PuzzleBuzz

🧩 The Best Crossword of 2023

by
🧩 The Best Crossword of 2023
Your monthly digest from the world of puzzles and games View in browser 

Dear Reader, 

You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

    The Best Crossword of 2023

    The 12th ORCA Awards, organized by constructor Rich Proulx, are here! This year, the awards invited solvers to directly participate by voting for their favorites across nine categories, ranging from 'Best Clue of 2023' to 'Best Themeless Crossword of 2023'.

    ORCA is another name for a killer whale, and it is part of a set of words found often in crosswords. "ORCAs" is also an anagram of OSCAR, and is hence befitting for a crossword award function.

    The eagerly-awaited results will be unveiled during a livestream on March 6th at 9 PM EST. The event will be hosted by John Lieb and Andrew Kingsley, with a cast of prominent constructors presenting. Catch the livestream here.

    Picture Credit: Media Department, The City Montesseri School 

    Matheletics with PuzzleMe

    We recently partnered with City Montessori School in India to help organize Matheletics International, an inter-school math competition with over 100 students participating from across South Asia. 

    The competition had students solving a Mathdoku, which is a variation of sudoku. In Mathdoku, grids are divided into heavily-outlined groups of cells  (often called “cages”) and the numbers in the cells of each cage must produce the target number when combined using a specified mathematical operation, like addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. 

    The Mathdoku event saw 54 participating teams. The winning team solved this hard Mathdoku in 20 minutes. Can you beat their time?

    Host contests with PuzzleMe

    If you’d like to explore how games and contests can help your organization, get a free consultation with our experts. We’ll go over the process of launching games, setting up contests, results you can expect, and much more. 

    Crosswords for Doctors

    Did you know that PuzzleMe crosswords are used to aid doctors with continuing medical education (CME)?

    JAMA, a medical journal and CME platform, uses crosswords to educate doctors on medical terminology. Last month, Master Clinicians, another CME library, also integrated PuzzleMe crosswords into their educational toolkit. 

    Such use cases are great at illustrating the adaptability of puzzles, showing that they can serve not only as entertainment but as powerful tools for education across various disciplines.

      From the Crossworld

      Save the date: Puzzmo is organizing Crossword Con, the first-ever half-day conference about crossword puzzles, on 5th April in New York. The event will be held in-person and live-streamed. Register here to get all the details. 

        Registrations for Boswords Spring League are now live. You can also find practice puzzles on the website. Meanwhile, we're all geared up for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, being held from April 5th to 7th. The live tournament is booked out, but you can still sign up for the virtual tournament here. 

        PuzzleMe Spotlight

        A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for games

        1. Hints to Help Solvers of Killer Sudoku

        PuzzleMe can now offer hints to killer sudoku solvers. These hints use advanced logic to nudge solvers in the right direction without undermining the puzzle's challenge. 

        Hints on sudokus are already fairly popular with PuzzleMe solvers. With this new feature, we're excited to make killer sudokus more accessible to solvers of all skill levels. 

          2. Pre-Filled Sudokus for Easy Creation

          Pre-filled sudokus are here! On the PuzzleMe sudoku creator, you will now find the option to select a 9x9 sudoku of a difficulty level of your choice, and PuzzleMe will automatically create the puzzle for you. 

          If you're just looking for a quick way to create and embed sudokus on your site or app, this is a feature that's made for you. Advanced creators can, of course, still fill in their own numbers and create custom sudokus. 

            3. Extra-Large Grids on PuzzleMe

            PuzzleMe now supports crossword grids of sizes as big as 125x125. To make solving easier on such large grids, you'll be able to see the relevant clue just by hovering over the grid. 

            Multiplayer mode on PuzzleMe also works seamlessly on such grids. If you'd like to get cracking with a friend, here's Globe and Mail's 69x69 Giant Holiday Crossword Puzzle. To offer your solvers a great online experience for your extra-large grid, do get in touch with us. 

              Puzzle of the Month

              Last month, we had a teacher create this fabulous jigsaw from a picture of the periodic table. We thought this was a fantastic way to get students to memorize the periodic table.

              About Us

              Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

              Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
              Amuse Labs

              You received this email because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

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              8 Billion Gameplays? 👀

              by
              8 Billion Gameplays? 👀
              Your monthly digest from the world of puzzles and games View in browser 

              Dear Reader, 

              You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

                Illustration Credit: The Walrus

                The Walrus Is in the Games Business

                The Walrus, a Canadian arts and culture magazine, has launched an elaborate new games section with PuzzleMe. Aside from a weekly crossword, readers of the publication will now be able to enjoy a range of puzzles online including Word Flower, WordroW, and Sudoku.

                The Walrus is bringing back its crossword 15 years after it was discontinued. Emma Lawson, the publication’s newly-appointed crossword editor, belongs to a wave of inclusive constructors who focus on more culturally diverse clues and references from underrepresented communities.

                In Lawson’s own words, “Writers tend to like crosswords, readers tend to like crosswords. It makes sense for an organization like The Walrus.” Here’s a recent interview where she talks about her construction process and preferences.

                NYTimes Games Were Played 8 Billion Times Last Year

                The New York Times recorded 8 billion gameplays across its portfolio of games last year, with Wordle accounting for a whopping 4.8 billion plays. Connections, a new game launched by NYTimes, recorded 2.3 billion plays.

                Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at The New York Times, believes that the key to their success is the company's focus on building a daily habit instead of trying to get people to stay on the app:

                "We're not trying to get you to spend 24/7 in our app… Maybe you do two or three of them, maybe just one — some people play first thing in the morning, or it's their before bed habit, or lunch break, or whatever it might be. We want to fit into your life, and I think that's really resonating with people."

