Kickstarter

With this project, I’m aiming to construct some of my favorite puzzles: Cryptic crosswords, those devilishly clever imports from Britain. Unfortunately there are hardly any venues in America that accept cryptic puzzles for publication, so I rarely have any reason to make them.

I’m hoping to change all that with The Crypt, a twelve-puzzle set of cryptic crosswords featuring four block-style puzzles and eight variety puzzles. I intend to put as much variety as possible into those eight variety cryptics: Expect unusual grid shapes, intriguing wordplay-based themes, and plenty of hidden payoffs. (Note that these puzzles will not be linked in any way; The Crypt won’t be an extravaganza, merely a series of standalone puzzles.)

The Crypt will be e-mailed to you in two PDF files, one with the puzzles and one with the answers. For this reason I’ll need your e-mail address; rest assured that it will only be used to deliver these puzzles, and will be shared with no one.

I’ve already done some of the work on The Crypt (over the years I’ve occasionally succumbed to the urge to make a cryptic and then socked it away in a drawer, as I had no good place to sell it). As soon as I’m fully funded I’ll start in on the rest. Because of this head start, I expect to be finished sometime in April.

I hope there are plenty of puzzle enthusiasts out there as cryptic-starved as I am! Thanks very much for your support.