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.
Honestly I would buy it for the cover art alone. Very nice work they're doing. I might have to make one copy of the puzzles so that I can solve them without marking up these lovely pages!
November 26, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Honestly I would buy it for the cover art alone. Very nice work they're doing. I might have to make one copy of the puzzles so that I can solve them without marking up these lovely pages!
Thanks to all who have checked out this puzzle so far, and I hope you'll stop by the stream tonight where we can solve and chat about other puzzles. I will be tackling the remainder of Gnomon #2 and others at around 9 Eastern at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
If you can't wait for next week, @joeadultman.bsky.social and I teamed up to write a festive full-sized variety puzzle that @juffowup.bsky.social was kind enough to take the paywall down for, if you're so inclined to check it out!
www.gnomoncryptics.com/trimmings-no...
www.gnomoncryptics.com/trimmings-no...
November 25, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Thanks to all who have checked out this puzzle so far, and I hope you'll stop by the stream tonight where we can solve and chat about other puzzles. I will be tackling the remainder of Gnomon #2 and others at around 9 Eastern at twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
If you can't wait for next week, @joeadultman.bsky.social and I teamed up to write a festive full-sized variety puzzle that @juffowup.bsky.social was kind enough to take the paywall down for, if you're so inclined to check it out!
www.gnomoncryptics.com/trimmings-no...
www.gnomoncryptics.com/trimmings-no...
November 24, 2025 at 6:42 PM
If you can't wait for next week, @joeadultman.bsky.social and I teamed up to write a festive full-sized variety puzzle that @juffowup.bsky.social was kind enough to take the paywall down for, if you're so inclined to check it out!
www.gnomoncryptics.com/trimmings-no...
www.gnomoncryptics.com/trimmings-no...
Holy double negatives, Batman! The claim "Donald Trump is not a pedophile" is also not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility of damning evidence to the contrary.
Vaccines DO NOT cause autism - there is extensive research showing this. Resurrecting old, discredited, fraudulent work is shameful.
Vaccine-preventable illnesses are serious - this is going to cause real harms.
This is dangerous & disappointing.
Vaccine-preventable illnesses are serious - this is going to cause real harms.
This is dangerous & disappointing.
November 22, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Holy double negatives, Batman! The claim "Donald Trump is not a pedophile" is also not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility of damning evidence to the contrary.
I'm the sicko who wants someone to write an article about the inclusion of a concierge that asks for tips in Donkey Kong Bananza and what that and the whole reckless mining industry has to say, if anything, about capitalism.
November 22, 2025 at 4:45 PM
I'm the sicko who wants someone to write an article about the inclusion of a concierge that asks for tips in Donkey Kong Bananza and what that and the whole reckless mining industry has to say, if anything, about capitalism.
Again, great overall concepts from layer to layer, but filled with cruft. Two DIFFERENT currency exchanges for bananas in each layer? The joy of Bananza is figuring out HOW to get bananas; buying them is cheap. Smashing is its own reward, it doesn't need a separate payoff.
I am so torn on Donkey Kong Bananza. The overall layers and their gimmicks (switch goo, wood vines, minecarts) are outstanding. All the repetitive mashing of the sonar and digging to fossils and bananas is not. The 2D areas also make me long for just another 2D game. Too much potassium, I guess.
November 22, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Again, great overall concepts from layer to layer, but filled with cruft. Two DIFFERENT currency exchanges for bananas in each layer? The joy of Bananza is figuring out HOW to get bananas; buying them is cheap. Smashing is its own reward, it doesn't need a separate payoff.
I'll be stream-solving cryptic crosswords tonight when the kids go down; looking to do a puzzle or two from Unch and some others by audience request from the massive backlog pile!
See you around 9:00-ish on twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
See you around 9:00-ish on twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
Twitch
Twitch is the world
twitch.tv
November 20, 2025 at 11:58 PM
I'll be stream-solving cryptic crosswords tonight when the kids go down; looking to do a puzzle or two from Unch and some others by audience request from the massive backlog pile!
See you around 9:00-ish on twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
See you around 9:00-ish on twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy.
Ugh, nothing triggers the ol' imposter syndrome more than cold-mailing PR reps to see if they've got any extra codes for end-of-year consideration. In a perfect world, I'd just buy everything (in a perfect world, I'd be paid a lot more). As is, I'll still miss out on a lot (Consume Me), but I tried!
November 20, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Ugh, nothing triggers the ol' imposter syndrome more than cold-mailing PR reps to see if they've got any extra codes for end-of-year consideration. In a perfect world, I'd just buy everything (in a perfect world, I'd be paid a lot more). As is, I'll still miss out on a lot (Consume Me), but I tried!
I am so torn on Donkey Kong Bananza. The overall layers and their gimmicks (switch goo, wood vines, minecarts) are outstanding. All the repetitive mashing of the sonar and digging to fossils and bananas is not. The 2D areas also make me long for just another 2D game. Too much potassium, I guess.
November 20, 2025 at 1:38 AM
I am so torn on Donkey Kong Bananza. The overall layers and their gimmicks (switch goo, wood vines, minecarts) are outstanding. All the repetitive mashing of the sonar and digging to fossils and bananas is not. The 2D areas also make me long for just another 2D game. Too much potassium, I guess.
I'm all in favor of people dressing up for awards shows (or anything) if that makes them happy BUT can we not shame or pressure people who simply don't give a shit about fashion?
November 19, 2025 at 9:50 PM
I'm all in favor of people dressing up for awards shows (or anything) if that makes them happy BUT can we not shame or pressure people who simply don't give a shit about fashion?
