Frii puzzle!
I almost forgot again: It's my turn in CrosSynergy! Have a go at it through either the JPZ or PDF file.
If you're wondering about the weird spelling in the title, it's because last night I received the Nintendo Wii that I was fortunate enough to win at RPI's Alumni Weekend in October. Any recommendations for games? I'm very much looking forward to Super Mario Galaxy, as I loved Super Mario Sunshine on GameCube.
Block ‘n’ roll
I'm thrilled to announce my involvement with two new ventures in puzzles and games, both of which involve cubes.
The first is a new crossword variant called Lexahedron, the brainchild of New York Times crossword constructor John Conrad. He invited me to make a puzzle for him, and I was happy to give it a shot. I think it came out pretty well, so go ahead and solve it, along with puzzles from Alex Boisvert, Patrick Blindauer, and others. As for my own impressions in the format, I do wish there were a little more interplay between all six faces; the puzzle is really more of a cylinder than a cube. But the presentation is very slick and it's interesting to try a puzzle without left or right edges. Hope you enjoy it!
I'm also very pleased to be making an application with an emerging San Francisco company called Sifteo. These folks are getting a lot of buzz, and for good reason; their new game platform is amazingly fun and opens the door to a whole new world of play. I can't share details about my app or how I'm developing it, but I'm excited for this opportunity! Stay tuned!
Digital delights
While I'm waiting for the second run of Shinteki Aquarius so I can post my recap, let's take a look at some computer and Android puzzle games I've enjoyed lately. Jump!
Weekend follows-up
(I think that should be the plural; don't you?)
The results of the Evergreens test from Logic Masters India are in. Of the 166 people who submitted at least one answer, I placed 11th, 3rd amongst Americans. I'm very pleased, although the significant gap between me and the very best logic puzzlers out there is once again underscored.
I bought that adventure game bundle from Telltale Games. I am an insane person. This time, though, at least I can say my purchase helped charities. I decided to start putting a dent in my Telltale backlog by discarding Space Quest 4 in favor of the second season of Sam & Max. I wanted to like SQ4, but it really gets tiresome to die all the time for no good reason. It renews my appreciation for the innovation in puzzle/adventure gaming of not punishing the player through frequent death and resultant backtracking.
I dimly recall discussing a college football game. Let us never speak of it again.
I'll close by saying that if you're looking to relax, spending five hours in Dolores Park on a cloudless sunny day is not a bad way to do it.
Leisure for Labor Day
Do you have the next three days off? Splendid! Consider filling them with this stuff.
The folks over at Logic Masters India have been putting out some fine tests of late, all leading up to their country's puzzle championship on September 12th. Their challenge this weekend is an Evergreens test; that is, a set of puzzle types that should be very familiar to logic puzzle enthusiasts. You can do the test anytime before 5 PM Pacific on Sunday. When you reveal the password to the PDF, the eighty-minute clock starts ticking, and you submit your answers via a web form during that time. Best of all, you get your results right away. I just did it, solved 21 of 25 puzzles, and, in a freak occurrence that will leave the puzzle world stunned and amazed, I didn't screw up entering any answers. That's good for a score of 425. Can you beat it? (Edit: Apparently it didn't immediately apply bonus points I earned; my score is now 511. Sweet.)
Also this weekend, my friend Mark Halpin will be posting his annual Labor Day extravaganza. Many solvers race to complete it as soon as it released, but I like to tackle these things with a friend at a leisurely pace, as I'm not particularly good at the freeform sorts of puzzles that populate these suites. Regardless of how you solve it, it's sure to be enjoyable, so check it out.
Shifting from puzzles to video games, those of you who like adventure games should check out this deal from Telltale Games. Six games for twenty bucks for charity! Can't go wrong there. My gaming backlog is very daunting as it is, and I already have one of the games, but I just might have to do this anyway.
Shifting from video games to sports, college football is starting! Believe it or not, I've found the perfect place to watch my Connecticut Huskies tomorrow as they ruin the Big House's reopening. Let's go UConn!
Enjoy the long weekend, folks. We've earned it.