Ever heard of a cryptic crossword? This might sound like a silly question to some of you, but I wasn't aware of this interesting format until a few years ago, when I promptly fell down the rabbit hole and fell in love with these language-cipher style word puzzles.
Whether you're brand new to the concept (which is an exciting place to be) or a veteran, here's a fun holiday season project to look forward to each day, if you don't already have enough advent calendars in your life: quiz-show expert and crossword editor Daniel Peake has constructed a single massive cryptic crossword puzzle, big enough that he's revealing three clues each day of December to let you slowly fill in the grid.
The fun catch with the Puzzlevent crossword is that you don't know how long the answers for each day's clues are supposed to be, or where exactly they will fit into the larger grid. Each day brings more information about the length of yesterday's clues, and over time you'll need to find how everything fits together on the big board.
There are lots of great guides and resources out there if you're new to cryptic crosswords, and I'd highly recommend dipping your toes and trying them out if the idea of deciphering a playful new riddle-language and solving puzzles with it sounds appealing to you. The most basic explanation is that the "surface reading" that you see when first reading cryptic clues is usually not the meaning you're really looking for... each clue contains within it both a hidden definition and also some cleverly disguised wordplay instructions which will yield the answer you're seeking. I hope this sounds mysterious and intriguing!
You can play Daniel Peake's big Puzzlevent cryptic here on his site, where every day of the month new clues will be revealed along with hints about yesterday's. Good luck putting it all together! I'll be taking my time and doing my best.
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