This worked well, will probably take requests again on Thursday night, although I also plan to solve at least one puzzle from @unchcrosswords.com as well.
I forgot to mention that my usual cryptic crossword solving/talking stream is live tonight at 9:00 Eastern; I have a big stack of puzzles and will take requests; extra consideration given if it's YOUR puzzle.
As always, I'm at www.twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy; hope to see you there!
As always, I'm at www.twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy; hope to see you there!
Twitch
Twitch is the world
www.twitch.tv
November 19, 2025 at 2:17 PM
This worked well, will probably take requests again on Thursday night, although I also plan to solve at least one puzzle from @unchcrosswords.com as well.
Put another way, he wants to make healthcare another industry where you can be punished for circumstances beyond your control, like your age, or preexisting conditions that can't be fixed by, say, installing a nearby "fire hydrant."
Markwayne Mullin: "Reward people for being healthy. Think about this. Healthcare is the only industry that you're not rewarded for taking care of your responsibility. If you think about homeowners insurance, if you're within 500 feet of a fire hydrant, your insurance goes down."
November 19, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Put another way, he wants to make healthcare another industry where you can be punished for circumstances beyond your control, like your age, or preexisting conditions that can't be fixed by, say, installing a nearby "fire hydrant."
I forgot to mention that my usual cryptic crossword solving/talking stream is live tonight at 9:00 Eastern; I have a big stack of puzzles and will take requests; extra consideration given if it's YOUR puzzle.
As always, I'm at www.twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy; hope to see you there!
As always, I'm at www.twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy; hope to see you there!
Twitch
Twitch is the world
www.twitch.tv
November 19, 2025 at 1:24 AM
I forgot to mention that my usual cryptic crossword solving/talking stream is live tonight at 9:00 Eastern; I have a big stack of puzzles and will take requests; extra consideration given if it's YOUR puzzle.
As always, I'm at www.twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy; hope to see you there!
As always, I'm at www.twitch.tv/thatcrypticguy; hope to see you there!
Oho! Looks like I'll be closing out the year with a game that wasn't already on my radar, Angeline Era, which is by the Anodyne crowd. As a cryptic crossword writer, I love the idea of hiding things in plain sigh: I wonder how that will play out here!
Angeline Era on Steam
Every level is hidden in plain sight in this nonlinear 3D Action-Adventure game! Travel a vast country's unmarked overworld in search of the next challenging fight, humorous encounter, or mysterious l...
store.steampowered.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Oho! Looks like I'll be closing out the year with a game that wasn't already on my radar, Angeline Era, which is by the Anodyne crowd. As a cryptic crossword writer, I love the idea of hiding things in plain sigh: I wonder how that will play out here!
I'm honestly surprised Sony is putting out ANY big, single-player games (like Yotei). The hundred hours you spend on that is time you aren't spending in a game that is constantly bombarding you with things to buy, and that's why they don't want you playing Concord.
Of course Sony would actively torpedo the one positive bit of press Concord has gotten since its release. I guess it's back to Youtube videos just talking about it as the WORST GAME EVER MADE again.
Sony has issued takedown notices for videos showcasing a fan-led project that's bringing doomed PlayStation live-service game Concord back to life. https://bit.ly/3JYsWbM
November 17, 2025 at 5:50 PM
I'm honestly surprised Sony is putting out ANY big, single-player games (like Yotei). The hundred hours you spend on that is time you aren't spending in a game that is constantly bombarding you with things to buy, and that's why they don't want you playing Concord.
I sort of hate that this is going to be @marioprime.bsky.social's best review of the year, because Deadpool VR deserves this about as much as High on Life, but I gotta call 'em like I see 'em. Just dazzling writing that, unlike Deadpool VR, apparently, actually makes a chilling point.
I spent so much time in Marvel’s Deadpool VR having nonstop “Deadpool jokes” pumped directly into my ear that I started to see the very predictable anatomy of a “Deadpool joke.” So here is a cursed review of Marvel’s Deadpool VR. www.polygon.com/marvels-dead...
Marvel's Deadpool VR, as reviewed by Deadpool
Polygon's IGN 7/10 of the year
www.polygon.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:30 PM
I sort of hate that this is going to be @marioprime.bsky.social's best review of the year, because Deadpool VR deserves this about as much as High on Life, but I gotta call 'em like I see 'em. Just dazzling writing that, unlike Deadpool VR, apparently, actually makes a chilling point.
Wow. Genuinely terrible. At best, I'm hoping this is AI, because I don't want to imagine there's a human who confidently scripted, submitted, and shot this.
November 17, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Wow. Genuinely terrible. At best, I'm hoping this is AI, because I don't want to imagine there's a human who confidently scripted, submitted, and shot this.
And then gamers THEMSELVES are always gleefully gatekeeping with their git good nonsense and kvetching about yellow paint: so yeah, don't dumb your games down on their account. Failure and experimentation are the keys to just about every good game.
I'm seeing variants of "ah but today's gamers just don't have attention spans so we sort of have to-" rolled out earnestly so
No. You can let those players fail. The AAA conception of handholding is silly. There's huge genres that don't do it.
You just have a bad manager making you do dumb things.
No. You can let those players fail. The AAA conception of handholding is silly. There's huge genres that don't do it.
You just have a bad manager making you do dumb things.
November 15, 2025 at 12:37 AM
And then gamers THEMSELVES are always gleefully gatekeeping with their git good nonsense and kvetching about yellow paint: so yeah, don't dumb your games down on their account. Failure and experimentation are the keys to just about every good game.
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!