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.
Universal: Universal Freestyle 123 (5/4) by Jess Rucks. Easy breezy themeless teeming with fun fill. – Rich
The New Yorker: The Crossword (5/6) by Wyna Liu. Not the hardest New Yorker Monday but a lovely puzzle nonetheless. – Rich
Fireball: ($) What’s Next? (5/8) by Paul Coulter. Really impressive theme that puts up a fight till the very end. – Rich
Lucky Streak: ($) puzzle #170: cruel summer (themeless) (5/9) by Ada Nicolle. An impressive lattice of stacks with some absolutely killer clues and entries. I’ve been absolutely loving Ada’s stuff lately. – Matt
Los Angeles Times: (5/8) by Rebecca Goldstein & Rachel Fabi. A remarkably full theme set for a pattern that you’d think would be hard to pull together. – Matt and Norah
Wall Street Journal: Hand It Over! (5/9) by Karen Steinberg. If you like Evan Birnholz’ Sunday puzzles at the Washington Post, this very much has that vibe in a smaller package. You’ve probably seen a theme like this before, but the extra layer sets Karen’s puzzle apart. – Matt
Universal: Center Lane (5/9) by Lisa Senzel and Jeff Chen. Just a plain darn good theme, with a spot-on revealer. – Matt