Light metal utensils36 Shared (in)37 Swallow38 Unified whole, in psychology40 Tract given by the government: 2…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 20152015: WHAT THE PROS ARE PLAYINGWith the holidays upon us, we here in the editorial office thought it was high time to take stock of the “World of Puzzles” that we reference in the title of your favorite magazine. So we’ve conducted an informal Q&A with 24 people. They come from all corners of the gaming world and include authors, designers, and solvers. Some names will be familiar to you; others are folks we think you ought to know more about. Their answers are short, pithy, funny, and chock-full of information that may just help you fill all those stockings that still need stuffing. Enjoy!What game or puzzle from the past year really captured your imagination? It could be anything—an app, a board game, a crossword, a video game, or something in between.Will Anderson is…16 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015ROLE PLAYING REDUXFrom MayOur most recent Role Playing contest presented solvers with a diagram where each yellow circle represented an actor (male or female) and each orange rectangle represented a film, all of them released since 1999. None of the films were shorts or documentaries, but some were only screened at film festivals.Lines connected films with actors who appear in them—not necessarily in a leading role. Each film was connected to at least two actors, and each actor was connected to at least two films. The numbers in each circle indicated how many letters are in the first and last names of the actor, while the numbers in each rectangle indicated the number of letters in each word of the film’s title, in order.The diagram included eight question marks, representing either actors…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015DOUBLE CROSSAnswer the clues on the numbered dashes, one letter per dash. Then transfer the letters on the dashes to the correspondingly numbered squares in the puzzle grid to reveal a quotation reading from left to right. (Red squares separate words.) When you’re done, read down the list of answers; their initial letters will spell the author’s name and the source of the quotation.ANSWERSDOUBLE CROSSA. BOB COSTASB. RIDESC. YULETIDED. SQUIRMSE. OFFICIALESEF. NOLAN RYANG. TOM SWIFTH. HOSTSI. ENTOURAGEJ. TERMSK. HALFWAY HOUSEL. UPSTAGEDM. NASH RAMBLERN. DEVISEDO. ECO-EFFICIENCYP. RAMSHACKLEQ. BASELR. OLD KINGDOMS. LOWELL THOMAST. TWISTERU. KEN FOLLETTV. INSIDE OUTW. DICHOTOMYOne of the great myths of life is that childhood passes quickly. In fact, because time moves more slowly in Kid World—and so slowly during the last week before Christmases as to be functionally immeasurable—it…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015GAME ON!Monday, Monday“Alex Bellos’s Monday Puzzle” is fast becoming required reading for puzzle lovers.Bellos, author of The Grapes of Math, posts a new puzzle every two weeks on the website of The Guardian, a venerable British newspaper. Since the feature began last May, he has presented an assortment of brainteasers, including Hidato, a Sudoku variant popular in Israel. Bellos also routinely calls attention to puzzle mavens like David Bodycombe, whose work may be unfamiliar to Americans.Each problem is stated clearly and succinctly, so solvers can jump right in. Don’t worry if you can’t solve one of these head-scratchers over your morning coffee. Bellos doesn’t let solvers suffer for long. A few hours after posting the problem, he offers the solution.The problems and their solutions come accompanied by amusing videos. Bellos, looking…3 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 2Anagrams: The answer appears in anagrammed form, preceded or followed by a word or phrase that suggests the mixing, as in Changing times for ITEMS.Deletions: Deletions come in three varieties: beheadments, curtailments, and internal deletions. The clue always contains a word or phrase indicating the deletion. Examples: Uncovered bent charm for ENCHANT, a beheadment of PENCHANT; Fiery bird without a tail for FLAMING, a curtailment of FLAMINGO; and Heartless miserly bloke for CHAP, an internal deletion of CHEAP.Charades: The answer is broken into smaller words that are clued individually, as in Auto animal for CARPET.Containers: A word such as PATIENTS “contains” TIE inside PANTS, so it might be clued as Hospital residents make knots in trousers.Hidden answers: The answer may appear intact, albeit camouflaged, in the clue. Example: Myopic colonel…3 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015TETRIS GRID LOGICIn each of these puzzles, your goal is to position one of each of the five Tetris figures, as shown at the top of the next page, into the