Профиль

I can't wait to solve these: what a killer lineup, and they're always really well edited and a pleasure to dig into. Strongly recommend giving them a subscription if you can swing it (and if you can't right now, maybe I can gift you one).

I couldn't attend the Extra-C cryptic championship, but congrats to those who could! On my next stream, which should be Tuesday 8/4 at ~9:00 PM Eastern, I'm going to slow-solve and discuss the three tournament puzzles from: @lowdowncryptic.bsky.social @mossdef.bsky.social @viresh.bsky.social

thatcrypticguy - TwitchEnthusiast of all things puzzle-y; all-in on cryptic crosswords especially and any wordplay-based puzzle that has a compelling, funny voice. Grew up on Infocom and LucasArts, which probably explains a...twitch.tv

Do you want copper in your food? Probably not. How about in your cryptic clues? Just ask @joshuakosman.bsky.social and @hpicciotto.bsky.social all about i!

7/30/26Photo by mastars MT on Unsplash [ACROSS CLUE]Machine-made food is full of copper (3-3) joshua kosman and henri picciotto, out of left field #325, 6/18/26 Allow me to get ahead of our robot overlord…crosswordscholar.wordpress.com

I saw someone joking about making a Freddy in Space film, ala Jason X, but a few things: first, Jason X isn't as bad as you think it is. Second, is there anything more terrifying than Freddy preying on cryosleep passengers who CAN'T wake up?

As bad as dark money in our elections is, we need to address the underlying concern, which is that voters listen to these ads and lies in the first place. You could spend a billion dollars foisting literal shit on these people; most still (probably) wouldn't eat it. So what makes politics different?

I thought Splatoon Raiders was OK, but I have no desire to revisit it, ever, and I think that says a lot about the game's variety (or lack thereof). In deference to the game's paint and fishy puns, let's just call the whole thing very Pollockesque; action painting doesn't do enough for me.

If you're super into long, flat pasta, would you call that a fetishini?

Always nice to see a @naytnaytnayt.bsky.social byline, this one for @gamesmagazine.bsky.social. The wordplay is complex, but absolutely worth it, especially since the whole thing goes down as smooth as, well, a glass of water.

7/29/26Photo by Anderson Rian on Unsplash [ACROSS CLUE]Returning late? Getting in drunk? Here, drink more water (9) Nate Cardin, Games World of Puzzles, May 2026 Setters ought to be more willing to write …crosswordscholar.wordpress.com

This cryptic clue from Fred Piscop in @gamesmagazine.bsky.social's June 2026 issue is so tight, so good, it's scary.

7/28/26Photo by mana5280 on Unsplash [DOWN CLUE]Roaring bear is horrifying (6) Fred piscop, games world of puzzles june 2026 There are few things I want to encounter up close and personal in life than a r…crosswordscholar.wordpress.com

We live in a world where The Onion and its InfoWars brand are subject to more scrutiny than Fox News and the current administration.

Not sure what the torrential rains are going to be like tonight, so hesitantly I'm postponing my stream again. As the backlog increases. :sigh:

And for stretches where I'm catching up on cryptic clues, I can look for things that are shared between them, be it surface sense or wordplay. This one from Peter Gwynn fits in very nicely with what yesterday's was doing—but passing the breakfast test more easily (and literally) with a G-rated clue.

7/27/26Photo by Max Cortez on Unsplash [DOWN CLUE]Pixar movie to make lasting impression, start to finish (4) Peter Gwinn, Cryptic crossweird #37, 5/18/26 I’ve taken to adding the label of ACROSS/DO…crosswordscholar.wordpress.com

I do like the idea of keeping these up on a daily basis, and when I sometimes miss a few, I'll just backdate them, as they never grow old or get stale. The same can't be said for the subject of this cryptic clue from Kyle Dolan: food definitely goes bad, and can lead to compromising situations!

7/26/26Photo by Richard Bell on Unsplash [DOWN CLUE]Sense a bit of lunch coming back up? Run! Kyle Dolan, Beneath the Surface #39, 4/1/26 Though they were published months apart in different outlets, I ca…crosswordscholar.wordpress.com

To add one more anecdote to the pile: this straight white man wasn't bullied for liking anime in the late '80s and early '90s, but he was bullied and found his way TO anime, so it sure seems like there's something to what others are saying.

I am just shocked by how many people have no awareness of GameFly and/or their public libraries. And yeah, Sony going all-digital will hurt this; I wish they'd introduce a rental option.

If you can't figure out how to remake a game that fit on a cartridge (FFVI) as a single game, then you shouldn't remake it. I don't need that plot stretched across five releases; it was solid and well-paced already.

The last time I tried any sort of dieting, it was pre-COVID, and I had great success. It is MUCH harder to do this with kids: nothing makes me want to eat more than cooking.

My thoughts exactly. At my age, I'm not averse to grinding, but I need a reason for it. Grinding to be able to unlock better areas to grind? Or reskinned versions of the same bosses? Not cutting it. I'm in the cusp of feeling that way about Splatoon Raiders right now; I'll see how I land soon.

Cryptic clues like this one from Minute Cryptic (courtesy of Liam & Steve Knight) are what helped me do a 180 on "easy" letterplay: when every element feels unique and complimentary to the surface, the whole thing shines.

7/25/26Photo by benjamin lehman on Unsplash Overly bright veils spurned by glum bride (5) Steve Knight & Liam, Minute Cryptic, 7/1/2026 Cryptic clues get a lot of mileage from contrast, because that&#…crosswordscholar.wordpress.com

Finally checking out Stellar Blade, and I don't understand why everyone was so worked up to defend what is (at least through the Wasteland) an aggressively bland game. I don't care about anything I've seen in the last six hours, least of all the increasingly nude bodysuits I can craft.