One month of TXW
As of yesterday, this blog has been up and running for an entire month. That's 34 crossword reviews and a total of 10,326 words. Wild!
The idea for this blog all started with the TXW rules of crosswords (formally known as the "ick list"). I was collecting a list of crossword nits and observations on my phone and was constantly annoying my partner by asking if she felt the same way about them. Eventually that grew into setting up a website to share my pedantic feelings with the internet. I wasn't expecting it to turn into a daily puzzle blog, let alone grow into a newsletter.
To mark the occasion, here are my favorite puzzles since the start of this blog.
Water Fight!
This crossword blew me away (pun intended). It has an incredibly unique theme, where each themer is a kind of ship from the game Battleship and the black squares make the grid resemble the game board. It's well-executed, fun to look at, and fun to solve. A tremendous puzzle!
Wanna Hang?
It's pure coincidence that today's puzzle managed to make this list (at the time of me writing this, at least). It's just that good. The theme is clever, funny, and well-executed; the fill is above-average, the cluing is packed full of personality. It's not doing something unique, like "Water Fight!", but it doesn't need to. The high level of execution is the draw.
Feline Musings
Look, I like cats. This puzzle delivers cats. What more could I ask for?
This puzzle's theme sets up a very satisfying solve. I enjoyed the difficulty curve from start to finish, cashing in on aha-moment dopamine like a cat on catnip.
That's all the highlights I have for now. Till next time!
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