Like Rochester?
Below a brand new crossword, inspired by my home city
Puzzle and magic friends!
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Daily puzzle recommendation: Quintumble
Undergrove by
A brand new crossword! Like Rochester
Quintumble
Over the last six months, Quintumble has become my latest daily word game addiction. I first learned about it from
, creator of Wingspan, when I was performing in DC this past summer. Elizabeth is friends with the creator Binoy Mascarenhas. Binoy, I love your game!Here’s how it works. I’m using the images from the Quintumble’s ‘How to Play’ page.
Your goal is to make five words across. Vertical doesn’t matter. The first column is anchored, and in the other columns you must move the other letters up and down, until you’ve made a grid that contains five words across.
It’s tricky — there are many possible words you can make, but only one solution contains five words across. To put it another way, you might make four words across, but if that fifth one is garbage, then you haven’t solved the puzzle.
When I first played the game, it took me forever to find the solution. But that was before I realized that there is often a “solve path.” For example, in yesterday’s game the grid was this:
First I looked at the P in the second column. I deduced that it had to follow the S or the O. Then, I tried the OP possibility and I worked out that it had to result in OPINE, OPERA, OPTIC or OPIUM. I didn’t see those, so I knew the P had to follow the S.
The other place to attack this grid is the I in the fifth column. It’s hard to turn off my crossword brain, so my first thought was OKAPI, the relative of the giraffe that’s always in the crossword (we love its vowels). S???I would have to be SUSHI or SWAMI and I didn’t see those. For G???I the only thing I could come up with was GENII, and that wasn’t there. D???I was a non-starter, so that left C???I. There a bunch of C???I words, but those would have to emerge later.
So that’s how it works. The last tip I’ll give is that the answer words are usually fairly common. OKAPI would never ever be in the grid. Even GENII might be too hard.
On some days I solve it in a minute and on others it’s a complete disaster and takes me seven or ten. I’ve never broken 30 seconds, but I’m getting close! Try Quintumble here!
Undergrove by Elizabeth Hargrave
Speaking of
, I can’t wait to get my hands on this mycological adventure!
New crossword! Like Rochester
Another brand new crossword for you to solve. Play it now. Would love to hear your thoughts below in the comments!
Events
Interested in booking me for your next event? More info here on private parties, corporate speaking & performances and team-building puzzle hunts.
Upcoming Shows
After a sold out run at The Kennedy Center, The Enigmatist next moves to Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier in May 2024. The Windy City, get ready for the puzzle party! More info here.
Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards
Enigmas: Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards. Included within this unique deck are four very special puzzle cards. Solve them all to unlock an online Puzzle Hunt! Available here.