Aaron Riccio
@illogicaljoker.bsky.social
video game reviews @ slantmagazine.com
cryptic crossword solves @ twitch.com/thatcrypticguy
puzzling musings @ crosswordscholar.wordpress.com
cryptic crossword solves @ twitch.com/thatcrypticguy
puzzling musings @ crosswordscholar.wordpress.com
Pinned
Here's a thread of #crypticclues that I thought were exceptional! Happy to chat more about any of these individually if you don't see why they're genius surfaces.
That is such a good title, I would almost buy the vinyl for that alone (I don't have a record player).
I AM YOUR BEATS Soundtrack Vinyl up for order at Lost in Cult buff.ly/fBvYsh4 #ad
November 13, 2025 at 4:59 PM
That is such a good title, I would almost buy the vinyl for that alone (I don't have a record player).
This is great, and I don't want to discourage studios from doing this, but because the harder fixes of plot/pace were the issues for me, I don't want them to *not* address accessibility in the future should this update end up not helping Shadow Labyrinth.
Huh, they just dropped a REALLY big update for Shadow Labyrinth - the grimdark Pac-Man metroidvania.
Ton of new options and features, including very customizable difficulty.
Seems that even on the harder/original difficulty they've added a lot more checkpoints and opportunities to restore health.
Ton of new options and features, including very customizable difficulty.
Seems that even on the harder/original difficulty they've added a lot more checkpoints and opportunities to restore health.
Shadow Labyrinth - Notice Regarding Release of Official Update File "Ver.1.1.0" - Steam News
We have begun distributing update file "Ver.1.1.0" to adjust gameplay and fix certain issues. This version includes a major update across the entire game, featuring the addition of "Explorer Mode," ba...
store.steampowered.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:45 AM
This is great, and I don't want to discourage studios from doing this, but because the harder fixes of plot/pace were the issues for me, I don't want them to *not* address accessibility in the future should this update end up not helping Shadow Labyrinth.
Fun read, and it occurs to me that someone could make a fascinating incremental deduction game entirely around complicated Venn diagrams where you must properly overlap various colored shapes AND THEN fit appropriate words into those circles, like a four-dimensional-chess version of Only Connect.
azhdarchid.com/against-metr...
I really do hate the term 'metroidbrania'. I think so do many of you. Let's nip it in the bud before it becomes something people are financially invested in.
I really do hate the term 'metroidbrania'. I think so do many of you. Let's nip it in the bud before it becomes something people are financially invested in.
Against 'Metroidbrania': a Landscape of Knowledge Games
What are knowledge games? How do we relate them to each other? What sub-genres exist – and which ones might be implied?
azhdarchid.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Fun read, and it occurs to me that someone could make a fascinating incremental deduction game entirely around complicated Venn diagrams where you must properly overlap various colored shapes AND THEN fit appropriate words into those circles, like a four-dimensional-chess version of Only Connect.
Forgot to post this yesterday, but I'm very excited to see where DIGIPHILE (www.digiphile.co) goes with its curatorial approach to media, particularly the idea that if I already have something in a bundle, I can "trade" that redemption for something else. Keeps the needle on "discoverability."
www.digiphile.co
November 12, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Forgot to post this yesterday, but I'm very excited to see where DIGIPHILE (www.digiphile.co) goes with its curatorial approach to media, particularly the idea that if I already have something in a bundle, I can "trade" that redemption for something else. Keeps the needle on "discoverability."
Nice, and I very much agree with the idea that an "easier" clue is more left-brain logic-y while a harder clue probably needs more right-brain resourcefulness.
Aligning with this metaphorical dial is "wavelength": is your target audience going to think like you? (This is why test solvers help!)
Aligning with this metaphorical dial is "wavelength": is your target audience going to think like you? (This is why test solvers help!)
I wrote a blog post for @mycrossword.co.uk about how setters can identify and calibrate how difficult (or otherwise) their own puzzles are:
www.mycrossword.co.uk/blog/the-dif...
If you’re a setter, an aspiring setter or just curious as to how these things work - give it 4 minutes of your time! 😊
www.mycrossword.co.uk/blog/the-dif...
