Author: Matt Gritzmacher

One of the online crossword community’s annual traditions is a tongue-in-cheek play on awards season: the ORCAS (an anagram of OSCAR) celebrate the previous year in puzzles. Rich Proulx, who heads the effort, passes on the following blurb kicking off this year’s awards.

Several members of the DCL team are nominators for the ORCAS, and we’re thrilled to see 59 different outlets represented this year.

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As expected for the final year in Stamford, the ACPT sold out rapidly this year. If you missed out on an in-person spot, you can still register at the tournament website for the concurrent online competition, and mark your calendars now for 2027’s tournament in Philadelphia, April 30-May 2.

Before we get there, Boswords’ annual Winter Wondersolve, a fully online event, takes place next Sunday, February 1 and features four puzzles from 1:00 to 4:30 PM Eastern. 

If you’re local enough to Westport, CT, the annual Westport Library Tournament (also run by Will Shortz) takes place two weekends from now, on February 7th.

Boswords’ Spring Themeless League will also likely start up prior to ACPT. More on that as it’s announced. 

Post-ACPT, the crew at Westwords have announced their 2026 event will again take place in Berkeley, CA on June 14. Westwords offers both an in-person and online tournament, and new this year will have an in-person pairs division. I believe the in-person event has sold out every year so far, so don’t hesitate to make plans if you’re interested. 

Andy Kravis maintains a Google Doc here staying up to date on all known tournaments throughout the year. Worth bookmarking for a quick reference!

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The team behind These Puzzles Fund Abortion, which has raised nearly $400K for abortion funds and access to healthcare since 2021, have announced TPFA6 coming later this spring. More details coming in the next few weeks.

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Keep an eye out on our lists in early February for an expanded puzzle section from Toronto-based newspaper The Globe and Mail. We’re expecting a daily mini, a weekend 21x, and cryptics from the legendary Fraser Simpson finally available online. 

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Thanks to all who donated to our year-end fundraiser. If you donated and have not received the puzzle pack, either I mistyped your email or I don’t know your email. Please reach out to crosswordlinks [at] gmail [dot] com. 

You can of course donate to our project at any time of the year, and will be automatically added to the list for our next fundraiser pack. More information at our Support Us page.

It’s been quite a while since our last News & Notes, so most of this will be brief link dumps. However, we’re making sure to get this out today, as registration for the 2026 ACPT opens for previous attendees at noon Eastern (a little less than 12 hours after this email) on January 1st.

The last few years have seen both tournament and hotel spots sell out earlier and earlier, and Will Shortz has announced that the 2026 tournament will be the last in Stamford, as the ACPT moves to Philadelphia in 2027, so interest in this year’s tournament is likely to be sky-high. 

More information – and at noon tomorrow, registration – at the tournament website.

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Crossword Con, hosted by Puzzmo, will once again take place on the Friday of ACPT weekend in Manhattan. There’s little more than a “save the date” right now, but that’s enough to make plans if you’re interested.

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Many thanks to all who donated to our annual fundraiser. If you did donate, and you haven’t received the puzzles, either something has gone wrong or I haven’t been able to connect your donation to an email. Please email us at crossword links [at] gmail [dot] com so I can get the puzzle pack to you.

You can donate at any time of the year and be added to the list for our next fundraiser pack. More information at our Support Us page.

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Prior to ACPT, Boswords’ Winter Wondersolve will take place online on Sunday, February 1st. More information and puzzles from Boswords’ two 2025 Themeless Leagues and summer tournament available at the link.

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Across The Universe, Natan Last’s book exploring the crossword as a cultural instrument, published around Thanksgiving and is available to purchase, if you don’t already have it. Among many events, media pieces, etc, Natan joined the Because Language podcast to chat about the book. He’ll be on the West Coast and in DC promoting the book through January, if you’re in the areas.

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Shifting to a more rapid-fire list of highlights, we’ll start with a reminder to check T Campbell’s Grid in the coming days. His crossword year-in-review posts are always an enjoyable read around the New Year. 

A Trans Person Made Your Crossword is a puzzle pack written, edited, test-solved, and typeset by trans and non-binary people in support of US-based transgender charities. Released in June, the pack raised more than $25,000. Organizer Ada Nicolle had a nice interview with The Halifax Examiner about the project. I’m not sure if the puzzles are still available, but the charities are certainly still welcoming donations!

