Beekeeper Crosswords Themed Puzzles from Beekeeper Labs

I want to take this opportunity to wish all of our US readers a happy Turkey Day, and all of our other readers a happy random Thursday in November. In celebration of this, we are pleased to offer a puzzle that has absolutely nothing to do with Thanksgiving, turkeys, cranberry sauce, or football. Thus, when you’ve stuffed yourself on stuffing and are up to your gills in gravy, why not take a break and enjoy a nice quiet crossword — it might aid your digestion.

Title: Take Care
Difficulty: Wednesday
Download: Across Lite or printable PNG (w/ solution)

I’m flying without a safety net on this puzzle. Not only am I cheating on little details like not making the grid a proper “industry standard” 15×15, but schedule issues kept me from sending this off to be reviewed. Thus, you’re trusting in just my own taste in clues without any independent verification. Lets just hope that I didn’t reference the wrong variety of fringed Brazilian lizard or misspell an Etruscan deity in my impatience to get the puzzle published.

Title: Escapades
Difficulty: ???
Download: Across Lite or printable PNG (w/ solution)

The theme is simple, the execution is not. We continue to press our luck with a collection of annoying, esoteric, and punishing clues for both new and exotic grid fill. Hopefully it will appeal.

Title: Keeping Count
Difficulty: Thursday
Download: Across Lite or printable PNG (w/ solution)

You may notice that this puzzle is harder than many we’ve published lately. (My primary tester threatened me with death 4 times, which has to be counted as a success.) Part of that is simply inspiration during the clue-writing process — once you’ve found a brilliantly sadistic clue it’s hard to pass it up — but part of it is because the grid itself was a particularly ambitious construction process. You see, in addition to the obvious themes — four long answers and one explanatory item — there are also three extra hidden items related to this week’s theme. It’s not necessary to go looking for them to enjoy the puzzle, but feel free to enjoy the extra scavenger hunt if you want a bit of extra challenge.

Title: Vegas Odds
Difficulty: Friday
Download: Across Lite or printable PNG (w/ solution)