Reminder: This weekly post is not at all an attempt to pick the “best” puzzles, and we won’t be commenting as critics. Our approach is best described as “puzzles we don’t think you should miss.” Kind of like staff recommendations at a local bookstore.
Whether you solve one or all of this list, we’d love to hear about your favorite puzzles from the week in the comments here, as well. There are surely some we missed ourselves.
New York Times and Universal: (2/10) Zhouqin Burnikel with a one-two easy/hard punch of themeless puzzles built with the Lunar New Year in mind. And if that wasn’t enough, she also had the 2/9 Puzzmo puzzle, as well as the Apple+ offering on 2/10 to celebrate the holiday. – Matt
Los Angeles Times: Center of Attention (2/11) by Matthew Stock and Chandi Deitmer. A layered theme worthy of the size with each of the themers a delight in a smooth grid full of interesting fill and modern cluing. – Norah
AVCX+: ($) Hearts and Arrows (2/11) by Sid Sivakumar. A take on a Rows Garden styled for the occasion with a difficulty that feels satisfying to solve. – Norah
Washington Post: Loss of Down (2/11) by Evan Birnholz. A downs-only midi meta suite that is a lot easier to solve than it sounds. An impressive feat of construction that is also pleasant for the solver. – Norah
BEQ: Themeless Monday (2/12) Gentler than Brendan’s Mondays lately, but still with some well-disguised clue misdirections. – Matt
Los Angeles Times: (2/12) by Amanda Cook. A straightforward theme that I didn’t see until the revealer, which was an instant and satisfying click. – Matt
Universal: It’s What’s Inside That Counts (2/12) by Larry Snyder. Just a really cute theme. – Rich
Defector: ($) Down For The Count (2/12) by Kelsey Dixon and Kate Chin Park. Banger theme, banger clues. This is a great example of how fun and approachable Defector’s crosswords have been since launching last fall. – Rich, Matt, & Norah
The New Yorker: (2/13) by Erik Agard. This is the second time I’ve noticed Erik putting together this multi-stairstack style. Gorgeous work, and as always (for me), sprinkled with things I learned from it. – Norah
Lil AVC X: ($) Happy Hearts, Happy Parts (2/13) by Olivia Mitra Framke. Of all the heart-shaped puzzles this week, this one was my favorite due to is theme density and AVCX-worthy cluing. – Norah
AVCX: ($) One Way or Another (2/14) by John Kugelman and Larry Snyder. The puzzle of the year for me so far. I don’t want to spoil it any further than that. – Matt
Universal: Fashion Seasons (2/15) by Spencer Leach and Lila Goldenberg. Creative theme with a spot-on revealer, and fun bonus entries all over. – Rich
USA Today: Sky-High (2/16) By Jared Goudsmit. Lovely themeless with a perfect balance of smooth and sparkle. – Rich