Aries Six Pack #2

Aries Six Pack #2 is now available! 

The debut Six Pack released in March was well-received by solvers, so let's keep the momentum going!

Six Pack #2 includes six never-before-published Rows Gardens in PDF form in the difficulty level of your choice, 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 12, Puzzles 7 through 12.

Order Six Pack #2 for just $5 using the Paypal applet below. Anyone who has purchased Aries Puzzles offerings through Venmo or Zelle are welcome to do the same for Six Pack #2. If you'd like to discuss alternative payment options, just send me an email. 

Please note: All 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!

Aries Rows Garden Six Pack #2 PDF Difficulty Level

Hardest $5.00 USD Harder $5.00 USD Easier $5.00 USD Easiest $5.00 USD

Aries Six Pack #1

Aries Rows Garden is back! I'm proud to debut the first Aries Six Pack. 

Each pack includes the six puzzles in PDF form in the difficulty level of your choice, 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. I'm keeping continuity with the overall Aries Rows Garden series, so the puzzles in this pack are officially classified as Year 12, Puzzles 1 through 6.

I hope this is just the first of many of these Six Packs, which are planned to be released on a roughly quarterly schedule, assuming that there's a good response from solvers. So be sure to spread the word to other puzzle lovers!

Order Six Pack #1 for just $5 using the Paypal applet below. Aries Rows Garden subscribers who have paid through Venmo or Zelle are welcome to do the same for Six Pack #1. If you'd like to discuss alternative payment options, just send me an email. 

Aries Six Pack #1 (Select PDF Difficulty Level)

Hardest $5.00 USD Harder $5.00 USD Easier $5.00 USD Easiest $5.00 USD

The End of an Era

After eleven years, I've made the difficult decision to discontinue the weekly Aries Rows Garden subscription service. The final puzzle, #11.53, will be emailed to subscribers on December 31st, 2024. 

I'm proud to say that it's been a good run. When I launched Aries Rows Garden in 2014, there was no puzzle service that exclusively offered Rows Gardens. I was flying blind in a sense, lacking a subscriber base proven to support one niche format, as well as a price point that would attract enough solvers to make it a financially viable venture. Slowly but surely a small but dedicated base emerged. Reflecting now in 2024, and after 444 (!) total Rows Gardens, I'm happy to report that the landscape is much different. There are two other Rows Garden services that have entered the market, and the Rows Garden solvership seems very well-served in comparison to those desolate pre-2014 days. 

While I freelanced as a full-time puzzle writer for five years, I've since transitioned to full-time work outside of puzzles, and I prefer a focused commitment to my current profession. For me, the Rows Garden is a very labor-intensive format, and the time needed to produce quality puzzles isn't as available as it once was. This was a decision that I certainly wrestled with, but ultimately it's the best one for me at this stage in my life. 

What does this mean going forward? First of all, I am planning on continuing the free monthly variety puzzles on the website, so do keep stopping by to solve original variety puzzles such as Twists & Turns, Double or Nothing, and Marching Bands. 

As far as Rows Gardens go, I may be shuttering the weekly puzzles, but I hope to offer RGs on an occasional basis in the future. The monthly bundles have proven to be a pleasant surprise as there seems to be a decent market willing to pay for smallish bundles. Nothing is currently set in stone, but I'm thinking of offering such a bundle of 5 or 6 original Rows Gardens perhaps once a quarter - and I would be willing to make that a regular thing, if a market proves viable. This is to say that I'm not done writing Rows Gardens, and stay tuned to the site for more info on when the next RG offering becomes available.

So while this is the end of one era, I hope it's the beginning of another. I want to extend a hearty "thank you" to all solvers who have subscribed over the years. If you're not a current subscriber but would like to be added to a mailing list so you can be updated on future Rows Garden offerings, just send me an email. And do come back each month to solve the free variety puzzles - I'll be back in just a few days for the annual Thanksgiving Twists & Turns!

Yours in solving,

-Andrew

FREE RG - December 2023

FREE RG December 2023 - PDF: Hardest  | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution | RGZ 

It's been a while since I've posted a free Rows Garden, so what the hey. See above for the PDFs as well as an RGZ file for digital solving. As always, happy solving!

Year 10 of Aries Rows Garden just wrapped up but a reminder that subscriptions are always open. Year 11 is a rare 53-Tuesday year so subscribers will get an extra puzzle in 2024. I've also updated the monthly bundles through December 2023 as well as the archive, including the 2023 Second Half puzzles and the full 2014-2023 bundle. 

Here's to a great 2024!

August FREE RG

August FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

August FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

Here's the August FREE RG. This puzzle started with the entry at B2. As always, hope you enjoy!

Announcement: I'm cutting back on the Thursday puzzles. Instead of the weekly rotation I'll be moving to a once-a-month posting schedule featuring either a variety puzzle or a cryptic. I've got a Twists & Turns puzzle lined up for September, for starters. The monthly free puzzle will still be posted on a Thursday, but the week of its posting will vary. Be sure to sign up for the RSS feed (see the sidebar on the right) or subscribe to the Daily Crossword Links newsletter so you don't miss any new monthly puzzles. Thanks to all those who have stopped by each week to solve over the last year and a half! I do hope you keep coming back for the monthly puzzles.

