Section Eight #5

Section Eight #5 - Harder (PDF) | Easier (PDF) | Harder (JPZ) | Easier (JPZ) | Solution (PDF)

Here's another Section Eight for this month's variety puzzle. My love of this Patrick Berry-developed format hasn't waned. If there was some alternate universe wherein I could spend all of my free time working on Section Eight grids, I'd move there in a heartbeat! If you're as much a fan as I am, or even if you're not familiar with the format and just want a super-tough variety puzzle challenge, be sure to check out 2024's S8 puzzle pack if you want more brain-twisting Section Eights. PDF and JPZ versions in two difficulty levels are linked above. The Harder version is how Berry-authored Section Eights are offered in the Wall Street Journal; the Easier version includes Ring directions and enumerations for all answers. To solve digitally, first download the JPZ file, then head over to Crossword Nexus and upload. However you choose to solve, hope you enjoy!

Regular reminder that the first Aries Rows Garden Six Pack of 2026 is available! The next Six Pack is on track for a June release. Still time to subscribe for all 2026 Six Packs - you'll get a discount if you preorder for the year.   

Happy solving!

Aries Six Pack #5

Aries Rows Garden is back! Six Pack #5, the first Six Pack of 2026, is now available to purchase. 

By now, you probably know the drill, but just in case you are new here: Six Pack #5 includes six never-before-published Rows Gardens in PDF form in four levels of difficulty, a set of solutions, and RGZ files for digital solving. The PDF layout is exactly the same as it has been since 2019, so long-time solvers will be very familiar with how these puzzles look as well as how they solve. In order to maintain continuity with the overall Aries Rows Garden series, the puzzles in this pack are officially classified as Year 13, Puzzles 1 through 6.

Order Six Pack #5 for just $6 using the Paypal applet below. If you'd like to discuss payment options other than Paypal, just send me an email. If you've already preordered the Six Packs in 2026, you will be automatically emailed all puzzles, so no further payment is necessary. . If you haven't yet preordered, the preorder option will be available until mid-June, and doing so gets you a discounted rate versus the per-pack price. The full-year preorder option is included in the Paypal drop-down menu below.   

Please note: Paypal orders are fulfilled manually. While the vast majority of purchases are fulfilled in under an hour, please allow up to 8 hours to receive an email with the puzzles that you purchased. Your patience is appreciated!

2026 Aries Rows Garden Six Packs

#5 - Spring 2026 $6.00 USD PREORDER (ALL FOUR 2026 SIX PACKS) $20.00 USD

Double or Nothing #9

Double or Nothing #9 - PDF | PDF (Grayscale) | Solution (PDF)

I've got another Double or Nothing puzzle this month. This format is always a pleasure to write, mainly because it affords the opportunity to get use long, 18+ letter entries in crosswords, typically barred entry from grids due to the size of most crossword grids being 15 squares wide or less. And while it wasn't planned, if you squint a little (so to speak), there's somewhat of a mini-theme at 22-Across and 46-Across. PDF only for this format - hope you enjoy!

Check back soon for the first Rows Garden Six Pack of 2026 to drop! Thanks to all who have preordered all 2026 Six Packs. There's still time to preorder, and there will also be an option to buy individual Six Packs on their respective release day. 

Happy solving!

Aries Acrostic #6

Aries Acrostic #6 - PDF | JPZ | Solution (PDF)

Back with another Acrostic! There's a PDF for paper solving and a JPZ file for digital solving. To solve online, download the JPZ, then head over to Crossword Nexus and upload. Either way you solve, hope you enjoy!

Good news on the Rows Garden front: 2026 Six Packs are officially a go, and this year you can preorder all four Six Packs! The first Six Pack is scheduled for a March 27 release, and you can preorder now for the most convenient email delivery for all Aries Rows Gardens in 2026. For more details and to preorder, click here. 

Happy solving!