Projects & Media
No Holds Barred Crosswords
You can now purchase the PDF versions of the original NHBC book and the new Bonus Brawlers book!
Each set includes both a PDF of the book, _plus_ a packet of the same puzzles in the new .IPUZ format, which can be used to solve online with programs like Puzzazz and Squares.io.
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ALL ORDERS VIA PAYPAL (Use any of the links to send an order by e-mail, and I'll send you the PayPal link. Once payment is confirmed, I can e-mail the file directly to you.)
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NO HOLDS BARRED CROSSWORDS (PDF and IPUZ): $15.00
NHBC BONUS BRAWLERS (PDF and IPUZ): $15.00
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Or order both sets together for $25.00!
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I created a Kickstarter-backed book of 25 crosswords in 2013, originally available either in print or as a PDF. 15x15 barred themeless crosswords that maintain the rules of standard crosswords. They are wide open and push the boundaries of what a crossword can do. (Yes, I also wrote a puzzle that consisted of 15 15-letter answers reading across, which I'm sure shattered some sort of record for most 15-letter entries in a grid.) The content of the book hearkened back to wrestling and 8-bit video games.
The original Kickstarter page.
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As a stretch goal, I offered a set of bonus puzzles (the "Bonus Brawlers"), a set of 10 larger grids ranging from 16x16 up to 29x29. Certain backers were eligible to receive these bonus puzzles when they were ready. Due to issues, it took a while, but the Bonus Brawlers were finally made available in 2021 and have been sent to the original backers.
Podcasts/Video
Fill Me In
A podcast about crossword solvers and constructors, hosted by Ryan Hecht and Brian Cimmet (who also run the annual crossword competition Lollapuzzoola).
Main Site
My Episode: January 26, 2009 (#039)
Complete the List
The trivia game show podcast involving lists of items, hosted by quizzer and "The Jeopardy! Fan" site runner Andy Saunders.
Main Site
My Episode: E62: "Once Again, RuPaul Messed Me Up" (released May 17, 2018)
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Recreational Thinking
A trivia game show podcast with tough questions about chosen topics, hosted by trivia quizmaster Yogesh Raut.
Main Site
My Episode: Episode 5: "It's Definitely Not the Human Centipede" (released Dec. 25, 2019)
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Lateral
The lateral thinking quiz podcast with tough questions about chosen topics, hosted by YouTube streamer Tom Scott. They used one of my questions as a listener-submitted question at the beginning of the show.
Main Site
My Episode: Episode 20: "The rigged JFK election" (released Feb. 24, 2023)
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The Great American Pop Culture Quiz Show
A long-running pop culture trivia quiz podcast spawned from the Extra Hot Great podcast, hosted by Taylor Cole. Let's see how I do, playing as Matt "Dictionary Corner" Jones!
My Episode: S09.E06: "You Can't Keep a Good Renaissance Man Down"(released July 10, 2023)
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OPB's Think Out Loud
Oregon Public Broadcasting's very own live afternoon public affairs interview show Think Out Loud, hosted by Dave Miller. (Fun fact--I had literally landed in Portland the hour before, after being stranded for about a 12 hour delay in Washington DC.)
My Episode: September 12, 2023
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Verboten
Jay Borsom's game show podcast through the PTE network! It's a bit of Password, a bit of memory recall, and a lot of fun.
My Episode: S01.E13: "We Apologize to the Estate of James Brown"(released February 13, 2024)
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MattJPuzzleGuy YouTube channel
Various video appearances of Matt Jones (under the playlist "Stuff I've Been In", from the Connections Online Quiz League to Stuart Goldsmith's "The Infinite Sofa."
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Also, check out this local news interview from 1996!
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Back up and running! Go check it out! I play puzzle games online sporadically.
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Weakest Link
I was a contestant on the original US prime-time version of Weakest Link (the one with Anne Robinson). We taped in late September 2001, set to air on NBC a bit later in the year. As many of the shows that aired eventually turned toward celebrity charity specials, our episode got shelved and never aired on NBC. Sometime in 2003-2004, Game Show Network picked up the rights to air it, so I eventually got to see it. (I had a copy up on YouTube but it got taken down.)
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Puzzle and Crossword Downloads
Media Mentions
The alumni magazine of Willamette University (Salem, OR) features a crossword of mine in their Spring 2024 issue.
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A full puzzle extravaganza of 12 puzzles based on Thanksgiving dishes. Includes an intro and set of "labels" to go with the puzzles. There is a meta and eventual meta-meta. (Sorry, I never got to create an answer sheet.) [PDF]
Thankoween Mini-Ganzas
A mini-set of puzzles with a meta puzzle at the end. Halloween horror movies/TV shows mashed up with Thanksgiving food puns. [PDF]
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Crosswords
The World's Most Ornery Crossword (PDF, Sept 1999)
Open Spaces Sampler (ZIP of .puz files; 4 21x21 Sunday-size puzzles from 2006-2007 previously published in Open Spaces magazine, one themeless)
Cascadia Daily News (January 5, 2024)
Far from clue-less, CDN crossword creator Matt Jones has made his mark
An article on my work in their Living section, with some comments from Will Shortz as well.
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Gridlock: Crossword Puzzles and the Mad Geniuses Who Create Them
2006 book by Matt Gaffney, detailing the ins and outs of the puzzle biz (and crossword constructors). He's my former editor/publisher of Jonesin' Crosswords, and Chapter 5 ("Jonesin'") is dedicated to the history of Jonesin' and indie puzzling in general.
The Curious History of the Crossword
Created for the 100th anniversary of the American crossword puzzle, it's a 2013 book by Ben Tausig that's part detailed history, part compendium of the best and most notable crosswords reprinted from 1913-2013. I get mentioned in Chapter Six ("Indie Puzzles"). Reprints of 2 of my puzzles from Jonesin', 1 from The Onion AV Club appear throughout the book.
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Crosswords at a Crossroad
2013 published paper by Lynn J Feigenbaum. Briefly mentions Jonesin' in the history of puzzles (compared to the New York Times content).