A March profile from Vulture on Will Shortz’ rehab

An interview with NYT Connections editor Wyna Liu in InsideHook

An excellent piece in Slate on cryptic crosswords crossing over to US

If you missed them, we rolled out a new DCL feature in 2025: Constructor Spotlights. Spotlights run roughly monthly, with the aim of highlighting the human/relational side of crosswords. I’m biased, but they’re some of my favorite crossword content of the year, so I hope you’ll catch up on any you missed.

A Globe and Mail profile of the multitalented Will Nediger 

Also new this year was Crosstalk: A Crossword Construction Podcast from Daniel Grinberg. Episodes are engaging and insightful, and a window into construction that I think we just don’t get from step by step guides or written instructions.

Josh Kosman and Henri Picciotto, who run the cryptic subscription Out of Left Field, are now selling compilations of their puzzles from The Nation in pdf form.

A fun profile of the 2025 ACPT and some of its solvers. Paolo Pasco no longer works in LinkedIn’s puzzles department, but he penned this reflection following his win.

The New York Times released a hardcover PuzzleMania book featuring new versions of many of the games found in their daily offering and the annual PuzzleMania insert.

By Kids, for Solvers of All Ages wasn’t a daily New York Times puzzle, but was submitted through the normal channel by Nate (10 years old) and Kaela Curry (8). Christina Iverson conducted a brief interview with the pair alongside the puzzle running. 

The New York Times released a hardcover PuzzleMania book featuring new versions of many of the games found in their daily offering and the annual PuzzleMania insert.

By Kids, for Solvers of All Ages wasn’t a daily New York Times puzzle, but was submitted through the normal channel by Nate (10 years old) and Kaela Curry (8). Christina Iverson conducted a brief interview with the pair alongside the puzzle running. 

The Brookline (MA) News ran a nice piece on the concentration of ACPT solvers from the Boston neighborhood.

Adam Aaronson published an essay on his site exploring what he calls the “square theory,” an apparatus to analyze why wordplay works, whether in clues, puzzle themes, whatever. I can’t recommend it enough.

‘In setting any crossword clue, always, always think of the solver’ is an interview with longtime cryptic setter Azed, but the insights about a solver’s relationship with a clue or puzzle are just as applicable to our side of the pond

Dan Feyer made an appearance on the podcast “The Extraordinarians,” which is devoted to conversations with “chat with the world’s most extraordinary record breakers … a little spotlight on the strangest and most unlikely champions.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Jack Dreyer got some headlines this summer for his crossword habit, including a puzzle he constructed himself.

Ryan Judge put together an updated assessment of the most commonly solved crosswords for the “Crosscord” Discord server, sorting for size, themed/themeless, and difficulty. Your mileage may vary, but it’s a good place to start if you’re looking to try out a new puzzle. 

These Puzzles Fund Abortion founder Rachel Fabi sat down the joysticks! podcast to discuss the crossword community and TPFA. I hadn’t heard of this podcast previously, but it’s been a fun listen since. In their own words: “joysticks! is a podcast dedicated to the notion that games and their creation are an excellent way to be imaginative about systems and structures of society, and this imagination is a pillar of a more revolutionary world.” 

A profile on (and puzzle by) constructor Mark McLaughlin by his employer, the University of British Columbia, where he serves as Dean. 

“Fill Harmonics” is a fun thing from Parker Higgins. I don’t know how better to describe it than he does, if you click through. 

Alex Boisvert introduced another new tool at the Crossword Nexus, the crossword sharer, which allows for crossword sharing and in-browser solving without uploading material to third parties or agreeing to terms of service that are rapidly changing in the AI era.

“Block Party Puzzles” is a Detroit-themed puzzle book from Sala Wanetick and Emily Biegas.  

Christopher Newport University ran a piece on student constructor Baylor Gallagher, who learned the hobby from indie puzzle mainstay Neville Fogarty, who teaches at the university.

“Puzzles of 2025” is a crossword/set list hybrid: a 40-track album where each track is a crossword clue. I certainly haven’t ever seen anything like it. Well worth a click through to read through the creators’ notes. 

Just a few days ago, Jac Crabtree at Trash Panda Puzzles announced his own 7×7 project, hearkening back to Malaika Handa’s daily puzzle from a few years ago, creating a grid for every possible 7×7 crossword design. Malaika’s original project was one of the highlights of 2021, and it’s fun to see it crop up again.

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“Puzzmo’s Recent Set Of Daily Puzzles Helped Me See Crosswords In A New Way” highlights Brooke Husic’s recent month-long project to highlight different aspects of core crossword strategies through mini puzzles, each featuring a specific window into the tacit language of crosswords. 