Yours in puzzling,

-Andrew

July FREE RG

July FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

July FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

Here's the July FREE RG. Hope you enjoy!

June FREE RG

June FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

June FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

Here's the June FREE RG. This puzzle started with the entry at C2. I enjoyed including the entry at H1, however I initially thought that the first bloom would be impossible to cross. But no! I really like those blooms that look like nonsense at first glance. 

Thanks for all the positive feedback regarding last week's variety cryptic "Night Moves"! I've received over 100 correct answers so far, which definitely exceeded my expectations. The contest is open through Sunday, so if you haven't solved yet, there's still time to get in on the action.  

Happy solving!

May FREE RG

May FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

May FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

Here's this month's FREE RG. This puzzle started with the entry at C1. I also enjoyed including B1, F1, G2, and I2 in this puzzle, which give the puzzle a nice colloquial feel. Hope you enjoy!

April FREE RG

April FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

April FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

Here's this months Rows Garden. This puzzle started with the colloquial entry at C2, and other favorite entries in this grid include F1, G2, and H2. Happy solving!

March FREE RG

March FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

March FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

Here's the FREE RG for the month! This puzzle started with the colloquial phrase at C1. Other entries I enjoyed including were D2, E1, G1, and I2, all of which have very few, if any, previous appearances in crosswords. Hope you enjoy!

If you're looking for more variety puzzles, I highly recommend the newest suite written by the great Patrick Berry, titled "Sweet 16." Patrick released this set of mini variety puzzles in February, but I didn't have an opportunity to solve this until this past weekend. I solved all the puzzles in around four hours, which makes its $10 price more than worth it. Each of the sixteen variety types which lead to the "grand finale" delivers a strong "a-ha" moment or two within the puzzle. And once you see how everything comes together in the end, it's a truly marvelous work. There's an accessibility in this suite that I appreciate as well - not too many of the puzzles were true brain-busters, but each makes your brain work in a different, satisfying way. My favorite puzzles of the set include "Double Team," "Fitting In," "Fair Share," "Connections," and "Flower Clusters," which is a clever spin on a Rows Garden. I'll say it again: this was a terrific set of puzzles! For more info and to purchase, click here.

February FREE RG

February FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

February FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)


Back with this month's Rows Garden! This puzzle started with the entry at C2; while it's an entry that isn't making its debut, it lends a nice letter pattern for its intersecting blooms. For me the fun in constructing a Rows Garden isn't so much the seed entry but uncovering the best fill that emerges from the seed. Here entries like E2, F1, and G2 were pleasant surprises that resulted from the trial-and-error process of constructing the grid. Hope you enjoy!

A few days remaining to send in your answer for the Meta Cryptic contest! I've already received over 50 correct entries so far. The contest runs through 7 PM PST on Monday, March 2nd, so be sure to give it a shot!

Happy solving,

Andrew

January FREE RG

Back with the first FREE RG of 2020 - as always, hope you enjoy!

January FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

January FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

December FREE RG, and Aries Puzzles Year in Review

I’ve got a long Year in Review post that follows, but first off, here’s the December FREE RG. This puzzle started with the New Years’-inspired entry in Row A. Hope you enjoy!

December FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | Solution

December FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

YEAR IN REVIEW

This was quite a landmark year at Aries Puzzles headquarters! Both Aries Rows Garden and Aries Freestyle successfully transitioned to weekly-delivered services, and in addition, free weekly Thursday puzzles were introduced in April. In total, Aries Puzzles published 153 puzzles in 2019, counting both email-delivered subscription puzzles and free website puzzles, by far the most prolific year to date. Let’s run down the highlights of 2019, season by season, with handy links included for those who may have missed these puzzles the first time around.

WINTER (January-March): The year started off with a bang right away on January 1-2 for the launch of Year 6 of Aries Rows Garden and Year 2 of Aries Freestyle. Rows Garden solvers were excited for the launch of the Rows Garden app for iOS, which offered a new option for solving Aries Rows Garden puzzles. On the website, I wrote long-form essays on crosswordese movies, and in particular the 1983 Mr. T. comedy D.C. Cab. Upon re-reading these just now, it reminds me that I need to resurrect this bit, if for no other reason than to lament the recent loss of Ulee himself, Peter Fonda. In February I published the first Puns & Anagrams puzzle on the site; if you dig P&As, be sure to also check out the pair of P&As that I wrote for the New York Times this year. March saw the lone variety cryptic published this year, titled “Entertainment Options,” and I wrote up a post acknowledging the two Orca nominations earned by Aries Freestyle. Speaking of Aries Freestyle, March ended as C.C. Burnikel crafted the first guest Freestyle of the year.