                How can games help you?

                If you’d like to explore how games can help your organization, get a free consultation with our experts. We’ll go over the process of launching games, what results you can expect, and much more. 

                A Weekly News Quiz by The Los Angeles Times

                The Los Angeles Times has launched a weekly news quiz created by Senior Features Writer Adam Tschorn. Every week, the quiz will have 10 questions about California based on stories that appeared in the newspaper over the previous week.

                “The hope is that it gives readers another way to engage with us and discover more of the great stories people are writing and publishing every day,” said Matthew Ballinger, Deputy Editor for Content Business Strategy at The Los Angeles Times.

                The quiz has been crafted carefully to increase engagement and appeal to the newspaper’s audience. We’re excited to see how the Times’ audience receives this delightful new game.

                  From the Crossworld

                  The Boswords Winter Wondersolve took place on February 4th with participation from 573 solvers. The tournament had four great themeless puzzles, which you can purchase here. ICYMI, registrations for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and the newly launched Westwords Tournament are also open.

                    Jeff Chen and Jim Horne, the people behind the popular crossword blog XWordInfo, have designed a new word game called Lemon Squeezy. It’s a nice and quick game to play, complete with lemon emojis that indicate how you performed.

                    PuzzleMe Spotlight

                    A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for games

                    1. Name and Email Collection

                    With PuzzleMe, you can collect the names and emails of your players with ease. Build an email list or show a leaderboard using inbuilt forms to collect player information easily.

                    The form shows up at the start of the game and can be set up to be voluntary or required to access the puzzle.

                      Talk to us today to find out how you can enable name and email collection on your PuzzleMe games.

                      2. Explanations for Crosswords and Quizzes

                      When used in the right ways, PuzzleMe games can serve as powerful educational tools. You can add explanations to crosswords and quizzes to teach your audience something new.

                      Explanations for each crossword clue can be entered within PuzzleMe’s creator form. Solvers see them on the crossword only once the puzzle is fully solved. On quizzes, the explanation for a question shows up once the player selects an answer, helping you provide information to your users at just the right moment.

                        3. Customize Start and End Screens

                        Did you know that you can add images, links, and custom text to the start and end screen of your puzzle? With the PuzzleMe editor, you can format your text, and add multimedia and links right within the editor.

                        On the start screen, you can insert instructions or information about the theme or constructor of the puzzle. Use the end screen to direct solvers to the right call-to-action or encourage them to sign up for your newsletter.

                          The first recorded jigsaw puzzle was not called a jigsaw. The puzzle's origins can be traced back to the 1700s when maps were pasted onto wood and then cut up along state boundaries. Called Dissected Maps, this tool was used to teach the location of states and countries to children. The word “Jigsaw” came to be associated with the puzzle in the 1800s when the jig saw, a saw that allowed curved cuts, started to be used to cut the puzzle into pieces.

                          About Us

                          Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

                          Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
                          Amuse Labs

                          You received this email because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

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                          🧩 What NYTimes Knows About Games

                          by
                          🧩 What NYTimes Knows About Games
                          Your monthly digest from the world of puzzles and games View in browser 

                          Dear Reader, 

                          You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

                            Picture Credit: The New Yorker

                            A Holiday Puzzle Feast

                            We saw some exciting holiday puzzles in December. From large grids to unique themes, here are some special grids released in the run-up to 2024:

                            • The New Yorker’s Cartoons and Puzzles Issue had some delightful puzzles. Track Maintenance was a split decisions puzzle beautifully themed with New York subway art. Lost in Central Park was another unique puzzle that used PuzzleMe's ability to support zigzag paths through the grid. 

                            • The Globe and Mail released a Giant Holiday Crossword Puzzle, a 69x69 grid to give readers something to keep them busy during the holidays. We worked with them to ensure a smooth online experience for the grid. Invite a friend with multiplayer mode and get cracking on this feast of a puzzle.

                            • The Irish Times is running its annual Christmas Jumbo Crossword contest for subscribers. The 4-week long puzzle contest ends in mid-January, and the winners will receive five-star hotel vouchers. The Times is using PuzzleMe’s contest mode to keep track of scores and create a leaderboard.

                            The Inside Story of What Games Do for The New York Times

                            Vanity Fair recently published a feature story titled “Inside the New York Times’ Big Bet on Games”. The story has a ton of insights on games and publishing. Here are some highlights on how games fit NYT's revenue goals:

                            • The games section serves as a powerful funnel for the Times to acquire new users, according to the company’s Chief Product Officer, Alex Hardiman. A significant number of the NYTimes games users end up buying the NYTimes bundle, which includes news, cooking, podcasts and more.
                               

                            • NYTimes subscribers who engage with both news and games show the highest long-term retention rates. This shows just how important it is to engage new subscribers with games along with other parts of your bundle.
                               

                            • The Times plugged Spelling Bee in a popular newsletter with millions of subscribers, which helped open the game up to a wider audience. The success of Spelling Bee led The Times to adopt a "portfolio of games" approach, which helped them add players to their existing crossword audience.

                            Games for Local Audiences

                            The Daily Memphian has launched a series of games themed on news and events around Memphis, Tennessee. They are running Word Searches, Crosswords, WordroWs and Jigsaws.

                            The games serve as an extension to their editorial focus on the city of Memphis. The latest Jigsaw, for example, is a picture of a musical showdown between two local universities. The WordroW, on the other hand, asks the audience to guess the headline for an important local story.

