157: Going Off-Grid with Brooke Husic (Puzzmo Crosswords)

157: Going Off-Grid with Brooke Husic (Puzzmo Crosswords)

Author: The Secret Lives of Games July 12, 2026 Duration: 2:07:35

We chat with Brooke Husic (Puzzmo, New Yorker, A24) about creating, stewarding, and showrunning a daily crossword for the web-based puzzle phenomenon, Puzzmo. Our discussion covers Puzzmo's first 1,000 days, Brooke's prolific career as a constructor, the impact of cultural biases on crosswords, the early-2020s indie-puzzle development boom, the need to care for both solvers and setters during revisions, the interconnectedness of difficulty and context, the relationship between constructor and venue, and so! much! more! Also: Don't forget to check out today's Puzzmo midi crossword, its 1,001th, a special collaboration between two names that will be familiar to listeners of this episode.

Audio edited by Dylan Shumway

Discussed in this episode:

Puzzmo
https://www.puzzmo.com/today/ 

Today's Brooke and Rob collab puzzle, "Time to get up!"
https://www.puzzmo.com/puzzle/2026-07-12/crossword

Puzzmo Data Initiative 
https://data.puzzmo.com/ 

Brooke's 30-day Crossword Tutorial Mini-series
https://www.brookehusic.com/puzzminis/ 

Brooke's puzzle blog
https://xwordsbyaladee.blogspot.com/

Rob's Puzzmo crossword debut, "Baker's Corner"
https://www.puzzmo.com/puzzle/2024-05-10/crossword

Lollapuzzoola
https://bemoresmarter.com/

American Values Club (AVCX)
https://avxwords.com/about-us/ 

Ingrid
https://ingrid.cx/ 

Brooke on Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/xws.bsky.social

 

https://secretlives.games 

https://discord.gg/tslog

https://www.patreon.com/tslog


Ever wonder what really happens between the initial spark of an idea and the final product you play? The Secret Lives of Games pulls back the curtain, offering a rare, unvarnished look at the creative journey. Each episode is built around a candid conversation with a game creator, moving far beyond simple promotion to explore the messy, beautiful, and often surprising realities of their work. You’ll hear about the late-night breakthroughs, the frustrating dead ends, and the personal philosophies that shape the games we love. This podcast is less about reviews or news and more about understanding the human effort behind the pixels and code. It’s for anyone who’s curious about the art and craft of game development, whether you’re a seasoned player, an aspiring designer, or simply fascinated by creative processes. Listen in for genuine stories about problem-solving, narrative design, artistic choices, and the intricate process of building interactive worlds. These are the detailed, behind-the-scenes discussions that reveal how games truly come to life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Secret Lives of Games
Podcast Episodes
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Mini & Max [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05:45
We're joined by Billy Basso (Animal Well), Ben Wilson (Saltsea Chronicles), Kayin (I Wanna Be The Guy), and Adam Conover (Adam Ruins Everything) to discuss Mini & Max, the 45th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Mini and he…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Pilot Quest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:07
We're joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Eileen Hollinger (Capybara Games) to discuss Pilot Quest, the 44th game in the UFO 50 collection. "The Campanella has crashed! Fix it by harvest…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Elfazar's Hat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:27
We're joined by Alfredo Barraza (Riot Games), Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok), and Colin and Sarah Northway (Northway Games) to discuss Elfazar's Hat, the 43rd game in the UFO 50 collection. "Elfazar is hailed as a gre…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Night Manor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:26
We're joined by Star St. Germain (Aconite), Madison Karrh (Birth), and Zach Aikman (Chuhai Labs) to discuss Night Manor, the 42nd game in the UFO 50 collection. "Trapped in a nightmare where you must use your wits to sur…
Into the Depths: Caves of Qud (Sidequests Special) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:30:03
In this bonus installment of our current Into the Depths series, we continue diving into Caves of Qud. This sprawling open-world roguelike has been in development since 2007 and Early Access since 2015. Doug and Rob - jo…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Lords of Diskonia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05:41
We're joined by Trent Kusters (League of Geeks), John Axon (Capybara Games), and Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok) to discuss Lords of Diskonia, the 41st game in the UFO 50 collection. "War has come to Land of Disks, and…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Grimstone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:18:06
We're joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Trent Kusters (League of Geeks) to discuss Grimstone, the 40th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Praise Biggan, the four of you survived the saloo…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Star Waspir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:01
We're joined by Jay Ma (Into the Breach), Steve Gillham (OzymandiasAV), Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok), and Zatoichi (Juggler/UFO 50 Enthusiast) to discuss Star Waspir, the 39th game in the UFO 50 collection. "You are…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Rakshasa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:00
We're joined by Tonda Ros (Blue Prince) and doseone (Enter the Gungeon) to discuss Rakshasa, the 38th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Even death won't stop Jangi from avenging the destruction of his village by demons!" N…