grid, obeying the four clues given. The pieces can be rotated or flipped, but no two pieces should ever touch, not even diagonally.PUZZLE 11. Column e has no occupied cells.2. Cell g1 is the only unoccupied corner cell.3. Cell d4 is the corner cell of the L-piece.4. Columns c and d have the same number of occupied cells.PUZZLE 21. Row 3 has only one occupied cell.2. Cell a6 is the only unoccupied corner cell.3. Each of columns c, d, and f has only one occupied cell.4. Rows 1 and 5 have the same number of occupied cells.PUZZLE 31. Rows 1 and…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015TRIPLE PLAYThe answer to each clue trio below is a single word that can precede any of the three listed words to form a compound word or two-word phrase. For example, the trio SCOUT, WONDER, and FRIEND leads to the answer BOY (Boy Scout, Boy Wonder, boyfriend). How fast can you breeze through these threes?ACROSS1 LOCKBEATPAN5 MISSEASTBEER6 FACEWRITERCAST7 WAYKEEPERCRASHER8 SAXCLEFCUMULUS11 HILLTRAPEATER13 TIMERSEATERBAGGER15 CLUBCOURSEWIDOW17 TROUTFRONTSHORE19 FACETALKTOOTH21 FISHSALADMELT22 GUARDCRACKERHOUSEDOWN1 BASEBANKENTRY2 BREAKDREAMTRIPPER3 WAYLINERTRACK4 STORMWASHINGCHILD6 POTPARTYKETTLE7 WRAPHORSECERTIFICATE9 ROOMWORKWARMERS10 SLICKWELLPAINTING12 TOADSURGEONRING14 WINESAUCEELEPHANT16 WEIGHTWHEELSPECK18 CAPSLAPPERJERK19 RUMBERRYLEAF20 BOYSTOPSTATIONANSWERSTRIPLE PLAY…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015MIXED DOUBLESEach answer word in this crossword variation has two clues leading to it, using different meanings of the word. The clues are separated into Across and Down, but are otherwise ordered randomly.When you find two Across clues or two Down clues that seem to have the same answer, add up their clue numbers to determine the place in the grid where the answer should be entered. For example, if the clue for 1-Across were “Metallic element“ and the clue for 17-Across read “Starring role,“ the answer would be “lead,“ which would go in the box labeled 18 (1 + 17). Note: Tags such as “Hyph.“ and “2 wds.“ have been omitted.ACROSS1 Not open to the general public2 Succession of familial rulers3 One on a throne4 Stage manager on The Muppet…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015Kid StuffCrisscrossAll the words on the list below rhyme with the word EIGHT. Can you fit them into the grid so that they interlock as in a crossword puzzle? Each word will be used exactly once. We’ve filled in FREIGHT to get you off to a GREAT start.4 LETTERSFATEHATELATEMATERATESATE5 LETTERSAWAITGREATSKATESTATETRAIT6 LETTERSAVIATEESTATEINNATESTRAITVACATE7 LETTERSDEFLATEELEVATEFREIGHTMEDIATE8 LETTERSDECORATEENERVATEINUNDATERECREATESTRAIGHTTABULATENO-NOSHow many of these 12 words starting with NO can you identify? Write one letter in each blank.1. Twelve hours from midnight NO ___ ___2. What you smell with NO ___ ___3. Ark builder NO ___ ___4. Person, place, or thing NO ___ ___5. Fictional book NO ___ ___ ___6. Compass direction NO ___ ___ ___7. Country next to Sweden NO ___ ___ ___ ___8. Beginner NO ___ ___ ___ ___9. Opposite of “all” NO ___ ___ ___ ___…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015MULTI KAKUROwww.conceptispuzzles.comYour goal is to solve each individual 9×9 kakuro grid by filling each white square with a single digit from 1 to 9. The clue number for a horizontal group of digits is to the left of a group and above the slash, and for a vertical group of digits it is above the group and below the slash. This clue number represents the sum of the digits in its corresponding group. No zeroes are used and no digit may be repeated within a group. Use information from overlapping grids to help you determine which digits to place in the common areas.ANSWERSMULTI KAKURO…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015SOLITAIRE HANGMAN SHORTIESAs in the two-player version of Hangman, the object of this solitaire challenge is to guess a word before being “hanged.” In this edition, all of the words are six letters long, which increases the challenge.To begin, choose any letter that you think might appear in word I below. Suppose you pick E. Go to the Letter Chart on the facing page and find the number listed in row E of Column I (because you are working on word I). The number is 34; you now look in box number 34 in the Position Chart (to the right of the Letter Chart) and locate the number 3. This means the letter E occurs in the third position (and nowhere else) in word I. If a letter occurs more than once…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015ONE TOO MANYACROSS1 The Blue Ribbon of brews6 Waterlogged snow11 Flashiness16 TV studio sign: 2 wds.17 Role for Jay Silverheels18 Woodworking machine19 Statue whacked by Laszlo Toth (5/21/72)20 Extra on the Gladiator set21 Essence of rose petals22 Letter-shaped pipe piece: Hyph.23 “Time ___ a premium”: 2 wds.24 Entirely: 2 wds.25 What’s gone on before, redundantly: 2 wds.28 Scrabble 10-pointer29 Tamiflu maker30 “Kapow!