Last-minute addendum: I wrote this newsletter a few days ago, then woke up yesterday morning to the news of the Supreme Courtās despicable ruling. I am at a loss for words, and I am terrified by the direct and indirect implications of this decision.
Many folks in my networks have been sharing resources, attending protests, and donating to incredible organizations. Please go find those resources and take action ā now is not a time to stay silent or complacent. Iāll share one puzzle-related donation opportunity: These Puzzles Fund Abortion Too offers a set of fantastic crosswords in exchange for proof of a donation to any abortion fund.
In my last newsletter, I wrote about how I had just returned from marathoning 40 escape rooms. Well, in the time since, Iāve played 50 more rooms, along the way hitting 300 in-person escape rooms! Lots of unique adventures, and lots of reviews coming soon.
But Iām actually not here today to talk just about puzzles. Rather, I want to share a glimpse into the other side of my life: music.
As some of you may know, Iām a violinist, violist, and composer. I grew up studying classical music, got pretty serious about it in high school, and then took a sharp left into folk music in college. I play a wide range of styles, but my focus has always been on klezmer and Eastern European folk music. I have a trio called Baymele (which means ālittle treeā in Yiddish) with a wonderful cellist and accordionist, pictured below:
Over the past few months, weāve been recording an album of new Yiddish music in collaboration with Anthony Russell, a magnificent operatic bass who has a duo with our accordionist called Tsvey Brider. And the album is coming out next week! You can listen to a short preview here:
Weāre also going on tour! The first week of July 2022, weāre playing shows in Berkeley, Boston, western MA, and Brooklyn. More info and ticket links are available on our website. A California newspaper wrote a nice article about the project.
And make sure to follow along on our IG or Facebook for details on the upcoming album release! (Which is not a puzzleā¦ though I have some ideas brewing for the next albumā¦)
š° Puzzling News š°
I know I said todayās newsletter wasnāt about puzzlesā¦ but I do still have a few bits of puzzle-related news to share!
TANGRAM, Vol. 3
The third volume of TANGRAM is now on sale!
TANGRAM is a beautiful art journal themed around wonder, produced biannually by Art of Play. Iāve designed a set of puzzles for each volume: the first was a self-contained puzzle hunt, the second leads to hidden treasure (still available to find!) in North America, and this new volume yet again leads to hidden treasure in a far-off place.
TANGRAM has consistently provided me the opportunity to experiment with new puzzle concepts at the intersection of the puzzle hunt and armchair treasure hunt genres. Iām delighted with how Vol. 3ās puzzles turned out, and Iāve already started scheming up something even more insidious for the next volumeā¦
Ruff Bluff
I recently had the pleasure of playing a preview copy of Ruff Bluff, a new tabletop puzzle game from Trapped Puzzle Rooms in Minneapolis, MN ā and it was an absolute delight. Their Kickstarter is off to a great start, and they have some fun stretch goals coming up. Go check it out!
If youāve read my reviews of Trappedās previous food-themed tabletop games and audio escape rooms, youāll already know that Iām a big fan of their work. And Ruff Bluff was an impressive step up in production value and overall polish. Whether youāre in it for the satisfying, layered puzzle solves or the abundance of dog puns, I have no doubt youāll love Ruff Bluff.
You can read my extended thoughts on the game here.
50 Years of Text Games
I love playing text adventures. If you solved the Pilcrow Bar meta, youāll know Iāve written some of my own.
However, Iāll readily admit that my knowledge of the genreās history is spotty at best. So, I was delighted to come across this Kickstarter for an upcoming history of text games, presented through in-depth coverage of 50 highlights of the genre. Though not strictly puzzly, thereās a good deal of overlap with puzzles and ARGs.
Thatās all I have for today. Coming soon: an article about puzzle hunts, a podcast episode, and a project announcement.
Happy puzzling!
Matthew