What are /r/crossword's favorite Products & Services?

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This is alphacross for Android, right?

If so, the yellow triangles indicate: (i) error checking was turned on when an incorrect letter was in this square, or (ii) this square was empty or incorrect when solve square/word was used.

They're not zipped, if that's what you're looking for, but Will Johnston's Puzzle Pointers is a good place to start. I use a Chrome extension called Simple Mass Downloader to save a bunch of clicks. If you're a NYT subscriber, you can also use it on the puzzle archives to quickly download a month at a time.

But DM is the term that Slack uses for it's IMs, and since the clue referenced Slack, DM would have been correct. https://slack.com/help/articles/213817348-Slack-glossary#D

Posts to slack channels are Messages.

My recommendation is Redstone Games' Crosswords Free app for the wide variety of puzzles. Levels of difficulty range from Easy to Hard, and some 5x5 puzzle packs are rated Very Easy, suitable for children and beginners. The constructors make an effort to avoid America-centric abbreviations and clues. All of the constructors are big names in crosswords, so the puzzles are all high quality.

If you're looking for easy puzzles with more of a pop culture vibe, try Puzzle Nation's Daily POP.

Both apps are free to download and free to play.

This is my favorite xword book.

The NYT puzzles are my favorite of all the papers but this book helped me hone my skills quite a bit.

There's a link to download the .puz in the online solver (which is actually just a java implementation of Across Lite). However, I should've still provided an alternative, as not everyone is comfortable running plugins etc. Here's a DL link (which I'll add to the blog as well): https://groups.google.com/group/thecrossnerd/browse_thread/thread/75239517e377a73e

Yeah, it's the same as alphacross, I presumed: syndicated version available freely, daily available with subscription?

I wonder what will happen to the availability of the syndicated .puz once this is over. I guess they'll also go the way of the dodo, but a few weeks later...

I read somewhere (can't recall) that Sheffer and Joseph have stopped, but I still get them daily via Alphacross. Not sure what's going on.

I haven't done the Jonesin' for a while, but looking at this past Thursday: you're absolutely right. It's a wide open grid, more difficult than expected.

I'll do some older ones and try and calibrate the rating a bit.

Thanks a lot!

If you have an Android device, download the Shortyz app. Depending on the day of the week, you'll get Los Angeles Times, Jonesin, Newsday, Universal, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. I open the app everyday on my phone then go to My Files > Crosswords and send them all to my computer so I can solve them with Across Lite (and add them to the stash of puzzles I have on my hard drive). But you can solve them within the Shortyz app on your device if you want. If you have a NYT crossword subscription, you can enter your account info in the app and get the crossword there too.

Normally I download it to my (Android) phone using the Shortyz app then copy it to my laptop. If that doesn't work for you let me know. I have a bunch of them saved.

If her PC can handle it download an android emulator (nox, bluestacks, or MeMu) and install https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adamrosenfield.wordswithcrosses

Puzzles available include:
- American Values Club xword (paid subscription required)
- Andy Kravis, Cruciverbalist at Law
- Brendan Emmett Quigley (manual download required)
- Chronicle of Higher Education
- CRooked Crosswords (paid subscription required)
- Crossword Nation (paid subscription required)
- Der Standard (German-language cryptic crosswords)
- Erik Agard
- Ink Well Xwords
- Jonesin' Crosswords
- Joseph Crosswords
- Los Angeles Times
- Muller Monthly Music Meta
- New York Times (paid subscription required)
- New York Times Mini Puzzle (paid subscription required)
- New York Times Monthly Bonus Puzzle (paid subscription required)
- Premier Crosswords
- Sheffer Crosswords
- Stan Newman's Newsday Crossword
- Universal Crossword
- USA Today
- Wall Street Journal
- Washington Post Puzzler

I would consider buying her a few of the subscriptions to keep her mind even more active

huge plug for the inkubator book: https://www.amazon.com/Inkubator-Crosswords-Audacious-Nonbinary-Creators/dp/1524871125

There's Crosswords with Friends from the Words with Friends people. I think they have good constructors making the puzzles, but I find it too overwhelming with stuff.