                            In the context of local media, games can become forces that bring communities together, offering avenues for members to put their shared knowledge to use. We’re thrilled to support The Daily Memphian in attracting and sustaining a local audience.

                              From the Crossworld

                              The finals of the Indian Crossword League took place in Bengaluru last weekend, and a bunch of us were there. Our puzzle editor Sowmya Ramkumar, who writes the crosswords on Gulf News and the India Mini, came 7th in the contest.

                                Inkubator, an outlet dedicated to publishing puzzles by women and nonbinary constructors, has shut down. In the last 5 years, Inkubator played a crucial role in making the Crossworld more inclusive, and their presence will be sorely missed.

                                Registrations for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) are now open. We’re delighted that we get to make the tournament accessible to solvers around the world with PuzzleMe. We also worked with ACPT to make its entire archive available for solving online, which you can access here.

                                PuzzleMe Spotlight

                                Features for Enterprise Customers

                                1. Enterprise-grade Security

                                PuzzleMe uses an iframe model to embed games in your website, creating a safe firewall between your website and our games. The application's security is routinely stress-tested by third-party auditors.

                                2. Reliable Infrastructure

                                We’re proud to say that PuzzleMe had 100% uptime in 2023. The platform is well-equipped for traffic surges and serves more than a million players daily. Our processes are also set up to ensure that your solvers are minimally affected by updates or maintenance activities.

                                3. Privacy-first by design

                                PuzzleMe does not collect any personally identifiable data by default, and players are identified only through anonymized IDs. If you choose to collect names or email addresses, that data is owned entirely by you. The platform complies with global privacy standards such as GDPR and CCPA.

                                A little more than a decade ago, our co-founder Jaya Hangal created a crosswords app for iOS that incorporated musical clips as multimedia clues. The answers were the titles, instruments or musicians associated with the clips. Called PuzzleMe Raga, the app aimed to make learning about Indian classical music fun and interesting. You can see the idea well-illustrated in this puzzle from our archives. 

                                PuzzleMe Raga is a reminder that education has always been a part of our DNA. If you’d like to use puzzles for an educational use-case, reach out to us or try creating a puzzle yourself. We’d be thrilled to help you out.

                                About Us

                                Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

                                Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
                                Amuse Labs

                                You received this email because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

                                Unsubscribe

                                🧩 Your 2023 Brief: Puzzles and Publishing

                                by
                                🧩 Your 2023 Brief: Puzzles and Publishing
                                Your monthly digest from the world of puzzles and games View in browser 

                                Dear Reader, 

                                You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

                                For the last edition of 2023, we thought we'd look back at some major highlights from our journey this year. We hope you enjoy this special edition of PuzzleBuzz.

                                  Three New Games from Publishers

                                  In 2023, we worked with some great publications to design polished online experiences for new game formats. Here are some of our favorites:

                                  1. Missing Letter by Merriam Webster

                                  Earlier this year, our friends at Merriam Webster had the unique idea to use dictionary definitions as clues. We designed a unique online experience for the Missing Letter crossword. Their audience of language-enthusiasts loves this game.

                                  2. Caleb's Inferno by The Atlantic

                                  This monthly crossword developed by The Atlantic’s crossword editor Caleb Madison gets harder as you go from top to bottom. We obsessed over the look and feel of this puzzle online, and we’re proud of what came of it.

                                  3. Headline Hunters by NY Post

                                  Headline Hunters, a Wordle-style game by The New York Post, is a great example of what’s possible with PuzzleMe. The team at NYPost took the headlines the tabloid is most famous for and turned it into a delightful daily puzzle.

                                  An Exciting First:
                                  Gamified Ads Go Live

                                  This year, we had the opportunity to show the world something that’s been brewing at Amuse Labs for a while: gamified ads!

                                  We’ve seen how powerful games like crosswords and quizzes are at engaging audiences. Our vision is that such games fit perfectly in display ads. The Atlantic agrees, and launched a quiz-based ad campaign for Earthjustice.

                                  Earthjustice wanted to raise awareness regarding the biodiversity crisis and we’re thrilled that they could use our quiz-based ads towards that aim. If you missed it, play a version of this quiz here.

                                  More Niche Sites Add Puzzles

                                  This year, we had more niche publishers use games to deepen their relationships with their audience. Here are some great niche sites that launched new games products with us:

                                  Sports and Culture

                                  Defector, an employee-owned sports and culture website, launched a weekly crossword, and the company’s loyal audience base loved it. “I am genuinely thrilled that Defector is getting crosswords and it will absolutely increase my time-on-site,” a reader commented.

                                  Local Languages

                                  The Saudi Research and Media group used PuzzleMe to launch daily crosswords in Arabic earlier this year. We loved tackling the challenge of enabling the online crossword experience in Arabic, which is a right-to-left language. With the addition of Assamese, Gaelic, Hebrew and more in 2023, PuzzleMe now supports 30+ languages across the world!

                                  Free-Market Focus

                                  Reason, a US-based monthly magazine with a libertarian bent, launched a new weekly crossword. The series is edited by Stella Zawistowski, known to be one of the fastest crossword solvers in the US.

                                    From the Crossworld

                                    Will Shortz, veteran crossword constructor, completed 30 years as the editor of The New York Times crossword this year. Here’s an interview of Shortz to mark this occasion. If you haven’t yet, this is a good time to watch Wordplay, the documentary on Shortz and the U.S. crossword community.

                                      In a bit of sad news, the popular crossword blog XWordInfo stopped posting solutions to new crosswords this year. If you missed it, founder Jim Horne talked about the reasons behind the closure in this Fill Me In podcast episode.

