Hello World

I am putting this together because it's the kind of resource I'd have liked to have had when I started puzzling. My goal is to, albeit slowly, provide walkthroughs to any puzzles I've completed, so that hopefully I can help others as I was helped.


I love puzzles, cryptograms especially, though I'm garbage at word puzzles. Cryptic crosswords are my kryptonite. Seriously, word puzzles will be the death of me. Give me a cypher any day, and the first I learned was actually when I was maybe 6 or so. It turned out to be the Pigpen Cipher, though at the time I called it the Black Cauldron code, because that was the activity book I learned it from.


I got into 'serious' puzzling with the wonderful Curios and Conundrums, a series put out by the Mysterious Package Company, and one which has been sadly cancelled by its creators after a disappointing 4th season. The 4-issue third season, though, was the height of what puzzling can be. If you ever have a chance to get a hold of it, do so. The Vault may be closed, and the story ended, but they really did a fantastic job of messing with your mind. That they've chosen to focus more on the experiences is disappointing, but perhaps better suited to their business model. As practice, and an excuse to work on my handwriting and use my washi tape, I'll probably eventually get a walkthrough on these up as well, but the best place to get help with Curios and Conundrums is always going to be the fantastic family over at curiosandconundrums.freeforums.net


My current love is Cryptogram Puzzle Post by Jack Fallows, a brilliant gentleman out of Great Britain. Postage is a pain, but the quality of art and puzzles make his work worth every penny. I intend for some of my first posts to be walkthroughs of his work, both as a way to help others solve the puzzles, a way for me to keep track of things, and to help boost his signal and hope that that results in another season of the post.


I also love listening to puzzles and reading puzzles. I'm a fan of Rabbits and Ars Paradoxica. Rabbits is from the same folks that make TANIS and The Black Tapes, and makes me think of the old movie the Game, while Ars Paradoxica is a time travel podcast with ciphers at the end of each. Maybe I'll go through and document all those as well :)


I've also subscribed to several 'experiences' which are in progress or have not yet started - Hunt A Killer, Dispatch, Roland - Cycloptic Media, and Escape the Crate. Will see if these go anywhere.


And that's it, my little vanity project, or some such. For when the washi-covered notebooks bury me.