This is a great book of food-themed puzzles by Erik Agard, who is one of the biggest champions of diversity in the crossword world at the moment. Highly recommended!

if you're on android there is shortyz

I am now looking for repository puzzles for my reMarkable 2 tablet. It's great to actually right on something that really feels like paper

Done! And uploaded. Thanks again for this brilliant suggestion.

A link so you don't have to scroll or go back to the thread:

https://sites.google.com/site/stearswords224/home/test-solvers-click-here

That's a brilliant idea!

I uploaded one puzzle as a test (it's the one I'm planning to Tweet on Monday). Would you mind giving it a trial run, just to see if it actually works? This is my first attempt at uploading an interactive puzzle.

https://sites.google.com/site/stearswords224/home/test-solvers-click-here

It's the one called 15.Buzzwords of 2012.puz

If you can successfully open and solve it in Across Lite, I'll upload the whole batch in a zip file.

Not necessarily. I'm also looking for stupid mistakes (on my part), like including cheaters ("2 wds." or "abbr.) in the clues, and clues like "subject of this puzzle," when it doesn't actually have anything to do with the subject of the puzzle. I also uploaded the Answers, just to make things a little easier.

I uploaded them to my site. It's too big to convert to .pdf with Word, if you don't mind working with that.

https://sites.google.com/site/stearswords224/home/test-solvers-click-here

Yep, this one (The World’s Longest Crossword)

Got it 5 years ago and I’m still trudging through it.

But that’s also an appropriate sentiment for this one. It was a thing to behold for a Sunday!

To be fair, they might be talking about The Importance of Being Ernest: The Life of Actor Jim Varney, a book title that I made up as a joke, only to discover it's a real thing. Hey Vern!

Depends on the author: Some contract to write a full stand-alone book of crosswords, and in some cases, if they're the only contributor to a weekly crossword, an anthology of those will all be by the same author. For example, in Maura's case, she constructed for New York Magazine, so this book is entirely her puzzles: https://www.amazon.com/York-Magazine-Crossword-Puzzle-Omnibus/dp/0375721533

I only use it while traveling, but have had good experience with the Shortyz app. Looks like it may be android only though, can't find it on the app store.

Take a look at Crossword Puzzle Free by Redstone. - iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id957848865?mt=8 - Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.redstonegames.crossword.en

I use alphacross. Fetches you a lot of puzzles from different sources. No subscription requires for most sources. You can also import .puz files if you have any. Totally good app.

If you're looking for American-style, that is with no uncrossed squares, like this, I ADORED Erik Agard's book of entirely food themed puzzles. He's the least stale crossword author working today, I think.

Try amazon smile to donate to a charity of your choice automatically at no cost to you!
https://smile.amazon.com/Food-Thought-Crosswords-Erik-Agard/dp/1454916311
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I have Android smartphone but I'm sure these apps are also available for iOS.

Alphacross has the LA Times daily crossword and the Wall Street journal daily crossword.

There is also Crosswordfrom redstone games that has a variety of difficulty levels. Most of those puzzles are made by people who edit the NYT crosswords too, so there is that!

I'm a big fan of alphacross, which supports these file types. So does Shortyz.

Both are often recommended in 'best app' threads.

Sorry, you're right - I actually forgot that I'd switched to a different app! The one I use is alphacross - does everything Shortyz does and more.

This Patrick Berry book of variety shaped puzzles is a good gift.

https://www.amazon.com/Puzzle-Masterpieces-Elegant-Challenges-Crossword/dp/B00CC7DF3S

However, it definitely does not have the humor and wacky sensibility of Merl's puzzles.

You can still get books of Merl's puzzles, so check here to see if any volumes you haven't given to your mom:

http://www.sundaycrosswords.com/pshop/

The New York Sun had a daily crossword, back when the paper was running. That puzzle was a bit less stodgy than the New York Times, and the puzzles are in collections now (here's one link, and you can find others wherever you do your shopping).

Crosswords by Patrick Berry, Patrick Blindauer, or Brendan Emmett Quigley are usually excellent. And the Fireball puzzles (edited by Peter Gordon, formerly of the New York Sun) have three books out as well.