                                      PuzzleMe Spotlight

                                      A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for smart games.

                                      A Revamped Completion Experience

                                      The moment when a solver finishes a crossword is truly special. This year, we focused on enhancing that experience for both constructors and solvers:

                                      Completion Streaks

                                      Solvers who return to your puzzle diligently will now be able to see their progress in completion streaks. Speak to us about enabling streaks if you haven’t already.

                                      Completion Sounds

                                      We also added the ability for you to add your own tunes to congratulate solvers on completing a puzzle. There’s nothing like the sound of victory.

                                      A Rich HTML Editor

                                      To help you communicate with your solvers better, we added a new and improved editor for completion messages. Customize the completion experience with images, videos, rich text and more.

                                      Schrödinger Puzzles Wanted (Dead or Alive)

                                      We released support for Schrödinger crosswords earlier this year, and the level of creativity on display from constructors was beyond what we could have imagined. 

                                      This New Yorker crossword by Andy Kravis is a fantastic example of how such puzzles can delight solvers. Mary Tobler at The Morning Brew created one to mark the special weekend earlier this year when we all went to the movies. 

                                      More recently, we enhanced Magic Fill to help you create Schrödinger crosswords! Just add the Schrödinger solutions to the Must Have Words list, and PuzzleMe will magically find surrounding words that can fit both solutions. 

                                      An Enhanced Multiplayer Experience

                                      Puzzles have always been collaborative experiences, and we wanted to bring that same co-op experience to online solving. Here are key enhancements we made to our multiplayer mode this year:

                                      4-Player Support

                                      PuzzleMe’s multiplayer experience now supports up to four players solving the same puzzle together. We’re excited about the possibilities this unlocks, from team bonding at work to quality family time.

                                      Multiplayer Chat on Mobile

                                      Multiplayer chat, which has always been available to desktop users, is now also available on mobile. Whether you’re on your home computer or on the go, enjoy a truly collaborative solving experience.

                                      Multiplayer Jigsaws

                                      If you've ever been engrossed in piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, you've likely noticed onlookers drawn in, itching to participate. This year, we embraced the communal spirit of jigsaw puzzles by introducing multiplayer mode on PuzzleMe jigsaws. 

                                      Puzzle of the Year 🏆

                                      Among all the special puzzles that came out in 2023, we have to give this title to Will Nediger’s outstanding achievement, Two for the Price of One. It’s two grids that map on to the same set of clues, but with entirely different solutions. 

                                      We’re thrilled that Will could use PuzzleMe to create the online experience for this truly unique puzzle. If, like us, you’re astounded at his creativity, he wrote a blog post about the creation process that you can read here.

                                      About Us

                                      Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

                                      Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.

                                      That's all folks. We wish all our readers a very happy new year. See you in 2024!
                                      Amuse Labs

                                      You received this email because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

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                                      🧩 Festive Crosswords Are Here!

                                      by
                                      🧩 Festive Crosswords Are Here!
                                      Your monthly digest from the world of puzzles and games View in browser 

                                      Dear Reader, 

                                      You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

                                        A Sporty New Crossword

                                        Defector, an employee-owned sports and culture website, has launched a weekly crossword with PuzzleMe. Here’s how Maitreyi Anantharaman, co-founder of the outlet, described the launch to readers:

                                        “In our recent reader survey, some of you complained that you weren’t wasting enough company time on our website. We put our top business minds on the case, and they came up with a solution to your productivity woes: We’re starting a Defector crossword.”

                                        Isn’t it wonderful when your audience asks for more? A reader commented on the announcement, “I am genuinely thrilled that Defector is getting crosswords and it will absolutely increase my time-on-site.” 

                                        For niche sites with a loyal audience base, puzzles can work wonders to increase audience engagement.

                                        Bring On The Festive Vibes With Puzzles

                                        The Indian Express gave its readers one Diwali-themed puzzle every day last week in the run-up to the festival. The series started with Word Rangoli, a spelling game themed with Diwali colors using PuzzleMe’s theme editor. We also got a Diwali-themed jigsaw puzzle, and a Picdoku with Diwali-themed pictures. 

                                        On similar festive lines, we were thrilled to see several Halloween-themed puzzles this year. John Lieb created one for Boswords, and Vox also ran a Halloween special by Adesina O. Koeki.

                                        With Christmas coming right up ahead, these are stellar examples of how puzzles can add to your readers’ festival experience. Talk to us about how you could add an extra festive touch to your puzzles this holiday season.

                                        Hosting Contests with PuzzleMe

                                        Did you know that we can host contests for you at Amuse Labs? Whether it’s an employee engagement activity or a puzzle league for your readers, we can take care of web hosting, analytics, leaderboards, and everything else. 

                                        Here’s an example: Mubadala, a sovereign investment firm in the UAE, wanted to challenge its employees with a crossword as part of the company’s cyber week aimed at bolstering cybersecurity awareness. We hosted the crossword competition for them as part of the campaign. Who said cybersecurity training needs to be a drag?

                                        From the Crossworld

                                        Evan Birnholz created a special Sunday crossword for The Washington Post that makes for a delightful solve. He first tried the concept 12 years ago but failed to get it published. Read the story after you’ve given this unique puzzle a shot. Hint: it’s quite fitting that Birnholz published this puzzle right before going on paternity leave.

                                          Last month, we told you about Alta Journal launching crosswords. They recently interviewed their constructors Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa on becoming a constructor, the process of publication, and much more.

                                          PuzzleMe Spotlight

                                          A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for smart games.

