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.