In the author’s words:

“Subsequent puzzles explain how crossword makers clue you in to whether they’re asking for someone’s full name or a nickname, how they handle abbreviations, and all the subtle ways that the language of a question can help you answer it. While it might not seem like it at first, there’s a lot of complexity being communicated by phrases like “for short” at the end of a clue, and this series of mini-crosswords have made me far more able to understand those meanings.”

One of Brooke’s guiding tenets at Puzzmo is that any puzzle might be someone’s first crossword. The mini series, beginning on October 1st, is a great resource for anyone you’re trying to introduce to the form. 

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A fond farewell to end this (long) edition: after 15 years, longtime Wordplay columnist Deb Amlen will retire from the New York Times this Friday. For many, many solvers, Deb’s helpful and humorous writeups were their first “in” to seeing the Times puzzle as a bit less intimidating, and a model for puzzle criticisms and discussion whose influence can be seen anywhere people talk puzzles. Best wishes, Deb!

We’re once again running a year-end fundraiser. As we share on our Support Us page, DCL has always been a free resource. Daily posts, News & Notes bulletins, puzzle recommendations, and Constructor Spotlights will remain free. But it remains important that I recover site costs and acknowledge the time and energy of DCL volunteers.

Your generosity last year allowed us to add Jess Rucks’ fabulous Constructor Spotlights to the site. We don’t have specific plans for our next addition, other than getting News & Notes and puzzle recs back on a regular schedule, but if we match last year, we’ll find something.

Our team has prepared six 15×15 and three 7×7 puzzles which we’ll happily send to solvers who make a donation of any size between now and the new year.

Information on how to donate can be found at our Support Us page. Please include your email address in a message with the transaction and we’ll get the puzzles over to you. We’re still putting the finishing touches together, but will send the first batch by Friday, 12/19 at the latest.

You can donate any amount to DCL to get the pack. If you donated at any time in 2025, we’ll also happily share it with you. Depending on what information Venmo or PayPal share with me, you might need to ping us at crosswordlinks [at] gmail [dot] com to share your email address, but we’ll be trying to reach you, too.

We are also happy to share the pack to anyone who donates $15 or more to a crossword tip jar or newly subscribes to an indie Patreon or subscription service. Your favorite constructor, AVCX, Crosswordr, or Crosshare are all great options, among many others. Email a receipt of that donation or new subscription (between 12/12 and 12/31) to crosswordlinks [at] gmail [dot] com if you choose that route.

If you missed last year’s (four puzzle) fundraiser pack, we’ll include it with any DCL donation of $20 or more, or any tip jar or new indie subscription of $25 or more.

Once again: nine puzzles available exclusively to donors who give before the new year. Donations to DCL of any size get the puzzles. New donations/subscriptions to other crossword places of $15 or more get the puzzles. If you donated to us earlier in 2025, we’ll get you the puzzles. If you missed last year’s puzzles, donate at least $20 to DCL or $25 to another indie crossword venture to get both year’s packs. Visit Support Us for information on making a donation to DCL.

Thank you for your support.

ORCAS

This week marked the 2025 ORCA Awards, an annual recognition of outstanding puzzles from the previous year organized by Rich Proulx. (ORCAS anagrams to OSCAR, and the awards are usually posted at a similar time of year as the Academy Awards). 

Winners were announced on a Twitch stream hosted by Ben Bass and Ben Zimmer and are listed below, with links where the puzzle is still available. Commentary withheld if you haven’t already solved and would like to avoid spoilers:

Best Midi: “Happy Pi Day!,” by Adam Aaronson (Puzzmo, March 14)

Best Contest Crossword: “World Wide Web,” by Evan Birnholz (Washington Post, March 31) Solution and commentary

Best Easy Crossword: (Tie) Untitled, by Elliot Caroll (New York Times, December 9) and Untitled, by Brad Wiegmann (New York Times, June 19) 

Best Variety Puzzle: “Both Sides Now,” by joon pahk (Outside the Box, January 29)

Best Tournament Crossword: “Upon Further Reflection Distortion,” by Hoang-Kim Vu (Lollapuzzola, August 24)

Best Clue: [Golden retriever who ends up with a chocolate lab?] for CHARLIE BUCKET, in Untitled, by Spencer Leach McDermott (New York Times, November 1)

Best Themed Crossword: “You’re Projecting,” by Elise Corbin (Cruciverbology, March 4) 

Best Sunday-Sized Crossword: “Layered Up,” by Will Nediger (Bewilderingly, September 2)

Best Themeless Crossword: “themeless no. 32,” by crosstina aquafina and Erik Agard (Crosstina Aquafina, May 16) 

themeless no. 32 was also named “Crossword of the Year” by virtue of receiving the highest vote total of any nominated puzzle in any category.