If you’re a setter, an aspiring setter or just curious as to how these things work - give it 4 minutes of your time! 😊
The Difficulty Dial · MyCrossword
As a cryptic crossword setter you don't always know exactly how difficult or otherwise your own puzzle is - they're all easy when you know the answers! And e...
www.mycrossword.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Nice, and I very much agree with the idea that an "easier" clue is more left-brain logic-y while a harder clue probably needs more right-brain resourcefulness.
Aligning with this metaphorical dial is "wavelength": is your target audience going to think like you? (This is why test solvers help!)
Aligning with this metaphorical dial is "wavelength": is your target audience going to think like you? (This is why test solvers help!)
Even more simply, the idea that people should just put up with you instead of YOU making the social/emotional effort to make it even a little easier for others, is How We Got Here.
I think the belief by the powerful that "people will put up with many things if you are excellent at math" is incredibly revealing in terms of understanding How We Got Here
November 12, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Even more simply, the idea that people should just put up with you instead of YOU making the social/emotional effort to make it even a little easier for others, is How We Got Here.
Going live!
Tonight's cryptic crossword solving/discussion stream (stop by and chat with us!) will feature some number of puzzles from:
¶ Bob Weisz
¶ Viresh Ratnakar
¶ Kyle Dolan
¶ Steve Mossberg
¶ dilly
¶ juff
As always, the "party" starts around 9:00 PM Eastern at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
¶ Bob Weisz
¶ Viresh Ratnakar
¶ Kyle Dolan
¶ Steve Mossberg
¶ dilly
¶ juff
As always, the "party" starts around 9:00 PM Eastern at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
November 12, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Going live!
Tonight's cryptic crossword solving/discussion stream (stop by and chat with us!) will feature some number of puzzles from:
¶ Bob Weisz
¶ Viresh Ratnakar
¶ Kyle Dolan
¶ Steve Mossberg
¶ dilly
¶ juff
As always, the "party" starts around 9:00 PM Eastern at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
¶ Bob Weisz
¶ Viresh Ratnakar
¶ Kyle Dolan
¶ Steve Mossberg
¶ dilly
¶ juff
As always, the "party" starts around 9:00 PM Eastern at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
November 11, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Tonight's cryptic crossword solving/discussion stream (stop by and chat with us!) will feature some number of puzzles from:
¶ Bob Weisz
¶ Viresh Ratnakar
¶ Kyle Dolan
¶ Steve Mossberg
¶ dilly
¶ juff
As always, the "party" starts around 9:00 PM Eastern at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
¶ Bob Weisz
¶ Viresh Ratnakar
¶ Kyle Dolan
¶ Steve Mossberg
¶ dilly
¶ juff
As always, the "party" starts around 9:00 PM Eastern at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
If I'm the Ian Fleming estate right now, I'm wondering, deeply, why I commissioned Anthony Horowitz to write official 007 books.
You, a writer, can't think of how you might still write a Bond book? If all else fails, you could, uh, write a book set *before* No Time To Die.
You, a writer, can't think of how you might still write a Bond book? If all else fails, you could, uh, write a book set *before* No Time To Die.
James Bond’s death in No Time to Die is causing a nightmare for the next film. Writers are stuck because Bond “was blown to pieces.”
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
Anthony Horowitz, author of three 007 novels, says:
“You can't have him wake up in shower and saying it was all a dream."
radaronline.com/p/james-bond...
November 11, 2025 at 3:50 PM
If I'm the Ian Fleming estate right now, I'm wondering, deeply, why I commissioned Anthony Horowitz to write official 007 books.
You, a writer, can't think of how you might still write a Bond book? If all else fails, you could, uh, write a book set *before* No Time To Die.
You, a writer, can't think of how you might still write a Bond book? If all else fails, you could, uh, write a book set *before* No Time To Die.
The ability to skip any non-playable scene that you've seen before.
November 11, 2025 at 2:28 PM
The ability to skip any non-playable scene that you've seen before.
To me, a Gamer is not someone who proudly talks about the games they haven't heard of, but is rather the person who is devastated to admit the games they haven't yet managed to play.
Like, The Hundred Line is going to be one of my big omissions this year.
Like, The Hundred Line is going to be one of my big omissions this year.
