| November 24, 2025 
| | |
Over the weekend, print-subscribing puzzle obsessives discovered a sweet surprise in their Sunday paper: the 11th edition of Puzzle Mania. Our annual broadsheet smorgasbord has arrived, and it’s chock-full of puzzles to enjoy over the holidays. We’ve even got bonus content this year: a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Puzzle Mania, and an even bigger collection of “Puzzle Mania” games in book form (currently sold out, but keep checking back). It should be noted that, despite its size and scope, Puzzle Mania doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Nobody is going to tell you how or when to solve these puzzles, or who to solve them with. For some, that should come as a relief — for others, that agency may result in a tyranny of choice. Where to begin? And how? The Games team isn’t one to be prescriptive, but would like, at the very least, to alleviate any trepidation you might have about forging ahead. In that spirit, consider these methods for your Mania: - Treat the section like an advent calendar, allowing yourself only so many puzzles a day, and then await the next day’s solve with giddy anticipation.
- Host a solvers’ slumber party for friends or family, and tackle the puzzles together over a boozy nightcap or a slice of pie.
- Compete with a friend who also has the section by seeing how many puzzles each of you can get through in a given amount of time. Make it a friendly bet, or have the loser gift the Puzzle Mania book to the winner, in a gesture of gracious concession.
- Hang the Super Mega crossword on the kitchen, keeping a pencil on a string, and let everyone hover at their leisure until it’s finished. You can take it down afterward or keep it on the wall as proof that you weren’t entirely unproductive over the holidays.
- Take turns solving each puzzle within a certain amount of time, round-robin style, and assign points for correct solves. Deduct points only if someone gives up.
- Find a secluded space in the house to treat as a puzzler’s hideaway, and solve whenever you need an escape from extended family. At some point, tell your one cool cousin about it.
- Binge the entire section at once, stopping only to get up and use the bathroom (this isn’t recommended, because, as the section editor Joel Fagliano has emphasized: “Puzzle burnout is real”).
|
 | | Ian Livengood |
Cryptogram |
