AVCX Classic
@avcx.bsky.social
The best indie crosswords since 2008. Avxwords.com. Owned by no one but us; supported by no one but our solvers. Fair pay for creators always.
Reposted by AVCX Classic
Money is tight right now, of course, and we’ve had a few people write us lately to say they can’t afford subscriptions.
If you’re struggling but want to solve our puzzles, hit us up any time - support@avxwords.com - and we will happily hook you up free for a year. No questions asked.
If you’re struggling but want to solve our puzzles, hit us up any time - support@avxwords.com - and we will happily hook you up free for a year. No questions asked.
November 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Money is tight right now, of course, and we’ve had a few people write us lately to say they can’t afford subscriptions.
If you’re struggling but want to solve our puzzles, hit us up any time - support@avxwords.com - and we will happily hook you up free for a year. No questions asked.
If you’re struggling but want to solve our puzzles, hit us up any time - support@avxwords.com - and we will happily hook you up free for a year. No questions asked.
Money is tight right now, of course, and we’ve had a few people write us lately to say they can’t afford subscriptions.
If you’re struggling but want to solve our puzzles, hit us up any time - support@avxwords.com - and we will happily hook you up free for a year. No questions asked.
If you’re struggling but want to solve our puzzles, hit us up any time - support@avxwords.com - and we will happily hook you up free for a year. No questions asked.
November 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Money is tight right now, of course, and we’ve had a few people write us lately to say they can’t afford subscriptions.
If you’re struggling but want to solve our puzzles, hit us up any time - support@avxwords.com - and we will happily hook you up free for a year. No questions asked.
If you’re struggling but want to solve our puzzles, hit us up any time - support@avxwords.com - and we will happily hook you up free for a year. No questions asked.
Reposted by AVCX Classic
If you love cryptics, you’ve probably asked “why aren’t there more, and more fans of them?” The tl;dr is that people can only fall for them if they encounter them, and so first love scales with the publishers. There are precious few; AVCX is a good one. Consider adding their puzzles to your week.
AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …
October 28, 2025 at 7:51 PM
If you love cryptics, you’ve probably asked “why aren’t there more, and more fans of them?” The tl;dr is that people can only fall for them if they encounter them, and so first love scales with the publishers. There are precious few; AVCX is a good one. Consider adding their puzzles to your week.
Reposted by AVCX Classic
AVCX is an awesome, independent publisher for all kinds of cool #crosswords (including North American #cryptic!), plus variety #puzzles and #trivia 🤓
Try a subscription and/or give one as a gift 🎁
Try a subscription and/or give one as a gift 🎁
AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …
October 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
AVCX is an awesome, independent publisher for all kinds of cool #crosswords (including North American #cryptic!), plus variety #puzzles and #trivia 🤓
Try a subscription and/or give one as a gift 🎁
Try a subscription and/or give one as a gift 🎁
Reposted by AVCX Classic
It's a good time to support the good people of AVCX Cryptics, as well as the good people of AVCX in general.
AVCX Cryptics continues to help keep the form alive for Americans, and periodically runs mini cryptics, which make the form accessible to new solvers, and also enable the editors to mentor newer constructors, as cryptic editing is labor-intensive. They published a 15-year-old constructor this year!
October 28, 2025 at 7:06 PM
It's a good time to support the good people of AVCX Cryptics, as well as the good people of AVCX in general.
Reposted by AVCX Classic
AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …
October 28, 2025 at 12:18 PM
AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …
Reposted by AVCX Classic
It’s been lovely to watch all the personal growth and constructing skills developed by our mentees all year!
And we couldn’t have done it without all our subscriber support.
And we couldn’t have done it without all our subscriber support.
@lilavcx.bsky.social , who make our midi puzzles, does a ton of mentoring work. They added seven new constructors this year, and mentored them all. Each constructor made 4-6 puzzles.
Lil ran 78 puzzles total, and they were tremendous and often genre-bending.
Lil ran 78 puzzles total, and they were tremendous and often genre-bending.
October 28, 2025 at 3:15 PM
It’s been lovely to watch all the personal growth and constructing skills developed by our mentees all year!
And we couldn’t have done it without all our subscriber support.
And we couldn’t have done it without all our subscriber support.
AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …
October 28, 2025 at 12:18 PM
AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …
Reposted by AVCX Classic
Starting tomorrow, AVCX will be running a mini subscription drive for the fall. We hope to add 100 new subscribers, which will keep us healthy going into next year. If you’re able to spread the word, our thanks!! If you have a platform or outlet where you can plug us, we’ll gladly swap too
September 30, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Starting tomorrow, AVCX will be running a mini subscription drive for the fall. We hope to add 100 new subscribers, which will keep us healthy going into next year. If you’re able to spread the word, our thanks!! If you have a platform or outlet where you can plug us, we’ll gladly swap too
Reposted by AVCX Classic
Lil AVCX is looking for new and emerging constructors to be a part of our 2026 constructing roster. Deadline for applications is November 14, 2025. Here's the information: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Lil AVCX: Call for applications for our 2026 constructor roster
Lil AVCX: Call for applications for our 2026 constructor roster We’re looking for new and emerging crossword puzzle constructors to regularly contribute “midi” puzzles. Yes, you’ll get paid, and you ...
docs.google.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Lil AVCX is looking for new and emerging constructors to be a part of our 2026 constructing roster. Deadline for applications is November 14, 2025. Here's the information: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by AVCX Classic
I've had a go at a puzzle for the American market in @avcx.bsky.social . avxwords.com. Thanks to @francisheaney.bsky.social for getting it in shape. I was advised against too much depressing reality, but was allowed one:
Perhaps Trump and Musk supporting introduction of fascism (5)
Perhaps Trump and Musk supporting introduction of fascism (5)
AVCX – Crosswords for the (not) faint of heart.
avxwords.com
October 19, 2025 at 12:16 AM
I've had a go at a puzzle for the American market in @avcx.bsky.social . avxwords.com. Thanks to @francisheaney.bsky.social for getting it in shape. I was advised against too much depressing reality, but was allowed one:
Perhaps Trump and Musk supporting introduction of fascism (5)
Perhaps Trump and Musk supporting introduction of fascism (5)
Reposted by AVCX Classic
AI kinda never slops harder than when you try to use it to develop crossword clues
October 16, 2025 at 12:13 PM
AI kinda never slops harder than when you try to use it to develop crossword clues
Starting tomorrow, AVCX will be running a mini subscription drive for the fall. We hope to add 100 new subscribers, which will keep us healthy going into next year. If you’re able to spread the word, our thanks!! If you have a platform or outlet where you can plug us, we’ll gladly swap too
September 30, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Starting tomorrow, AVCX will be running a mini subscription drive for the fall. We hope to add 100 new subscribers, which will keep us healthy going into next year. If you’re able to spread the word, our thanks!! If you have a platform or outlet where you can plug us, we’ll gladly swap too
Reposted by AVCX Classic
This was a really fun conversation. I don’t get too many chance to talk about puzzles as independent media, but I really believe in the point and Phil is a pretty brilliant interlocutor.
For my @halifaxexaminer.ca morning file today I spoke with @burrata.bsky.social about crosswords as independent media, and the editorial choices that inform puzzles. Plus, links to a whole bunch of stories by Examiner colleagues. Enjoy.
www.halifaxexaminer.ca/morning-file...
www.halifaxexaminer.ca/morning-file...
Crosswords as independent media: a conversation with AVCX editor Ben Tausig - Halifax Examiner
"We don't want to be famous, we don't want to be rich. We just want to be a really robust, healthy community."
www.halifaxexaminer.ca
September 29, 2025 at 4:09 PM
This was a really fun conversation. I don’t get too many chance to talk about puzzles as independent media, but I really believe in the point and Phil is a pretty brilliant interlocutor.
Reposted by AVCX Classic
@avcx.bsky.social is great for this. You get a PDF emailed to you and you can print it out. The crosswords are excellent! And you get to support indie constructors. 👍
September 26, 2025 at 6:11 AM
@avcx.bsky.social is great for this. You get a PDF emailed to you and you can print it out. The crosswords are excellent! And you get to support indie constructors. 👍
Reposted by AVCX Classic
really digging the games on this new daily puzzle site dailybaffle.com (& shoutout @avcx.bsky.social for pointing me to it in their puzzle email today)
The Daily Baffle
A new frontier in daily puzzles.
dailybaffle.com
September 24, 2025 at 2:27 AM
really digging the games on this new daily puzzle site dailybaffle.com (& shoutout @avcx.bsky.social for pointing me to it in their puzzle email today)
Reposted by AVCX Classic
switched to these crosswords after canceling my nyt puzzle subscription and have been loving them. I had been worried about finding non-nyt puzzles that are sufficiently challenging, but I’m not worried anymore (they offer puzzles at a variety of difficulty levels). Cancel your NYT sub and get avcx!