November 10, 2025 at 7:58 PM
To me, a Gamer is not someone who proudly talks about the games they haven't heard of, but is rather the person who is devastated to admit the games they haven't yet managed to play.
Like, The Hundred Line is going to be one of my big omissions this year.
Like, The Hundred Line is going to be one of my big omissions this year.
If it's a good plan, what's the concern? That Democrats are going to AGREE with it? If you've put the plan forward first, it's not as if Democrats are going to be able to take credit for it.
BARTIROMO: How do you want this to play out once the ACA subsidies expire?
DR OZ: We have lots of great ideas, but I don't want to show our cards. As the president often says, why would I telegraph to you what we're gonna do?
DR OZ: We have lots of great ideas, but I don't want to show our cards. As the president often says, why would I telegraph to you what we're gonna do?
November 10, 2025 at 2:13 PM
If it's a good plan, what's the concern? That Democrats are going to AGREE with it? If you've put the plan forward first, it's not as if Democrats are going to be able to take credit for it.
10%, 20%, 30% is not a "reasonable" chance and you must stop using the word "reasonable" when speaking about what the Republican party has become. If they were reasonable, you wouldn't even have to VOTE on the ACA in the first place.
Angus King: "This initial strategy didn't work. And now we have one. We're gonna have a guaranteed vote on the ACA, and it may not succeed. I grant that. But a reasonable chance -- 10, 20, 30% -- is a lot better than 0% which is where we were."
November 10, 2025 at 2:11 PM
10%, 20%, 30% is not a "reasonable" chance and you must stop using the word "reasonable" when speaking about what the Republican party has become. If they were reasonable, you wouldn't even have to VOTE on the ACA in the first place.
If this capitulation fails to protect the ACA, can we call a no-confidence vote on our elected officials?
At the very least, can we take his name literally and Chuck Schumer?
At the very least, can we take his name literally and Chuck Schumer?
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 PM
If this capitulation fails to protect the ACA, can we call a no-confidence vote on our elected officials?
At the very least, can we take his name literally and Chuck Schumer?
At the very least, can we take his name literally and Chuck Schumer?
I can't believe we elected people who are this fucking naive, and unless healthcare is *actually* addressed (by which I mean, people who need to see doctors can do so, affordably), every single Democratic senator who caved and paved the way for this needs to be primaried and removed from office.
Shaheen: "When I talk to my constituents in New Hampshire, you know what they say to me? They say, 'Why can't you all just work together to address the problems that are facing this country?'"
November 10, 2025 at 2:55 AM
I can't believe we elected people who are this fucking naive, and unless healthcare is *actually* addressed (by which I mean, people who need to see doctors can do so, affordably), every single Democratic senator who caved and paved the way for this needs to be primaried and removed from office.
Out of fairness, while a 50-year mortgage is designed, like a 30-year one, to keep you in debt forever, so is the rental market.
Maybe if the government had to pile interest deductions on top of the standard deduction, they'd think a little more about the impact of, say, a 50-year mortgage. Citizens shouldn't be the only ones hurting.
November 9, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Out of fairness, while a 50-year mortgage is designed, like a 30-year one, to keep you in debt forever, so is the rental market.
Maybe if the government had to pile interest deductions on top of the standard deduction, they'd think a little more about the impact of, say, a 50-year mortgage. Citizens shouldn't be the only ones hurting.
November 9, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Maybe if the government had to pile interest deductions on top of the standard deduction, they'd think a little more about the impact of, say, a 50-year mortgage. Citizens shouldn't be the only ones hurting.
Worst of all, for me, is that the government is supposed to work for the people. What's the argument in favor of cutting this valuable FREE service that allows citizens to comply with the law? How about you let me deduct the cost of professionally filing from my taxes.
November 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Worst of all, for me, is that the government is supposed to work for the people. What's the argument in favor of cutting this valuable FREE service that allows citizens to comply with the law? How about you let me deduct the cost of professionally filing from my taxes.
What I find most concerning about the talk of a third term is in the way proposals (like Ogles') are specifically worded to disqualify anyone other than Trump (like Obama). It's brazen AND cowardly, a treasonous "patriotism" (to a person, rather than the country). It just makes me sad.
