crackingthecryptic posts
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Three More Connected Days
Here are another three days of Mark playing Connections, the game from the New York Times where you have to connect up four groups of four.Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/3rzUDfzErq0
Connecting up Five More Days
Mark is going to have a few more tries at the New York Times's Connections game, linking four groups of four each day.Here's where you can watch the video: https://youtu.be/oOAxAfavMPY
Five More Connected Days
Mark is back with some more games of Connections from the New York Times. This time he has taken on five days' worth of the game - one of the days takes him considerably longer than all the others put together!Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/IuC-xctSILM
That Special Cryptic
Mark takes on the Times Monthly Club Special, the fiendishly difficult cryptic published each month by the Times for members of its crossword club. This edition is by Roger Phillips - even though that's the same compiler as last month's!Here's where you can see the video: https://youtu.b...
Connections for Four Days
Mark takes on the NYT's Connections game, for another four days: four days of connecting four sets of four ...The video is here: https://youtu.be/SZgjzjiJVKg
Ten Days of Connections
It's been a long time since Mark posted a Connections video - and here you can see him attempting ten days in a row of the New York Times's Connections game, trying to forge connections between words and phrases, and sometimes finding that the US and UK are two nations divided by a common la...
Repeat Prescription by Jay Dyer
Some of our patrons have requested Simon have a go at this extraordinary sudoku by Jay Dyer... so he did!! This is an astonishing construction - how you even come up with this idea we have no idea!!! Play the puzzle at the link below: https://sudokupad.app/86p8y4m9kl Rules: Normal sudoku rules apply...
August Patreon Reward: CtC Clone Pack (Updated)
Hello Patreons!Thank you so much for supporting the channel! As August's reward, we are absolutely thrilled to bring you the CtC Clone Pack. This has been prepared by a team comprising (if you can believe it) Scojo, Jojo and Jobo!Portmanteau'd as Scojojobo, they have collaborated to produce ...
Patreon 2024 Rolls of Honour
Oh dear - we have been very poor at posting the rolls of honour of successful solvers for the 2024 sudoku hunts. After a decent start to the year with All the Fun of the Fair, we have not published the list of correct solvers since then, I don't think.Part of the excuse is that it takes quite a ...
Three Days of Connections!
Just three days of Connections this time, as Mark tackles the New York Times's puzzle of groupings again!https://youtu.be/tW70ItdkdN8
Connections for Four Days
Mark tackles four days' worth of Connections, the game from the New York Times where you have to group four sets of four words or phrases each day.The number of days is partially determined by Mark's travel plans!Here's where you can see the video: https://youtu.be/0tTQ_foTPeU
A Week's Worth of Connections
Mark tackles a week's worth of Connections, the game from the New York Times where you have to group four sets of four words or phrases each day.These are coming to you from a couple of hotel rooms, so please forgive the lighting and sound issues!Here's the video: https://youtu.be/h7vpSOVioL...
Connections - for Six Days
Here are Mark's attempts at the New York Times's Connections game, from the 6th of July through to the 11th. As you will see, it has not always been plain sailing - and it's not a complete week either ... Watch the video here:https://youtu.be/oYZGYjfXPOs
Listener Crossword: Rash, by Serpent
This crossword is called Rash, by the compiler Serpent, a friend of both Mark & Simon. It's an advanced themed cryptic crossword, and Mark tries to solve it as fast as he can. The puzzle is Listener Crossword no 4818, from May 2024, and is available if you are subscribed to the Times Crossword C...
The Merciless Cryptic
As usual every month, Mark takes on the Times Monthly Club Special, a vicious cryptic with all the mercy of a super-villain. He even tries to solve it without a dictionary, as far as possible. See how he gets on this month against Roger Phillips, the Listener Crossword editor, and compiler of June&#...
Japanese Crossroads: by Phistomefel: The Example Puzzle
It's just been brought to our attention that there is a new Phistomefel puzzle on Logic Masters. It's called Japanese Crossroads and apparently it's quite hard (!) Phistomefel himself recommends attempting an example he's constructed before trying the real thing. How hard can an ex...
Connections is back!