As we move toward our fall subscription drive, we hope you’ll consider supporting us in part bc we are an independent media company.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
September 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM
switched to these crosswords after canceling my nyt puzzle subscription and have been loving them. I had been worried about finding non-nyt puzzles that are sufficiently challenging, but I’m not worried anymore (they offer puzzles at a variety of difficulty levels). Cancel your NYT sub and get avcx!
Much appreciated!
Puzzle collective AVCX @avcx.bsky.social has a weekly array of bespoke & fun crosswords (Classic, Plus, Mini, Cryptics).
Sign up for a free trial before opting into a full membership (which by the way is $65 dollars cheaper than NYT Games) avxwords.com/about-us/
Sign up for a free trial before opting into a full membership (which by the way is $65 dollars cheaper than NYT Games) avxwords.com/about-us/
About Us – AVCX
avxwords.com
September 19, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Much appreciated!
Reposted by AVCX Classic
These are dope actually I really like their Defector crosswords
As we move toward our fall subscription drive, we hope you’ll consider supporting us in part bc we are an independent media company.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
September 19, 2025 at 12:49 PM
These are dope actually I really like their Defector crosswords
Reposted by AVCX Classic
Support indie crosswords! They’re more fun than the NYT, I promise.
A healthy civil society is full of media organs of all kinds that can speak freely. AVCX is built as it is — no corporate owner, with the money flowing to the creators — in part to maintain this freedom, which we use and will continue to use.
September 19, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Support indie crosswords! They’re more fun than the NYT, I promise.
Reposted by AVCX Classic
I'm currently typesetting tonight's AVCX+ crossword, by hand, as I have for years. Other companies would call this an inefficiency and automate it. But we still do it this way because we like its human touch, and no corporation can force us otherwise.
I like this job. I'd like to keep doing it.
I like this job. I'd like to keep doing it.
As we move toward our fall subscription drive, we hope you’ll consider supporting us in part bc we are an independent media company.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
September 18, 2025 at 11:10 PM
I'm currently typesetting tonight's AVCX+ crossword, by hand, as I have for years. Other companies would call this an inefficiency and automate it. But we still do it this way because we like its human touch, and no corporation can force us otherwise.
I like this job. I'd like to keep doing it.
I like this job. I'd like to keep doing it.
As we move toward our fall subscription drive, we hope you’ll consider supporting us in part bc we are an independent media company.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
September 18, 2025 at 5:20 PM
As we move toward our fall subscription drive, we hope you’ll consider supporting us in part bc we are an independent media company.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.
Reposted by AVCX Classic
I'm learning Spanish and we had the ano/año talk, which I was well-prepared for thanks to the crossword community 😆
BUT I don't think I ever asked if constructors can't just make sure the cross also uses a Ñ in it? Like AÑO/MAÑANA or something? Would that help? Do constructors do this?
BUT I don't think I ever asked if constructors can't just make sure the cross also uses a Ñ in it? Like AÑO/MAÑANA or something? Would that help? Do constructors do this?
September 7, 2025 at 6:12 PM
I'm learning Spanish and we had the ano/año talk, which I was well-prepared for thanks to the crossword community 😆
BUT I don't think I ever asked if constructors can't just make sure the cross also uses a Ñ in it? Like AÑO/MAÑANA or something? Would that help? Do constructors do this?
BUT I don't think I ever asked if constructors can't just make sure the cross also uses a Ñ in it? Like AÑO/MAÑANA or something? Would that help? Do constructors do this?
Reposted by AVCX Classic
Last winter, AVCX ran a subscription drive to continue funding our expanded puzzle offerings. It worked great! We won’t need to do anything at that scale this year.
But we will run a mini-drive this fall to keep the old budget stable. So if you like what we do, please spread the word!
But we will run a mini-drive this fall to keep the old budget stable. So if you like what we do, please spread the word!
September 2, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Last winter, AVCX ran a subscription drive to continue funding our expanded puzzle offerings. It worked great! We won’t need to do anything at that scale this year.
But we will run a mini-drive this fall to keep the old budget stable. So if you like what we do, please spread the word!
But we will run a mini-drive this fall to keep the old budget stable. So if you like what we do, please spread the word!
Reposted by AVCX Classic
❤️
Last winter, AVCX ran a subscription drive to continue funding our expanded puzzle offerings. It worked great! We won’t need to do anything at that scale this year.
But we will run a mini-drive this fall to keep the old budget stable. So if you like what we do, please spread the word!
But we will run a mini-drive this fall to keep the old budget stable. So if you like what we do, please spread the word!
September 2, 2025 at 4:39 PM
❤️