                                          Live Previews on A Brand New Editor

                                          We know how important it is for you to communicate with your solvers. With PuzzleMe, you can customize the messaging at the start of the game, when it’s paused, or at the end to your liking. Set custom messages, images and videos to deliver a message or integrate your brand. 

                                          With a brand new WYSIWYG editor, you’ll see exactly how your message will look to the end user. Format your text the way you want, and embed images and videos. Navigate to Edit Game > Messaging on the PuzzleMe creator to experience the new editor.

                                          Schrödinger, now on Magic Fill

                                          PuzzleMe’s Magic Fill helps you create denser crosswords by finding compatible words that fit your existing grid. Now, Magic Fill can help you create Schrödinger grids! 

                                          Just add the Schrödinger solutions to the Must Have Words list, and see PuzzleMe magically find surrounding words that can fit both solutions. It’s never been easier to create your own Schrödinger puzzle. Try it now.

                                          30+ Languages Now Supported

                                          At Amuse Labs, we’ve always shared a deep love for the languages of the world. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that we now support 30+ languages on PuzzleMe, with the recent additions of Ukranian, Assamese, and Gaelic. 

                                          We’ve seen exciting uses of languages on PuzzleMe, from Arabic crosswords by the Saudi Research and Media Group to Sanskrit crosswords for the Samskritam conference at the University of Pennsylvania. See the full list of languages supported here.

                                          Did You Know?

                                          Have you heard of the Giant Crossword of Lviv? Located on the side of an apartment complex in Lviv, Ukraine, the world’s largest crossword puzzle – in physical size, at least – is an interactive artwork aimed at encouraging urban exploration.

                                          Around 80 clues to the crossword puzzle are scattered throughout the city’s major landmarks. Visitors must explore historic monuments, museums and parks to find the clues. The answers are painted in fluorescent lettering that only become visible when lit up at night. Visitors are often seen around the building at night crosschecking their solutions.

                                          About Us

                                          Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

                                          Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
                                          Amuse Labs

                                          You received this newsletter because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

                                          Unsubscribe

                                          An Exciting New Puzzle Product

                                          by
                                          🧩 An Exciting New Puzzle Product
                                          Your monthly digest from the world of puzzles and games View in browser 

                                          Dear Reader, 

                                          You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

                                            Launching Playable Ads with The Atlantic

                                            PuzzleMe’s playable ads are now live! We’re delighted to collaborate with The Atlantic to launch a quiz-based ad campaign for Earthjustice, a nonprofit dedicated to litigating environmental issues. 

                                            The multimedia quiz drives home the urgency of the biodiversity crisis and how Earthjustice is helping to fight it. By using PuzzleMe’s ad units with innovative content, The Atlantic is engaging readers and helping Earthjustice spread its message in a powerful new format.

                                            These playable display ads come in three different sizes for desktop, tablets and smartphones. You can check out an interactive version of the ad here. 

                                            Try Playable Ads

                                            Do you want puzzle-based ads to engage and educate your audience? Our display ads include a whole range of games, including crosswords, jigsaws, WordroWs, quizzes, and Word Searches in IAB or flex ad unit sizes. We’d be happy to help you set it up.

                                            Crosswords on Apple News+

                                            As part of its paid subscription offering, Apple News has launched crosswords with the release of iOS 17. For Apple News+ subscribers, the News app now features a daily 15x15 crossword puzzle, as well as a daily 5x5 mini-puzzle. So far, we’ve found the puzzles to be relatively easy. 

                                            Ross Trudeau, puzzles editor at Apple News, announced that the Apple News+ crosswords aim to be welcoming to newcomers. The clues, according to Trudeau, will not have any coded knowledge or obscure references. 

                                            These puzzles are created by the Puzzle Society, which has assembled a team of well-known crossword creators to develop the offering.

                                            Head Hunters by The New York Post

                                            The New York Post recently launched a series of puzzles to engage its readers. Among these puzzles is the daily jigsaw puzzle, featuring a picture of the newspaper's cover.The WordroW puzzle, called Head Hunters, is an engaging Wordle-style game where solvers have to guess the daily headline phrase that the Post is famous for.

                                            The New York Post's integration of puzzles into their content is a prime example of how to seamlessly blend these games into a brand's offerings. Discover how you can make puzzles feel like a natural addition to your brand by reaching out to us today.

                                            From the Crossworld

                                            There’s a new crossword tournament on the block. The Westwords Tournament will be held June 23, 2024 in Berkeley, California, and online. Puzzles will be a mix of themed and themeless at a variety of difficulty levels, and solvers can compete individually or in pairs. See the announcement thread here.

                                              Alta Journal, a quarterly journal about California, now includes a crossword constructed by Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa. The puzzle is included in the print journal, with the online version powered by PuzzleMe. The inaugural edition is sprinkled with some nice California-based clues like “Candy brand headquartered in South San Francisco”. See what we mean?

                                              PuzzleMe Spotlight

                                              A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for smart games.

                                              1. Multiplayer Mode on Jigsaws

                                              It’s time to gather your puzzle squad. PuzzleMe's multiplayer mode is now available for jigsaws. 

                                              Now, up to 4 players can solve online jigsaw puzzles together in real time. Add jigsaw puzzles to your site and give your audience a delightful way to spend time with their friends and family.

                                              2. Game Completion Tunes

                                              For dedicated puzzle solvers, there’s nothing quite like the moment when they’ve finally solved it. To make the moment special, we’ve added the ability to play a signature tune celebrating their achievement. 

                                              We’ve made a few tunes available for you to choose from, and you can even upload your own. Add game completion tunes to your games and give your players something to look forward to.

