Marching Bands #10

Aries Marching Bands #10 - PDF | JPZ | Solution (PDF)

Back with another Marching Bands this month. The strength of a Marching Bands puzzle depends mainly on the ability to get longish entries among the Bands. This puzzle has 24 total Band entries, a low that I've hit a few times, and I do think those grids are my favorite among MBs. Always a fun challenge to write one of these. As is standard, I've got the puzzle available in both PDF and JPZ formats. To solve digitally, first download the JPZ file, then head over to Crossword Nexus, select the file, and have at it. Either way you solve, hope you enjoy!

On the Rows Garden front, the second Six Pack of 2026 is just on the horizon, to be officially released this Friday, June 26. The deadline to pre-order all four Six Packs to be released in 2026 is 11:59 PM Pacific Time this Thursday, June 25, so be sure to pre-order now if you haven't already! Of course, each Six Pack will be available for individual purchase upon release. This latest Six Pack came together very nicely and I'm excited to have solvers get their hands on it. 

Happy solving,

-Andrew

Twists & Turns #14

Twists & Turns #14 - Harder (PDF) | Standard (PDF) | Standard (JPZ) | Solution (PDF)

Back with another Twists & Turns puzzle! T&Ts continue to be as fun of a challenge to write as when I developed the format back in 2019. I'm finding the sweet spot is about 35 to 38 Turn answers, as a word count in that range that means there are enough long Turns to keep things interesting. As always, two difficulty levels are offered in PDF format, with a JPZ in Standard difficulty only. To solve digitally, first download the JPZ file, then upload it over at Crossword Nexus. However you solve, hope you enjoy!

The next Rows Garden Six Pack is on track for a June 26 release. The preorder option saves a couple of bucks off the per-pack price, and scoop that preorder up soon because that option will go away before too long. A reminder that the Rows Garden Archive is always open, with puzzles available for purchase dating back from 2014. 

Last but certainly not least, the New York Times recently ran a nice obituary for crossword writer Manny Nosowsky, who passed away last week at the age of 94. As a young crossword solver, the first byline that I became excited to see was Manny's, and in particular I adored his themeless puzzles. Back in 2017 I co-dedicated The Stagger Sessions to Manny and was fortunate to exchange a few emails with him at that time. He's one of the very best to have ever written crossword puzzles, full stop. Rest in peace to a puzzling legend.   

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