Games World of Puzzles April 2020

Isn’t April awesome? Here at GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES, we certainly think so. A little warm air and a fresh carpet of green grass are all it takes to put the winter doldrums behind us. We also think that springtime feeling shines through in the April issue, which you’re holding in your hands. Between the puzzles and the articles, it’s as if a variety of game-related goodness sprang up overnight! To begin with, there’s Tyler Davidson’s feature article about a merry band of game show enthusiasts based in Southern California: “You’re the Next Contestant: Home Game Entertainment Brings the Fun” (page 34). This bunch enjoyed watching game shows so much as kids that they’ve turned their childhood passion into an amusing entertainment option for adults. No, you might never make it…

Each answer word in this crossword variation has two clues leading to it, using different meanings of the word. The clues are separated into Across and Down, but are otherwise ordered randomly. When you find two Across clues or two Down clues that seem to have the same answer, add up their clue numbers to determine the place in the grid at which the answer should be entered. For example, if the clue for 1-Across were “Metallic element” and the clue for 17-Across read “Starring role,” the answer would be “lead,” which would go in 18-Across (1 + 17). Note: Tags such as “Hyph.” and “2 wds.” have been omitted. ACROSS 1 Play areas?2 Jif competitor3 Beach sandal4 Seek permission for5 Bound with string6 Hue7 Length of some warranties8 Kansas City footballers9 Very…

There is one place for each letter of the alphabet in the 26 empty squares of each blank column in the diagram below. Fill in each letter so that a word of at least five letters is formed reading across only. Not all of the letters to the left and right of the empty box are used; it’s up to you to determine which ones are needed to complete familiar words. Some letters may fit in more than one of the empty squares to complete words, but we only came up with one arrangement that would complete a word in each row. Maybe you’ll find a better solution. Proper names are not allowed.…

ACROSS 1 Li’l Abner’s creator5 Army subdivision9 Oscar recipient14 Be next to15 St. Petersburg’s river16 Two-door car17 “Green” times of youth: 2 wds.19 Discoverer of radium20 UFO pilots, for short21 So far22 Hauled on the highway24 Hider’s counterpart26 Fido’s restraint27 “Look before you leap,” e.g.29 Corn or mint preceder33 Part of USA: Abbr.36 Nonsense38 Moulin ___ (Kidman pic)39 Dad40 Smorgasbord patron42 Walked (on)43 Temper tantrums45 Tiny bug46 Moreover47 But49 1978 Peace Nobelist51 Zagreb native53 Conjured up57 Style60 Doctor’s charge61 Ending for Alp62 In progress63 Percussionist’s flourishes66 ___ diem67 Simplicity68 Criticism69 Lock of hair70 Shack out back for tools71 Sale warning: 2 wds. DOWN 1 Attorney’s workload2 Lessen3 Vital sign4 Organization for moms and dads: Abbr.5 Barred from the bar6 “Cool!”7 “Poison” plant8 Sample9 Finger-pointer10 TV addict: 2 wds.11 Ottoman Empire citizen12 Andy’s TV…

1. Cryptic Poe tale2. Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia3. “Radar Love” band4. San Francisco-to-Marin County spanner5. Sam, of MGM fame6. “Just right” girl from a folk tale7. Oddjob’s boss8. McDonald’s landmark logo9. Private Benjamin star10. Rocker Neil Young’s only No. 1 hit in the U.S.11. Classic Charlie Chaplin comedy about prospectors12. Lord of the Flies author13. Creator of cockamamie cartoon contraptions14. Fonda father’s heart-tugging farewell flick 1. “The Gold Bug”2. The Golden Girls3. Golden Earring4. Golden Gate Bridge5. Goldwyn6. Goldilocks7. Goldfinger8. Golden Arches9. Goldie Hawn10. “Heart of Gold”11. The Gold Rush12. William Golding13. Rube Goldberg14. On Golden Pond…

BREAK IT UP To complete each sentence, fill in the longest blank with a word that can be broken up into two different words that fit, in order, in the short blanks. How many can you solve? Example: How OFTEN can you guess one OF TEN cards that I am holding in my hand? 1. The long story about the fire-breathing ________________ seemed to _________ _________ forever.2. My brother is being so ________________ that he won’t even give _________ _________ itty-bitty bite of his candy bar.3. Now that their grown-up daughter is a ________________ herself, ma and _________ _________ a small apartment since they don’t need a big house anymore.4. As we were wheeling the shopping _________ _________ the uneven pavement, a ________________ of milk fell out and spilled all over the place.5.…