                                              3. Grid Heat Maps

                                              Crossword constructors are always eager to know how solvers experience their puzzles. Which clue felt too easy? Which was too difficult? To answer these questions, PuzzleMe has grid heat-maps. 

                                              Once a few people solve the puzzle, you can see each answer’s difficulty level visualized as a heat map on the grid. Find this heat map on the puzzle’s Analytics page.

                                              Did You Know?

                                              We’re always thrilled to see how marketers are leveraging PuzzleMe. Loopio, a B2B SaaS company, recently added mini puzzles to their community newsletter, Response Insiders. It’s a great way to engage their audience while delivering valuable insights. 

                                              Speaking of innovative marketing, did you know that the concept of using puzzles for promotions dates back to the 19th century? Famous Trick Donkeys is a puzzle format developed in 1858 to promote a new circus. 

                                              The puzzle was printed on the back of invitation cards for the circus. Solvers had to cut out the three rectangles and rearrange them so the riders were on top of the donkeys.

                                              About Us

                                              Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

                                              Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
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                                              🧩 The Next Wordle?

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                                              🧩 The Next Wordle?
                                              Your monthly digest from the world of puzzles and games View in browser 

                                              Dear Reader, 

                                              You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

                                              In this issue: 

                                              • Stuff New Zealand's Codecracker puzzle

                                              • Is Connections the next Wordle?

                                              • Immaculate Grid: A daily puzzle for sports fans

                                              Crack the Code on Stuff


                                              Have you ever solved a codeword? The game, also known as codecracker, is built atop a crossword grid. Each square has a number from 1 to 26 corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. Solvers have to crack the code by figuring out the mapping that leads to proper words in the grid. 

                                              Stuff, a major online media house in New Zealand, recently launched an online version of its daily codecracker with PuzzleMe. Compiled by veteran constructor Simon Shuker, the puzzles appear online in Stuff’s local news websites. 

                                              Playing this puzzle online is more enjoyable than on pen and paper. When you enter a letter, it's filled in automatically in corresponding boxes across the grid. If you think it's a mistake, you can delete it from one square, and it'll be removed from all the corresponding squares. See if you can crack this codeword on our site. 

                                              Is Connections the next Wordle?

                                              Connections, a new game by The New York Times launched in June, is here to stay. The game has quickly gained popularity with the Times’ audience and is now their second most popular game after Wordle.

                                              What makes it tick? According to Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at The New York Times, Connections works because it helps foster a relationship between the constructor and the solver.

                                              “When you have a puzzle that’s driven by an editor in that way, you have this almost two-player relationship where you’ve got a solver and the constructor,” says Knight. “And you know you’re up against a human every day that’s trying to trick you. So, you come back to try to beat the constructor. That’s something this game does really, really well.”

                                              A Daily Puzzle for Sports Fans

                                              The other Wordle-inspired game that’s caught the attention of sports fans: Immaculate Grid. It is a daily quiz in the form of a tic-tac-toe board, with teams listed across the top and down the left side. The correct answer for each square is a player who played for both the teams that correspond to that square.

                                              The game averages about 200,000 players every weekday. It was recently bought by Sports Reference, a leading site for historical sports data and player statistics. Each player featured on the grid is now linked to their Sports Reference page, where you can browse the player’s statistics.

                                              Immaculate Grid is the perfect example of a site leveraging puzzles and games to increase traffic and keep visitors coming back. If you’d like to explore how puzzles can help your online presence, book a call with us here.

                                              From The Crossworld

                                              The Washington Post ran a special Sunday crossword late last month. Titled “Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd”, this puzzle by Evan Birnholz feels deeply satisfying once you crack it. All we’ll say is: pay attention to the title.

                                              XWord Info, the popular crossword website posting solutions to the daily NYTimes crossword, is shutting down. The site will still remain live, but no new solutions will be posted. Founder Jim Horne talks about the reasons behind the closure in this Fill Me In podcast episode.

                                              PuzzleMe Spotlight

                                              A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for Smart Games

                                              Gamified Ads

                                              When it comes to display ads, brands are looking for actual engagement from readers. Interactive puzzles are perfectly suited to the task. For example, PuzzleMe crosswords, word searchers, quizzes, and WordroWs can all be delivered as banner ads. 

                                              Check out this crossword puzzle on Volkswagen cars. PuzzleMe makes it a breeze to create such ad units, including their game content, promotional elements and interaction. We’ve recently added support for animations too.

                                              If you’d like to explore this unique offering, today.

                                              More Customization Options

                                              PuzzleMe Constructors love that they can customize the look and feel of their puzzles to suit their brand or taste. With the latest enhancements to the themer, we’ve taken things a step further.

                                              You can now add custom fonts to your puzzles on PuzzleMe.We’ve also added new customization options for Jigsaws, Codewords, and WordroWs. Navigate to Dashboard > Series Design to try the new features.

                                              Voice-over Mode

                                              With voice-over mode, visually impaired solvers can enjoy crosswords on PuzzleMe. It reads out clues, the number of blanks, and known letters. 

                                              You can find and activate voice-over mode on Settings, or just press Ctrl + Shift + V on Windows and Cmd + Shift + V on Mac to toggle it on or off.

                                              Did you know?

                                              A recent study from the University of York revealed that older people who solve puzzles experience notable benefits. The memory and concentration levels of these seniors were comparable to those of 20-year-olds who do not solve puzzles, the study found.