Mark is back, taking on Connections again - a week's worth, from Saturday 29th June to Friday 5th July!Here you can see him grapple with one of our favourite puzzles from the New York Times, and listen to his thinking processes.Watch the video here:https://youtu.be/24_6gvV5vmI
600K Bang!
Some of you got through the July monthly reward very quickly! Here's another sudoku treat, if you want some more celebration of our reaching 600,000 subscribers on the YouTube channel. This puzzle is five linked sudokus, by Rockratzero, where each of the five 9x9 areas (see the colours at the to...
July Patreon Reward - "A 6x6 Sudoku, but ..."
Hello Patreons!Thank you so much for supporting us. This month, we are delighted to bring you a debut sudoku pack by Paws, who has themed it on 6x6 sudoku.There are some lovely intricacies to discover within (hence the "but..."), and yet overall this pack must be the most approachable reward...
CtC 600k free pack - Update
There is yet another new puzzle added - it's from Florian Wortmann! Re-download the pack on the link below to see it (and there is a solution-included version of the Tallcat puzzle too).Stop press! Michael Lefkowitz (Juggler) has just sent us a hilarious puzzle to add to our free 600k pack, and ...
CtC 600k Celebration Pack!
Itβs unbelievable but the Cracking the Cryptic YouTube channel now has 600,000 subscribers!To celebrate, we are delighted to bring you a pack of free sudoku puzzles from some of the best constructors in the world. Thank you so much for supporting the channel in whatever way you do, and please take...
Another week of Connections
Here's where you can watch Mark take on a week of the New York Times's Connections game, with four categories to find and specify each day.Will the US/UK differences stump him, or can he survive? Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/uBCO1EaXqM4These puzzles are from 12th June - 18th Ju...
A week of Connections
Here's where you can watch Mark take on a week of the New York Times's Connections game, with four categories to find and specify each day.Will the US/UK differences flummox him, or can he battle through? Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/Qaqz_K7FL7EThese puzzles are from 5th June -...
The Ultimate Challenge - from Richard Rogan
Mark takes on a Times Monthly Club Special cryptic, just after hearing of the passing of its author, Times Crossword Editor, Richard Rogan. So there's a bit of reminiscence in this video, because Richard was a good friend.The puzzle itself is an incredible challenge, with some extraordinary clue...
The Times Masterclass Series
Simon apologises that he can't undertake the Friday puzzle today due to a prior commitment but he's recorded his solve of Thursday's puzzle instead!This is a classy crossword indeed with some devious (and wonderful clues). You can try the puzzle here (paywalled):https://www.thetimes.com...
Mark makes MULTIPLE Connections!
Quite a few Patreons have suggested that it would be fun to watch Mark play Connections*, so he's been recording his efforts over the last three weeks (plus one bonus day!).Given that the video is 70 minutes long, it seems that he averages about 3 minutes per puzzle. Let us know how you normally...
Lord of the Rings - Bonus Puzzle
We have already posted for our contributing Patreons the Lord of the Rings pack by Blobz which forms June's monthly reward. But Blobz has also sent us another puzzle which can be accessed by anyone, whether they are contributing or not. There are no prizes for this puzzle - just the thrill of so...
June Patreon Reward - Lord of the Rings
Hello Patreons!Thank you so much for supporting us on Patreon. As our monthly reward for June, we are absolutely thrilled to bring you a masterpiece by Blobz: Lord of the Rings, a story bound together by sudoku puzzles. We are also delighted that Ted Nasmith gave permission for his wonderful illustr...
A Crossword to Make you Panic
This is the Monthly Club Special, a twisted and vicious cryptic crossword for Times Crossword Club Members. Mark is the only person mad enough to tackle this without a dictionary and hope to finish it, but here he goes again, trying to complete it and get a tick.In the last couple of months, he has ...
Sky-Skyscrapers by Phistomefel: Simon's Attempt
Thank you to you all for supporting the channel here. As a small bonus, Simon has attempted a puzzle that he's been quite scared of for the last couple of months, Phistomefel's Sky-Skyscrapers. Prepare to have your brains bent out of shape by this one!! Play the puzzle at the link below: ht...
