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.
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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