                                              About Us

                                              Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

                                              Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
                                              Amuse Labs

                                              You received this email because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

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                                              A Stunning New Crossword 👀

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                                              A Stunning New Crossword 👀
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                                              Dear Reader, 

                                              You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

                                              In this issue: 

                                              • Reason launches a new weekly crossword

                                              • The Missing Letter by Merriam Webster

                                              • The New Yorker’s Schrödinger puzzle

                                              • A stunning crossword by Will Nediger

                                              A New Free Market-Focused Crossword

                                              Reason, a US-based monthly magazine, launched a new weekly crossword catering to libertarians. Stella Zawistowski, known to be one of the fastest crossword solvers in the U.S., is the publication's new crossword constructor.

                                              "Until today, there was no such thing as a free market–focused crossword puzzle. I'm very excited," Zawistowski said in an announcement post for the puzzle. Check out the first Reason crossword here. 

                                              Find the Missing Letter

                                              Who knew dictionary definitions could be entertaining as crossword clues? As it turns out, Merriam-Webster did.

                                              They’ve launched a new weekly crossword, "The Missing Letter". Here’s the twist: 25 of the clues are definitions of the answers. Each answer starts with a different letter of the alphabet. When you’ve solved it, you’re left with one letter that was missing, hence the name.

                                              Constructed by veteran constructor Matt Gaffney, these puzzles will be well worth your time. When you play it, do stop to notice the special letter tracker we created for this game. It displays which letters in the alphabet you've already found.

                                              Play the first Missing Letter here. If you have an idea for a unique game like this one, let us know and we’ll be happy to help make it a reality.

                                              A Freudian Puzzle From The New Yorker

                                              Have you heard of Schrödinger puzzles? They include clues that have more than one correct answer. A famous example is the NYTimes puzzle on U.S. election day in 1996. Both "BOBDOLE" and "CLINTON" fit all the intersecting clues.

                                              The New Yorker released a delightful Schrödinger puzzle last month, constructed by Andy Kravis. We created a unique digital experience for the puzzle, with a fun reveal GIF at the end.

                                              All we'll say is: pay attention to Freudian slips while solving this one.

                                              A Stunning Crossword

                                              Speaking of Schrödingers (meow!), a puzzle by Will Nediger created quite a buzz last month. What’s so fascinating about it? Every entry is a Schrödinger! That means you could fill up the entire grid with two different sets of answers for the same set of clues.

                                              “[This] is one of the most stunning achievements in crossword construction that I've ever seen,” said Evan Birnholz, writer of The Washington Post's Sunday crossword, about the grid.

                                              Here’s a blog post from Nediger where he outlines the cluing process. “It took me about a month, dedicating some time to it every day. I'm glad I did it, and I will never, ever do it again,” he wrote. We can only imagine.

                                              From The Crossworld

                                              Boswords Summer Tournament 2023 is now over. We were proud to power the contest’s digital experience, which included a showdown with three finalists solving on PuzzleMe. 

                                              Congratulations to Paolo Pasco, assistant crossword editor for The Atlantic, for winning the tournament! You can catch a recording of the final showdown here. 

                                              PuzzleMe Spotlight

                                              A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for Smart Games

                                              Delight your solvers with grids that have two possible solutions for the same clue. Link both answers to all the intersecting clues.

                                              It is now possible to construct and share playable versions of such grids on PuzzleMe! Here's how.

                                              Customize your puzzles to your liking with PuzzleMe. Use your brand's color scheme or preferred fonts, and give your solvers a unique solving experience.

                                              Just head to Dashboard > Series Design and set up your puzzles exactly the way you want them. 

                                              Did you know that you can add an audio clip to your crosswords on PuzzleMe? Adding audio, video, and images to your puzzles can give them a whole new dimension.

                                              See, for example, this mini crossword with audio and images. Well-chosen visual elements can make the puzzle come alive for solvers.

                                              About Us

                                              Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

                                              Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
                                              Amuse Labs

                                              You received this email because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

                                              Unsubscribe

                                              A Hellish New Crossword 🔥

                                              by
                                              A Hellish New Crossword 🔥
                                              View in browser 

                                              Dear Reader, 

                                              You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games. 

                                              In this issue: 

                                              • The Atlantic launches a new crossword

                                              • The Guardian's 4000th Everyman crossword puzzle

                                              • Boswords Summer Tournament 2023

                                              Oh, and before we forget, Amuse Labs is on Threads now! Follow us there or on Twitter for puzzle trivia and platform updates! 

                                              Inferno: The Atlantic's New Crossword

                                              ‘See how far down you can go before you abandon all hope.’ The Atlantic boasts of its new crossword, Caleb’s Inferno. Developed by Caleb Madison, crossword-puzzles editor at The Atlantic, this crossword gets harder as you go from top to bottom.

                                              The clue for 3 DOWN is ‘journey downward’, and guess what? In this crossword, it literally is. See how far you can descend in this delightful puzzle.

                                              While we're at it, Madison recently participated in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Paolo Pasco, assistant crossword editor at The Atlantic, to talk about Inferno and puzzles at large. 

                                              The 4000th Everyman Crossword

                                              It’s good to celebrate milestones, and The Observer’s Everyman Crossword just crossed a big one. Started in 1945, the 4000th edition of the beginner-friendly Sunday crossword was released last month.

                                              The Guardian took the time to note this milestone and sat down with constructor Alan Connor about its history. Here’s a fascinating tidbit from Connor:

                                              “Crosswords received a frosty welcome when they first appeared. It was felt in the serious newspapers that these puzzles were keeping workers from their toil, mothers from their charges.” Connor said.

                                              Newspaper editors only changed their minds about crosswords, Connor explained, when they realised how good they are for driving circulation.