SPRING (April-June): April began with the launch of free weekly puzzles on the site every Thursday, and I launched the Aries Puzzles page on Facebook. I waxed poetic about The French Lieutenant’s Woman in a Rows Garden email and had a couple of lovely interactions with subscribers about that film as a result.  The second guest Freestyle, written by Peter Wentz, was published in late May. Also published in May was the debut of Twists & Turns, a puzzle format that I developed. The creation of a new format was perhaps the most exciting thing that I accomplished this year. I published the second T&T in October and am working on a writing more of them as we speak! Stay tuned for more news in that realm.

SUMMER (July-September): Things started to heat up come summertime – the July 3rd Freestyle featured a clue that one subscriber reported as “one of my favorite all-time clues.” The third guest Freestyle of the year was published in late July, this one written by Stella Zawistowski. I may have taken a week’s vacation in August, but Aries Puzzles takes no vacation, so it was business as usual. The Rows Garden app debuted its Android version, opening yet another avenue for Rows Garden solving. The end of August saw the publishing of a Double or Nothing puzzle, and I once again got to appreciate the difficulty that is writing a Patrick Berry-invented format (a tip to the kids: if, like me, you think that a Triple or Nothing puzzle “shouldn’t be that tough” to write, think again). In September, the New York Times ran a long-form interview with me on Wordplay, their crossword blog. For the year, I had ten puzzles published in the Times – seven themelesses, one Sunday themed puzzle, and two Puns & Anagrams.

AUTUMN (October-December): The chill of fall started to creep in, and speaking of chills and creeps, I reminisced about Creepy Crosswords in the Throwback puzzle for October. Also in October, Aries Rows Garden ran a rare Meta Contest – congrats again to Jenny Gutbezahl on winning the three-month subscription extension as the randomly-selected winner of that contest! On the Aries Freestyle side, Caitlin Reid contributed the fourth guest Freestyle of the year at the beginning of October. In November, I wrote a current-events puzzle for the news website Vox; there’s still a chance that more could come of that opportunity, so do write them and demand that I write puzzles for them, if you are so inclined. Going back into the nostalgia file, the November Throwback celebrated a special ten-year anniversary for Aries Puzzles. Holiday-themed puzzles were prominently featured throughout the autumn season; Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s all got acknowledgments in Rows Gardens and Freestyles. And technically we’re still not done with 2019, as there is a 53rd Rows Garden and a 53rd Freestyle – a guest puzzle written by Neville Fogarty and Doug Peterson – to be sent next week. 

As December winds down, things are moving steadily but smoothly here at Aries Puzzles HQ. I’m primed for 2020, for the next decade, and for what’s to come after that. If you’ve solved all 153 puzzles this year, or this is the first post that you’ve ever read on this site, I hope you’ll be back for more! My mission each year is to improve on the previous year, and while this year will be tough to top, I’ll do my very best to try. As always, thanks for solving!

-Andrew

November FREE RG

Back with this month's FREE RG! Aries Rows Garden subscribers will find the clue at C1 familiar if they already solved the subscriber puzzle on Tuesday. Happy solving, and Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating!

November FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | | Solution

November FREE RG - RGZ (for solving in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

October FREE RG

Here's the FREE RG for October. This puzzle started with the entry at B2; it was also nice to get an additional seasonal entry in the grid at C1. Happy Halloween!

October FREE RG - RGZ (for use in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

October FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | | Solution

September FREE RG

Here's this month's FREE Rows Garden. This puzzle started with the entry at B2. It was nice to get C2 to stack on top of the seed entry, and my favorite clue in the bunch is probably E1. This played on the easier side for test solvers - hope you enjoy!

September FREE RG - RGZ (for use in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire)

September FREE RG - PDF: Hardest | Harder | Easier | Easiest | | 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)

July FREE RG

Back with this month's FREE RG! Row A was the seed entry for this puzzle. Among the clues, my favorites may be D1 and I2. Hope you enjoy! I'll be back next week with a Freestyle.


July FREE RG - Hardest (PDF)

July FREE RG - Harder (PDF)

July FREE RG - Easier (PDF)

July FREE RG - Easiest (PDF)

July FREE RG - RGZ (for use in the Rows Garden app for iPad/iPhone)


July FREE RG - Solution (PDF)

June FREE RG

Here's the FREE Rows Garden for June! Hope you enjoy.

-Andrew

June FREE RG - Hardest (PDF)

June FREE RG - Harder (PDF)

June FREE RG - Easier (PDF)

June FREE RG - Easiest (PDF)

June FREE RG - Solution (PDF)

June FREE RG - RGZ

May FREE RG

This week I've got a Rows Garden! See below for the links for the PDFs and an RGZ file for use in the Rows Garden app for iPad and iPhone. An explanation of the four difficulty levels can be seen on the sidebar on the right side of this page.

Happy solving!

May FREE RG - RGZ

May FREE RG - Hardest (PDF)

May FREE RG - Harder (PDF)

May FREE RG - Easier (PDF)

May FREE RG - Easiest (PDF)


May FREE RG - Solution (PDF)