2018 Subscriptions Open, and Announcing Aries Freestyle!

2018 Aries Rows Garden subscriptions are now open! I'm thrilled that the series has stretched into a fifth year, and let's keep the party rolling. Head over to the 2018 Subscriptions page for more details and to subscribe.

In addition, I'm very excited to be launching Aries Freestyle in 2018. I've been obsessed with writing stagger-stack themeless puzzles over the last few years, and I've gotten a lot of positive response from solvers that they want more. Ask and you shall receive! Though I want to explore other freestyle formats, most of these will be of the stagger-stack variety. In addition to the regular bi-weekly delivery of Aries Freestyle puzzles, there will be four bonus puzzles released throughout the year. These might be oversized, may feature a quasi-theme or a twist, or it may feature a guest contributor - stay tuned!

More information on both services can be found on the 2018 Subscriptions page. Solvers can save money by bundling both services, or can subscribe to each service individually.

Thanks to all who have supported this site since its inception in 2010. Here's to making 2018 a great year in puzzling!

-Andrew

OFFICIAL RELEASE: The Stagger Sessions, a Crossword EP

I'm very happy to announce the release of The Stagger Sessions, a collection of twenty original themeless crosswords I wrote in the spring of 2017. All puzzles feature a staggered central stack, oriented either vertically or horizontally in each grid.

I'm conceptualizing this project as a "crossword EP," and thus the packaging of The Stagger Sessions is more reminiscent of an album of music than a standard crossword book. 

The Stagger Sessions is available for purchase for $10 $8 for the full EP, which includes the 30-page PDF including liner notes, the puzzles, and their solutions, as well as .puz versions of all the puzzles. 

To purchase, please visit the Crossword Archive.

2017 Subscriptions Now Open

Subscriptions are now open for 2017 Rows Gardens! For a limited time, you can Name Your Price for a subscription. For more info and to subscribe, click here.

New Variety Puzzle Format: Sandwiches (And a Contest!)

I've been tinkering with the idea of a new puzzle format for a few years now, and I think I hit upon something that I can sink my teeth into, so to speak. It's called "Sandwiches," and you can try your hand at it by downloading the PDF file below. Instructions are included with the PDF.

I would like as much feedback as possible for this debut, so I made it a contest which requires you to e-mail me (wink-wink) in order to enter. So feel free to include your thoughts and comments regarding the format. I had a couple test-solvers give initial feedback, but the amount of people that have actually solved one of these is still very small, so I do appreciate any commentary you have.

As mentioned in the PDF, I will do a random drawing of all the correct entries I receive by the end of the day next Monday, October 19th. One lucky entrant will have the choice of a free one-year Rows Garden subscription or a one-year AriesXword subscription.

Hope you enjoy the puzzle: DOWNLOAD "SANDWICHES"