Double or Nothing

It's a fifth Thursday of the month, which means it's time for a wild-card variety puzzle. Here's a Double or Nothing, which is another format developed by the great Patrick Berry. These puzzles play like a themeless puzzle with one significant twist: every square in the puzzle either contains two or zero letters. You'll have to use logic in order to place answers into the grid correctly.

I actually started writing this puzzle to see if a "Triple or Nothing" could be done, but alas, that turned out to be a too hard of a challenge. I found the standard Double or Nothing tough in and of itself to create, but it was an enjoyable puzzle to write. Hope you enjoy!


Double or Nothing - PDF

Double or Nothing - Solution

August FREE RG

Here's this month's FREE RG. This puzzle started with the entry at B2 - I've always enjoyed that term for some reason. I also like the entries at C1, E2, F2, and J1, among others, and among the clues, I enjoyed learning that bit of trivia in D1, so that may be my favorite clue.

Good news for Rows Garden fans who are Android users - there's a new Android/Kindle Fire version of the Rows Garden app that debuted for the iPad/iPhone in January! You can get the new Android app in the Google Play store and Amazon, and you can get the iOS version in the Apple store. Once you've downloaded the app, you can click on the RGZ file that is attached below to open the puzzle in the app. Solving Rows Gardens on the iPad has become my preferred RG solving option this year, so if you haven't gotten your hands on the app yet, do so now!

New variety puzzle next week - happy solving!

August FREE RG - Hardest (PDF)

August FREE RG - Harder (PDF)

August FREE RG - Easier (PDF)

August FREE RG - Easiest (PDF)

August FREE RG - RGZ (for iPad/iPhone/Android/Kindle Fire)

August FREE RG - Solution (PDF)

Aries Cryptic #17

Here's this month's cryptic, with a bit of a twist. There's a slight theme that will be revealed to you as you solve the puzzle. This kind of block cryptic with an added theme is something that I associate with The Nation cryptics written by Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto, so consider this to be a tribute to that form. Hope you enjoy!

Aries Cryptic #17 - PUZ

Aries Cryptic #17 - PDF

Aries Cryptic #17 - PDF (Grayscale)

Aries Cryptic #17 - Solution

Intro to Cryptics - PDF

Aries Throwback - "Stairing Contest"

For this month's Throwback, we're going back all the way to February 2017 for this easy/medium puzzle. It was originally called "Move Your Feet," but I've retitled it "Stairing Contest." Hope you enjoy!

Aries Throwback - "Stairing Contest" - PUZ

Aries Throwback - "Stairing Contest" - PDF

Aries Throwback - "Stairing Contest" - Grayscale PDF

Aries Throwback - "Stairing Contest" - SOLUTION