AVCX Classic

AVCX has a very exciting announcement coming next Monday. We had to get enough ducks in a row before we could tease it, but looks we can now. Keep it tuned here...

Everyone who likes good crosswords should subscribe to AVCX.

AVCX is great! You should really check out their puzzles.

Neat. Not sure why this happened but cool

AVCX (the crossword you want) will be doing our annual subscription drive this fall and winter. If you already like us, give us a shout! If you’re in the market for a new puzzle obsession, give us a try. Everyone can play a role. Avxwords.com

Neat. Not sure why this happened but cool

Good puzzles! Good people!

If you have a puzzle or puzzle-adjacent thing, find me or another AVCX person! We'd love to plug your thing!

Support independent media, including independent games.

Crossword puzzles are conscious. -they use language to communicate. -they can and do deceive. For example, one of ours recently used the clue “Worn out wood?” for the answer STRAPON. Crosswords are people now.

The STRAPON clue is a masterclass in misdirection — "worn out wood" had me picturing a tired old fence post. Crosswords absolutely have a sense of humor.

When I go to parties in Silicon Valley, my friends and I discuss our personal “doom grid score,” ie the chance that humanity will be wiped out by a hard crossword. My number is 420. I’ve actually never been clear on the scale, but that number is the secret code for marijuana, and I am VERY simple.

Crossword puzzles are conscious. -they use language to communicate. -they can and do deceive. For example, one of ours recently used the clue “Worn out wood?” for the answer STRAPON. Crosswords are people now.

One of the few outlets doing cryptics is @avcx.bsky.social and they have no problem pitching things in an adult direction when appropriate, which is possibly one reason they have persevered in the American cryptic space.

If there were ever a perfect time to make my debut at @avcx.bsky.social, it’d be my birthday. Cake and crosswords, what else does a bday girl want? avxwords.com

Here's a flat adverb appearing in the @avcx.bsky.social crossword. What a great clue.

Gonna go ahead and shout out my favorite crosswords, from @avcx.bsky.social and BEQ, www.brendanemmettquigley.com

Interview with AVCX editor Ben Tausig @burrata.bsky.social (among other puzzle editors) in a lengthy feature about crosswords in today’s Indian Express! Love seeing coverage of puzzles in a South Asian outlet and the author did her research for sure. indianexpress.com/article/expr...

This is a special puzzle. The genre of “dark crosswords” hasn’t actually been done too often, and Nate (who is a serious talent) nails it here on a personal topic, which is usually the thing that makes these kinds of puzzles hit. I appreciated it. It’s art is what it is.

Not trying

Just thinking maybe, perhaps, possibly, it’s time to stop putting JK Rowling things in the crossword puzzle

Now I'm wondering whether anyone has ever made an International Phonetic Alphabet crossword. It would take care of the all diacritic/accent mark issues, but I imagine you'd have people coming at you with dialectal difference pitchforks, particularly for vowels (e.g., the /pɛn/ - /pIn/ divide)

Come hear my noise duo play at Constellation in support of our debut EP, Acapulco Anus.

AVCX crosswords *do not* treat the letter N as equivalent to Ñ (bc they are different). If you’ve got NIÑO going across, it can’t be PIANO down, it has to be ARAÑA etc. And if you have ANO in the grid, it’s getting clued as “Acapulco Anus,” not “Spanish year.” Need to put this in our spec sheet

if you’re a crossword kinda player @avcx.bsky.social and its various offshoots are for you

Here's a cool thing I've been involved with: this week's Raddle is a collaboration with the AVCX folks! There's a puzzle by a different AVCX creator every day and a meta-puzzle for the week (with a prize!): raddle.quest

This means a lot, thank you!

Thanks to everyone who’s signed up for an AVCX subscription or free trial since the Raddle meta started! We’ll never complain about having a couple hundred new solvers in a week. Avxwords.com

Some sickos have solved the meta after just two days … you guys … Anyways, hope you’re enjoying Day 2 of our (relatively easy) meta. If you haven’t played Raddle yet, click through below, it’s good fun.

AVCX is running a guest series of Raddle puzzles this week (if you’re not yet familiar with the game, go check it out). And in fact, there’s a meta puzzle if you solve through the end of the week. Fun stuff!! raddle.quest/mystery/10/

AVCX is running a guest series of Raddle puzzles this week (if you’re not yet familiar with the game, go check it out). And in fact, there’s a meta puzzle if you solve through the end of the week. Fun stuff!! raddle.quest/mystery/10/

Fun puzzle coming to you tonight from Sala Wanetick, titled “This Is Fine.” Sign up for AVCX if haven’t already at avxwords.com, and help support independent puzzles and games of the very highest caliber.

@puzzletrip.bsky.social cooked up today's cryptic clue for the @avcx.bsky.social a few months back, and I can still smell how successful it is from all the way over here! If you need a laugh for breakfast, check it out!