“33 Nosed around an online forum37 Ezio of South Pacific38 What’s up at the Prado39 Concert venue40 Walk-on signal41 Draws out43 ABCs, redundantly: 2 wds.46 Ragtime dance: Hyph.47 Two-cupper48 More tender49 Yankee in Cooperstown50 The Hawkeye State, dialectically52 Nag, nag, nag?53 Draft inits.54 ’80s nest-egg indemnifier: Abbr.55 The piper’s son56 Connect, redundantly: 2 wds.62 Pretty posh65 Leander’s love66 Most mammoth mammal67 Brother of Moses68 One who’s winging it?69 Greet the day70…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015ESCAPE FROM THE MYSTERIOUS SHRINE: AN ESCAPE GAME IN A PUZZLE MINI SERIESEscape rooms have recently taken North America by storm, rapidly appearing in many cities around the continent. If you are unfamiliar with this popular and alternative form of entertainment, here’s how it works: You assemble a team of your favorite friends, coworkers, or family members—pretty much anyone you’ve always wanted to be with when locked in a small, unfamiliar room. The room contains clues to puzzles, although the immediate use for these clues is not evident—careful examination of your surroundings, creative thinking, and maybe some trial and error is crucial to getting the puzzle series started. One puzzle’s solution provides a clue to the next puzzle. If you are able to solve all the puzzles in the room within the allotted time frame, you will find a key that unlocks…5 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015FOUR-LETTER WORDSYour challenge in each puzzle below is to find six nine-letter words that each contain two four-letter words (not that kind), in the correct order but not consecutively. The word NATURALLY, for example, contains the letters for NARY and TALL in that order, plus an extra U (or NULL and TRAY, plus an extra A). Each word to be identified adheres to this pattern—two interwoven four-letter words and one additional letter.To help you solve, we’ve provided a clue for each nine-letter word, and indicated which blanks the two four-letter words will occupy by shading them in pink and gray. The additional letter is shown. All of the four-letter words to be used are listed at the top of each puzzle; you may cross them off as you solve. The first…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015WHAT'S HAPPENINGWhat’s Happening: GEEKONOMICONWhen: December 11–13, 2015Where: Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center; Biloxi, MSDetails: Join a self-described community of “geeks, nerds, gamers, academics, and others” in their quest to have fun. The gaming room features both video and many varieties of tabletop games. There’s something for everyone: celebrity guests, panels and workshops, an art room, photo ops, and more. Other activities include a movie screening, contests, dances, and an illusion show. There’s even an anti-bullying seminar for all ages run by UFC MMA fighters.For more info:www.whynotgeek.com/geekonomiconWhat’s Happening: DERPYCONWhen: December 4–6, 2015Where: Hyatt Morristown; Morristown, NJDetails: Although DerpyCon is modest in size, it’s big on fun. This con celebrates sci-fi, fantasy, anime, and gaming. Entertainment will include panels, LARPs, concerts, video gaming, cosplay, vendors, dances, tabletop gaming, and lots more.For more…3 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015MERL REAGLE: THANKS FOR THE MEMORIESMerl Reagle, a beloved crossword constructor known for witty wordplay and clever clues, passed away on August 22, 2015 at age 65. His death, from acute pancreatitis, was sudden and unexpected.Our heartfelt condolences go out to Reagle’s wife, Marie Haley, his family, and his friends. But rather than remember him with another obituary, we would like to celebrate the life and work of a man well-known for his warmth and good humor. As the crossword commentator Deb Amlen wrote on the New York Times Wordplay blog, “If Merl liked you—and he liked nearly everyone for one reason or another—he became your champion.”Reagle was certainly a champion of this publication. In 1979, he made his first contribution to GAMES, and his most recent email arrived on a Friday afternoon in early…4 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015Orange Returns(lexical lunacy)The message on my voice mail was a pauciloquent “Or!” I didn’t have to think twice about who it was or what he was implying. Namely, I was being challenged to rhyme the word orange yet again, only this time with the word being pronounced awe-ringe instead of ah-ringe. It was Schlumpy Feldschuh, the royal pygalgia in my life since the days of Miss