November 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
What I find most concerning about the talk of a third term is in the way proposals (like Ogles') are specifically worded to disqualify anyone other than Trump (like Obama). It's brazen AND cowardly, a treasonous "patriotism" (to a person, rather than the country). It just makes me sad.
This is one of the things that I routinely ask about while streaming solves, and yeah, no matter how clever the surface, if you are removing non-consecutive letters, right order or not, I think you'd need a crystal-clear indicator to that effect.
Today's Minute Cryptic: No.
That is all.
That is all.
November 7, 2025 at 1:41 PM
This is one of the things that I routinely ask about while streaming solves, and yeah, no matter how clever the surface, if you are removing non-consecutive letters, right order or not, I think you'd need a crystal-clear indicator to that effect.
Has anybody given Maelstrom Legacy: The Tesla Mystery a whirl? It reminds me of those old Usborn puzzle books (or more contemporarily, the Professor Layton games), and if it's good, I think it's exactly the sort of palate-cleansing thinky game I want next:
store.steampowered.com/app/2016820/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2016820/...
Save 10% on MAELSTROM LEGACY: The Tesla Mystery on Steam
The Tesla Mystery is a puzzle-driven adventure game. Join the journey of investigation in a Paris infused with steampunk and Art Nouveau styles. Nikola Tesla, mastermind behind the Science Conference,...
store.steampowered.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Has anybody given Maelstrom Legacy: The Tesla Mystery a whirl? It reminds me of those old Usborn puzzle books (or more contemporarily, the Professor Layton games), and if it's good, I think it's exactly the sort of palate-cleansing thinky game I want next:
store.steampowered.com/app/2016820/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2016820/...
Who the fuck is looking to nominate Mamdani for president, a job he isn't eligible for? The fact that he CAN'T run and will therefore focus on NYC is one of the appealing things about him.
If politicians talk this way on your show, stop inviting them on. Their unfounded accusations are dangerous.
If politicians talk this way on your show, stop inviting them on. Their unfounded accusations are dangerous.
Ted Cruz: "I think right now the 2 frontrunners for the Democratic nomination in 2028 are AOC and Mamdani. Now, he's not even eligible, but what do they care? Law doesn't mean anything to them. That's where their party is."
November 6, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Who the fuck is looking to nominate Mamdani for president, a job he isn't eligible for? The fact that he CAN'T run and will therefore focus on NYC is one of the appealing things about him.
If politicians talk this way on your show, stop inviting them on. Their unfounded accusations are dangerous.
If politicians talk this way on your show, stop inviting them on. Their unfounded accusations are dangerous.
Just a reminder that I'll be streaming another live solve of puzzles from @unchcrosswords.com Issue #1. Last time I got through two, hoping to do three (or maybe four) tonight from 9:00 to around 1:00 Eastern, over at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
You can get the print-only issue at unchcrosswords.com.
You can get the print-only issue at unchcrosswords.com.
thatcrypticguy - Twitch
Enthusiast of all things puzzle-y; all-in on cryptic crosswords especially and any wordplay-based puzzle that has a compelling, funny voice. Grew up on Infocom and LucasArts, which probably explains a...
twitch.tv
November 6, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Just a reminder that I'll be streaming another live solve of puzzles from @unchcrosswords.com Issue #1. Last time I got through two, hoping to do three (or maybe four) tonight from 9:00 to around 1:00 Eastern, over at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
You can get the print-only issue at unchcrosswords.com.
You can get the print-only issue at unchcrosswords.com.
Good things are possible and we don't have to settle (thank you ranked choice primaries, and Brad Landers).
Good things are possible and we don’t have to settle.
Good things are possible and we don’t have to settle.
November 5, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Good things are possible and we don't have to settle (thank you ranked choice primaries, and Brad Landers).
Okay, kids are asleep. Going live shortly!
Remember, I'm stream-solving cryptics tonight from ~9 to 1 Eastern; a @sarathegood.bsky.social Browser, AVCXs from McCarroll, Cohen, and Weisz, plus some lively minis from koha, Kyle Dolan, and @polslaw.bsky.social. Maybe a Gnomon? More @unchcrosswords.com on Thursday.
www.twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy
www.twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy
Twitch
Twitch is the world
www.twitch.tv
November 5, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Okay, kids are asleep. Going live shortly!