Half-Baked Puzzles

 Hi friends, It's been a minute! While I haven't blogged in a while, you can find my puzzles in other places, including a 2000's-themed book (where I have two collaborations with Shannon ) and in the Puzzmo book , where Shannon and I have a collab, and I edited a few of the others. I'm closing in on a full year of being part of the leadership team for Lil AVCX , and what a year it's been! Watching the success of all the editors and mentees involved has been a pure joy. I recently wrote a few words about what Lil AVCX means to me. If you'd like to support our work in 2025, AVCX is in the midst of a subscriber drive . Gift subscriptions make a great present, too! Every cryptic is a labor of love, and I hope this one makes you smile. Steve Mossberg was instrumental in pushing this puzzle where it needed a push and reminding me to trust my instincts, too.  You can find Shannon and me with a themeless this week at AVCX+. I've got puzzles on the Crossword Flow ...

 Hi friends, Got a themed collab with Alex Boisvert this week, coming at you in an oversized grid! Alex is the wizard behind Crossword Nexus and the AVCX solving interface .   It was so great to see so many good friends at Lollapuzzoola last weekend. Tickets are still available for the Midwest Crossword Tournament , both in person and online, so I highly recommend getting one! I'll see you there. Mmm, white chocolate cherry cookies .jpz .puz   PDF   Solution Created by Wil Eisenberg and Alex Boisvert using crossword creator by Amuse Labs

 Hi friends, 100 puzzles! Wow. That's pretty crazy. If you've solved even one along the way--THANK YOU. There are too many of you to thank but I'm so grateful to everyone who has solved a puzzle, made a puzzle with me, and even just talked about puzzles with me.   This week's offering is a themeless puzzle with Brian Thomas that's chock full of fun indie vibes. Go solve Brian's other puzzles too! I'm also very excited to be able to share an essay of mine that Daily Crossword Links has been kind enough to host, titled "No Scrubs" . It's a philosophy of solving crosswords that I hope will be beneficial to new solvers and competitive solvers alike. .puz PDF   Solution (If OneLook prompts a log-in, try opening in a private window) Mmm, gooey butter cake

 Hi friends, Back this week with a themed midi. I constructed this puzzle on Twitch  as a way to demo the construction software Ingrid . Spoilers for this puzzle in that video, obviously! Ingrid is fantastic, and continues to be my go-to software for construction--and it's free!  Ingrid also has quite a few features that have been added since I made that video, especially a tool to add and change word scores. If you have an interest in construction, go check it out. And thanks to those who hung out on the Twitch stream. Their ideas helped shape this puzzle, including the title, which I believe was suggested by Dan . Go solve Dan's great puzzles, and congrats to Dan on his incredible 3rd place in the Mountain division at Westwords.  Thanks to Norah for help in testing this one.  .puz PDF   Solution   Mmm, pepperoni pizza  

 Hey friends, Back with a really fun themeless this week, a collaboration with the one and only Rose Sloan! I had the pleasure of hanging out with Rose at Westwords this past weekend, along with a whole bunch of you. Congrats to Rose on an impressive 3rd place finish in the Beach division.  What an amazing tournament, and you should buy the puzzle pack if you weren't able to go. They're all bangers, but some incredible cluing by Amanda Rafkin and some devious theming by Adam Wagner were the highlights for me. Rose says: "I was very excited to make this very nerdy puzzle with Will, and I'm excited that you all get to solve it now!" If these OneDrive links prompt a log-in, try opening in a private window: .puz PDF Solution Mmm, challah

 Hi friends! It's been a little while since I've had a blog puzzle--hopefully I'll have the chance to post a bit more this summer. In the meantime, I'm busy as part of the leadership team for Lil AVC X, editing for Puzzmo, and can be found in Universal, USA Today, and Crossword Flow, among other outlets.  I've got this week's AVCX+ themeless with Shannon Rapp (we also had a recent AVCX Classic that we recommend if you like tougher themed puzzles!). And both of us have a whole lot more great puzzles coming this summer, so keep your eyes peeled. Thanks to Shannon for help in testing this puzzle. It's a themeless that shouldn't play too rough. (If Onedrive prompts a login, try opening in a private window) .puz PDF   Solution     Mmm, cream puffs    

 Hi friends, Still recovering from ACPT here! It was an incredible whirlwind, and I saw so many of you there, and missed so many of you who were there too. I'm hoping to write up something more comprehensive at some point, but for now I'll just say it was an amazing experience. Today we've got a themed puzzle with my favorite collaborator, Shannon . Hope you enjoy! You can also find our work by donating to These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 , in yesterday's USA Today, and various other outlets.    (If these links prompt a login to OneDrive, try opening in a private window) .puz    PDF   Solution Mmm, blood orange olive oil cake