Karpinski’s Spanish class, nyaa-nyaaing me with another lexical challenge. This, in spite of the fact that I have outwitted him at almost every turn, in that I have rhymed the words ah-ringe, silver, bulb, and month, and even found a synonym for synonym. (And, yes, that’s an Oxford comma after bulb.)What irks me about Feldschuh is that he has never once acknowledged any of my…7 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015SELF-EXPLANATORYACROSS1 Boulle’s planet dominators5 Applesauce giant10 Stomach15 Single-named supermodel19 Trimming20ER actress Tierney21 Clan emblem22 Postgrad prerequisite, sometimes: Abbr.23 This answer is…26 Spring ___ the air27 Clementi piece28 Grandparents Day mo.29 ___-tse30 Prospero’s daughter32 French vineyard34 Nerd36 Garb for a Gauguin model37 Prioritize41 This answer is…43 It may be picked up in bars46 Reneges, with “out”47 Key in once more48 Helen Gurley Brown’s mag50 Pot booster51 ___ dixit53 Growl56 Finito57 Simple answer58 Sallied forth59 Exterminate62 Atlanta-based cable channel63 Billy Corgan’s Post-Pumpkins endeavor64 It can mean world or peace in Russian65 Fifth, for one68 Creator of the Hundred Acre Wood70 Smarts73 This answer is…75 The Chiffons’ “___ Fine”76 Temporal progressions78 Acrimony79 Comparative suffix80 Open wide81 Washington slept here83 Apiary resident84 Dijon denials86 One of 200 at Indy89 Cuatro y cuatro90 Libretto feature92…3 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015PAINT BY NUMBERSwww.conceptispuzzles.comThese eight puzzles feature a unique blend of logic and art. The numbers are all you need to determine which squares should be filled in to form a picture. Here’s how it’s done:The numbers outside each row and column tell you how many groups of black squares there are in that line and, in order, how many consecutive black squares there are in each group. For example, 4 5 9 2 tells you that there will be four groups that will contain, in order, 4, 5, 9, and 2 consecutive black squares. The fact that the numbers are separated tells you that there is at least one empty square between them. (There may also be empty squares at the ends of lines.) The trick is to figure out how many…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGSEach row and column of this puzzle contains two consecutive entries, a Beginning and an Ending. Both sets of clues are randomly ordered, but the first letters of the Beginning answers are shown in the grid; you can use them to help you get started. When the grid is complete, the last letters of the Ending answers (read across the bottom and then up the side) will reveal what you’ve done. Answers include one abbreviation.BEGINNINGS1 Flower holder has Liberal design2 Rescue operation in clinch provided time3 Leave aimless chat with triumphant shout4 Scandinavian figure in helmet (horned)5 British people chartered band6 A large wreath bears words of greeting7 Shock theory occupies length of time8 Say “Gross, a desert plant”9 Retracted housetop assumes low level10 Bunk with 100 future soldiers11 State…2 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015FAMILY REUNIONSChange each group of 10 words below into a “family” of different words (words or proper names that have something in common) by dropping one letter from each word and then rearranging the remaining letters. For example, given the entries HAUNT, HAIRDO, and ADVANCE, you could drop the N from HAUNT to get UTAH, drop the R from HAIRDO for IDAHO, and drop the C from ADVANCE to get NEVADA, all in the category “U.S. states.” Can you reunite each family by determining the category for each and unscrambling the 10 entries? Answers include one two-word phrase. If you need help getting started, a list of the four categories appears on page 78.FAMILY ONEFAMILY TWOFAMILY THREEFAMILY FOURANSWERSFAMILY REUNIONSFAMILY ONESynonyms for “excellent”1. Fine2. Grand3. Swell4. Great5. Superb6. Divine7. Stellar8. Terrific9. Sterling10.…1 min
Games World of Puzzles|December 2015THE WORLD’S MOST ORNERY CROSSWORDEXPANSION PACKThe crossword on this and the next two pages has two independent sets of clues: “Hard” and “Easy.” First, fold this page back on the dashed line so the clues below face the solving grid on page 69. If you use only the Hard Clues (appearing below and continuing under the grid), you’ll find the puzzle uncommonly challenging. If you want help, or prefer a less severe challenge, open to the Easy Clues (tucked in beneath your fold on page 68).Easy CluesDON’T PEEK UNTIL YOU READ PAGE 67!ACROSS1 Puppeteer Lewis6 Hanging-basket flora: 2 wds.18 Like a viper24 See 72-Across25 1970 film about WWII: 3 wds.26 Nickname for a Unification Church member27 “What’s in ___?” (Juliet): 2 wds.28 How indie films are often made: 4 wds.30 John Kerry’s domain: 3…7 min
