Last year, I brought you a recap of PAX Unplugged 2021. PAX is a series of conventions focusing on gaming of all types. PAX Unplugged is the version of the event that focuses on analog gaming: board games, tabletop role playing games, and miniature games to name just a few. This year, Room Escape Artist is going back to Philadelphia, and we’re taking over the stage.
Key Information
Date: Friday, December 2 to Sunday, December 4, 2022
Venue: Philadelphia Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA
Price: Daily badges are $37 per day; a three day badge costs $78
PAX Unplugged is a masked event and entry requires proof of vaccination.
The Cryptex Hunt is an annual online game where players find and solve hidden puzzles. This year’s theme is “Puzzles hidden in Puzzles.” You can find out more and register to play at cryptexhunt.com/2022/.
Starting Monday, February 28, 2022, at 8:00pm ET, one puzzle will be released each day until Saturday, March 5 at 1:00pm ET, when the finale puzzles will be released.
Editor’s Note: REA writer Sarah Willson tells us about the new event she’s organizing for puzzle creators… and those curious about creating puzzles.
Next month, we’ll celebrate the inauguration of EnigMarch, a 31-day puzzle design challenge that will hopefully become an annual tradition in the puzzling community.
Background
It all began on January 1, when I decided that one of my goals for 2022 would be to improve my puzzle design skills. And what better way to do that than a month-long gauntlet of daily challenges? After I started asking around about the existence of such an event, a group of enthusiastic puzzlers got together and decided to create one ourselves. EnigMarch was born.
How It Works
Every day in March (technically, the night before at 8pm ET), we’ll release a new prompt on social media and enigmarch.com, to be used as inspiration for any type of puzzle you like. Once you’ve created a puzzle, you can post it with the hashtag #enigmarch to share it with the world.
The purpose of the daily prompts is to provide the structure and motivation to create a puzzle every day and emerge stronger and wiser on March 31. Some people may prefer to choose only certain prompts or take more than one day to create their puzzles, and that’s fine too. Whether or not you want to participate as a designer, you can check out the #enigmarch hashtag and see all the different interpretations of each day’s prompt. Some of the fun of EnigMarch will undoubtedly be seeing people’s experimental ideas and the seeds of future puzzle masterpieces.
How to Get Involved
In preparation for the main event, we’ve assembled some resources, inspiration, and secret bonus content on enigmarch.com. Whether you’re already a seasoned constructor or you’ve never tried to write a puzzle in your life, we’re hoping EnigMarch will help you build your design skills and confidence in your creations.
My favorite thing about EnigMarch is that it’s really just intended to help people increase their puzzle-writing prowess and have fun doing it. There’s no agenda except to celebrate a love of puzzles and share them with the community.
If you decide to participate, we’d love to see what you come up with!
I love words. During this year at home, I’ve really embraced collaboratively crosswording with friends, family, and especially my coworkers (Crossword Meeting is the best meeting).
Inside the Box was the show for me. In so many ways.
Background
Cruciverbalist and magician David Kwong strung words together over Zoom… in, around, and through puzzles, both for and with his audience.
Kwong told a story of the history of puzzles, and presented puzzles along the way, in both obvious and more obscured ways.
Reaction
The show is intimate and genuine. While it’s scripted and performed, it’s also interactive, and in this way, more human.
We solved along the entire time. Like a gameshow, we could play from our side of the Zoom. Not only did I get to try to solve faster than others, I got to meet them.
We had tickets for a (West Coast) matinee, packed with families… and impressive kids eager to solve! It happened to be Oscar’s 11th birthday and we were all thrilled to be celebrating something together – whether we were his old friends, or, as was the case for me, meeting him for the first (and likely only) time over Zoom.
The puzzle types in Kwong’s show weren’t novel, but the Zoom adaptation enabled new tricks that we truly enjoyed.
The show’s biggest miss was leaving out a piece of the narrative, one that seemed to have lent the most inspiration to the puzzles we solved in the show.
Additionally, the pre-show onboarding emails were aggressive and confusing. Emails told me to download and print my puzzle packet at least 24 hours before the show, but not why… until I scrolled significantly further. Don’t bury the lede! And somehow the theater made a mistake and the multiple emails had different show times on them.
That said, the in-Zoom onboarding was stellar. The representative from the Geffen Playhouse took the time to make sure each participant was prepared to have the optimal Zoom experience, and wouldn’t detract from the experiences of others. This introduction went a long way towards making the audience feel comfortable and ready to participate.
If you enjoy puzzles – especially word puzzles – and magic, Inside the Box is a wonderful way to spend an evening.
Booking
Inside the Box has been extended through February 14. Extension tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, November 27 @ 10 am (PST). Visit the Geffen Playhouse website for details.
David Kwong @ RECON 2020
We invited David Kwong to speak at RECON because of his deep knowledge of puzzles and magic. If you enjoyed Inside the Box, or are eagerly awaiting an upcoming performance, I recommend you check out David Kwong’s RECON ’20 talk. All RECON ’20 talks are free to watch!
In fact, one person who learned about David Kwong at RECON was at the same performance of Inside the Box as we were.