Constructor Of The Year: Christina Iverson 

The full set of nominees (and additional links) can be found here. Congrats to all winners and nominees, and a hearty thank-you to Rich Proulx, who has stewarded the awards for a few years now, coordinating a nominating committee and the livestream.

Several members of the Daily Crossword Links staff participate in nominations, and we’re thrilled to see increasing indie puzzle recognition in both the winners and nominees. If you’re interested in helping out for next year’s awards, drop a line to theorcaawards@gmail.com

TOURNAMENTS

Congratulations to Ryan Judge, winner of the Boswords Winter Wondersolve, and finalists Matthew Luter and Glen Ryan. 

Boswords Spring Themeless League begins with the preseason puzzle March 3. It’s not too late to register!

Boswords’ Summer Tournament will take place July 27 in person and online. The Fall Themeless League will take place in October and November. 

The 47th ACPT is sold out, the waitlist is closed, and the hotel is fully booked. See you there, hopefully! To be announced: the constructor list, specifics for the Friday night games, and the awardee of the Merl Reagle MEmoRiaL Award for lifetime achievement in crossword construction, presented Saturday evening.

Westwords’ second event will take place in Berkeley CA on June 22. Registration is open now.

Lollapuzzoola 18 has been announced! Saturday, August 9 in New York City. 

NEWS

The fifth edition of These Puzzles Fund Abortion, featuring 3 midi crosswords (2 standard, 1 cryptic), 14 American style crosswords, 3 cryptics, 2 variety puzzles and an acrostic, drops on March 1 and is available for pre-order now. Donations of any amount will get you the current pack, while donations of $50 or more will get you the current pack and all previous packs.

Rachel joined Brian Cimmet on the 2/18 episode of the Fill Me In podcast to share more about the project. 

Crosshare, which provides easy-to-use in-browser tools for constructors to make and publish puzzles, is fundraising to support increasing costs and new features. Donations of any size will receive an eight-puzzle pack from some of the site’s most prominent constructors.

We’re excited to announce a new feature here at Daily Crossword Links. Under the leadership of Jess Rucks, we’ll soon begin running regular Constructor Spotlights, a conversational interview with a member of the crossword community. The daily links are our big-ticket item, but we also strive to recognize and promote all facets of the crossword community, and are eager to add this feature. 

This expansion was made possible thanks to the generous response to our December fundraiser, but you don’t need to wait for a fundraiser to donate to DCL. Your support is gratefully appreciated at any time, and all donations since January 1 will receive the puzzle pack from our next fundraiser.  

Lil AVCX announced their 2025 roster: Alex Rossell Hayes, Alisya Reza, Ben Wilson, Carina da Rosa, K.J. Sarr, Katie Hoody, and Terry Sun. Lil AVCX’s mentorship and development model is always fun to follow through the year and now boasts an ORCA winner among its alumni. We’re so excited to start solving this group’s midi puzzles. 

Natan Last’s book “Across the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle,” promising “an entertaining and eye-opening look at the history of the crossword, who constructs it, and why it matters as both a reflection of and influence on our culture,” is set for release on November 25. I have been impatiently waiting for this one for a while, and while it doesn’t quite appear to be ready for preorder yet, we’ll be sure to share the link when it does.

New Puzzles

It’s been a decently busy time for new additions to our daily list. New puzzles since our last edition:

Crossroads || Zerofiftyone (Ben Wilson) || Student Life (Independent newspaper of Washington University) || Elliot’s Puzzles || The New Dork Times (Cole Rush) || crosswords by alisya (Alisya Reza)

Quick Hitters

A reminder to stay tuned for more details about the second Crossword Con, set for April 4th in New York City to kick off the ACPT weekend || The New Yorker posted a video of an hour-long seminar on “The Art of the Crossword,” featuring Liz Maynes-Aminzade, Natan Last, and Robyn Weintraub || Natan will also teach a class of the same name over four online sessions later this spring || Universal and the Puzzle Society announced in an email to subscribers that in mid-April, the puzzles will move to GoComics.com. Subscribers will be automatically migrated to the new subscription. 

If our daily list isn’t enough for you, a National Puzzlers’ League member has compiled a list of daily puzzles across many genres || Crosswordr Constructor-in-Residence Shana Chen published a guide to puzzle construction || Eric Berlin’s  Puzzlesnacks Jamboree is a collection of over 50 puzzles for $10. Puzzlesnacks is a great introduction to variety puzzles in a bite-size format, and you’ll get a little of everything in this pack.