                                              From The Crossworld

                                              Boswords Summer Tournament 2023 is back with an all-star set of puzzle constructors! The competition will be held on Sunday, July 23rd, and registrations are now open for both online and offline editions.

                                              PuzzleMe is the platform of choice to power the online version of the contest. If you’re curious about how to organise puzzle contests, Boswords is a great competitive event to learn from.

                                              PuzzleMe Spotlight

                                              A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for Smart Games

                                              Make your jigsaws come alive with a unique background color. If you’re using your own images to create a jigsaw on PuzzleMe, the creator will now suggest a background color for it. Tweak it until you’re satisfied, and see your changes live in a brand-new preview screen on the Jigsaw creator.

                                              We’ve supported adding images inside crossword grids for a while. Keeping with the times, we’ve now added support for GIFs too.

                                              Get creative and make your grids come alive with GIFs. With PuzzleMe’s crossword creator, there are endless ways to get your crossword to stand out.

                                              Solvers love dense grids with interconnected words, but we know how hard they are to create. To find words that might fit your crossword, our creator has a ‘Find words’ feature. Use it to get word suggestions to make your grid denser and more delightful.

                                              Once you add a word from the suggestions, the list of suggested words is instantly updated for the newly available combinations. It works like magic.

                                              Did You Know?

                                              Here’s what The Financial Times found recently: A mere 1% increase in retention rates has the same impact on revenue as a 15% increase in subscription prices! The message is clear: focus on retention. 

                                              Puzzles and games are key drivers of retention. With PuzzleMe, you now have the tools to create and distribute smart games with ease. Reach out to us today and find out how PuzzleMe can help you.

                                              About Us

                                              Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us! 

                                              Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
                                              Amuse Labs

                                              You received this email because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

                                              Unsubscribe

                                              🧩 Why Wordle Exploded

                                              by
                                              Why Wordle Exploded
                                              View in browser

                                              Dear Nishant,

                                              You're reading the monthly newsletter from Amuse Labs, covering the world of puzzles, publishing and updates to PuzzleMe™, the most advanced digital platform for smart games.

                                              In this issue:

                                              • A media industry crossword

                                              • Insights from the Head of Games at New York Times

                                              • How news publishers can leverage quizzes

                                              Happy puzzling!

                                              The Media Industry Crossword

                                              Do you consider yourself a media industry expert? Test your knowledge of the global media landscape with a fun little crossword we put together.

                                              Why did Wordle Explode?

                                              Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at the New York Times discussed the company’s games strategy with Naavic Games. Here are key insights from the podcast:

                                              Games are retention tools:
                                              “Subscribers who engage with both news and games within a given week are far more likely to retain than any other combination and more likely than just news," Knight said.

                                              A clear mission statement:
                                              “An essential subscription for English-speaking curious people looking to understand and engage with the world” - that's how Knight articulated NYT's mission. It’s crystal-clear, and encompasses games, cooking and more.

                                              Wordle's growth loop:
                                              Wordle went viral because of the coloured blocks littered across social apps, and that hasn't changed. “I’m blown away by the percentage of shares,” Knight says, “It’s just stayed that way through the lifetime of the product.”

                                              News Publishers

                                              Weekly Quizzes

                                              Rewarding an avid consumer of your content is not hard - just let them show off about it. The Indian Express recently concluded its News Quiz League spread over 6 weeks, and it's a fabulous example of this strategy:

                                              👉 62,377 Indian Express readers participated, and 1409 submitted complete entries, returning to the site every week. Their average solving time was 1.5 to 2 minutes every week.

                                              👉 The top 3 winners all got 60/60 questions right, separated only by seconds in solving time. The competition was fierce.

                                                If your content caters to curious people, a quiz could be the perfect way to engage them. Reach out to us today to embed feature-rich quizzes on your site.

                                                Thematic Puzzles: For the launch of India’s new parliament, The Indian Express also published a parliament crossword. Topical crosswords like these help publishers capture the moment and delight their audience.

                                                PuzzleMe Spotlight

                                                A selection of features from PuzzleMe, the most advanced digital platform for Smart Games

                                                For solvers who want to end the day with a satisfying puzzle, we’ve got something special. A dark mode option, which has always been available on crosswords and sudokus will now also be available on quizzes and WordroWs.

                                                The explanations feature on PuzzleMe games is powerful. You can share information with your audience right when they’re most primed for it. Whether it’s a crossword or a quiz, add an explanation that is displayed alongside the answer.

                                                You have the perfect word for your grid, but can’t come up with a clue. Or you want to see common clues used for your word. Did you know that clue suggestions are available within the PuzzleMe creator? While you’re entering a clue on the grid, switch to the Clue Suggestions tab to browse through a list of clues commonly used for your word.

                                                Did you know?

                                                "Film & TV" stars account for 30% of all names featured on crosswords in U.S. and U.K. newspapers, according to this analysis.

                                                Puzzle constructors like to keep celebrity names like ‘Edie Falco’ and 'Richard Gere' handy, it seems. The next most popular category is musicians, with politicians and religious figures lagging far behind.

                                                About Us

                                                Amuse Labs is the creator of PuzzleMe™, the leading digital platform for Smart Games. It is a B2B SaaS company trusted globally by brands and publishers, powering Crosswords, Sudokus, Jigsaws, Quizzes, Word Searches and more. Explore opportunities to partner by sending a note or applying if you’d like to work with us!

                                                Oh, and to the journalists on our mailing list, write to us if you’d like to cover highlights from this newsletter or about Amuse Labs.
                                                Amuse Labs

                                                You received this email because you signed up on our website or reached out to us.

                                                Unsubscribe