Scroll on for our recommendations from the last week of puzzles!
Remember that this is not 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.
ACPT: ($) Puzzle 8; A Final (4/7) by Sid Sivakumar. Listing this week because I waited to solve it. A tough but fair themeless that feels quintessentially Sid. -Norah
The Modern: ($) It’s All Greek To Me (4/13) by Aaron Ullman. Smooth and breezy with a fun theme that reveals itself in parts. Appreciation to the Modern for their willingness to run 16-wide themers. -Norah
Luckystreak Xwords: fie! (4/13) by ada nicolle. Really impressive grid, with a 9×5 stair stack in the center and four long entries going down through it—all with Ada’s typical flair. —Rich
Mental Judo: A Cryptic Blog (11): Clue Cryptic (4/13) by herzwesten and joeadultman. This murder mystery is an absolute blast—and very approachable if you’re new to variety cryptics. —Rich
The Atlantic: Mini (4/15) by Paolo Pasco. For 2D alone. -Norah
Westwords: (4/15) by the Westwords team. A clever and fun way to reveal the constructor lineup. -Norah
Boswords Themeless League: ($) Week 7 (4/15) by Nova Qi. Delightfully modern fill and lovely clues at the choppy level. I highly recommend the spring league puzzle pack if you aren’t participating. —Rich and Norah
Lil AVC X: ($) Climbing the Corporate Ladder (4/16) by Kaye Barton. Kaye takes advantage of the flexibility of the midi space offered by Lil AVC X to put a tight new twist on a classic puzzle form. Smart, fun, and not to be missed. – Norah
Lemonade Disco: Side Salad (4/17) by Kaitlin Hsu. Packed with indie voice, humor, and cultural references and approachable for beginner solvers. -Norah
Los Angeles Times: (4/19) by Rebecca Goldstein. I love everything about this theme: the themer finds, the density, the cluing. A puzzle I wish I could solve twice. -Norah