Last call for votes!
Some years it’s obvious which puzzle will win, but this year the voting for Magpie Puzzle of the Year is so close that I’m looking for ways to break the deadlock. If you haven’t voted and feel like assigning your 6 points (or even just 3 if you want to pick one puzzle only) then please do in the next few days. Everyone’s vote counts for something, so don’t hold back. The winner will be announced at the Magpie party on the 30th.
January 25th, 2020 at 11:09 am
There was a puzzle towards the beginning of the year based on a Lewis Carroll rhyme, where the clues followed on from each other without the clue boundaries being given. I’ll give my humble vote to that one. Also planning on making it to the Magpie party, as I’m actually in London then – looking forward to seeing the people whose creations take up so much of my time!
January 27th, 2020 at 10:16 am
Just to check, shouldn’t that say 30th rather than 31st? Unless this party goes on later than I was anticipating…
January 27th, 2020 at 12:11 pm
Sorry. 30th is right. I’ve fixed it.
January 27th, 2020 at 10:32 pm
I’ll see what I can do this evening…
January 27th, 2020 at 10:59 pm
Alright then. By popular demand in my household “the Pritt Stick puzzle” (was that By Gum by Wan?) gets our first place vote. In second place I’ll put that dashed clever The Prisoner (no 1/no 6) numerical puzzle because it made me realise that numericals could be as much fun as as wordy ones. And in 3rd place Encota’s Hexaflex puzzle because my thumbsy efforts to put it together at the end were hilarious. 3-2-1 points yes?
January 28th, 2020 at 10:17 am
Thanks everyone. We have loads of votes, and we’re trying to finalise the magazine, so I’m afraid we’re going to have to close the voting properly now.
January 30th, 2020 at 11:58 am
I’m with Andy Brown on the Snark one
January 30th, 2020 at 11:59 am
apologies – I see I am too late!
January 31st, 2020 at 11:54 am
For the sake of posterity, I’ve been asked to point out that where Matthew Marcus says “in 3rd place Encota’s Hexaflex puzzle”, it should read “in 3rd place EP’s Hexaflex puzzle”. EP is in reality 50% Encota, and 50% Ploy.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:14 pm
Richard:
Your vote came too late, and was therefore dismissed,
But that doesn’t matter – you see
The fact that the puzzle was top of your list
Meant a lot to the setter (that’s me!)
January 31st, 2020 at 2:19 pm
With apologies for the lack of poetry: I did check, and Richard’s vote wouldn’t have made a difference to the final standings, owing to a very small multiplier. However, I don’t think it’s inappropriate to say that a count of unweighted votes would have produced a different order, with Snark Blanche higher up.