Mar 28, 2021

Enigmida - Passover, Radical Amazement, and Livestreams

By Matthew Stein • Issue #9 • View online

Woohoo, we just passed 300 newsletter subscribers! A warm thank you to everyone who has followed along the past 2 months, and if you’re just joining, welcome! I’m Matthew, and Enigmida is my puzzle design studio / wonder workshop.

In this weekly(ish) newsletter, I share behind-the-scenes updates on my creative projects, puzzle-related news, and original puzzles for you to solve! Whether you’re a puzzle pro or brand new to this world, all curious minds will find something of interest here.

To everyone celebrating, Happy Passover! It’s been so special getting to share Escape the Plagues, our social justice Passover puzzle game, with families and communities around the world, and I’d love to hear about your experiences playing it!

And as always, make sure to read to the end for a fun puzzle 🐸

The Bible Players play Escape the Plagues

Earlier this week, Jewish improv group The Bible Players recorded a playthrough of Escape the Plagues. You can watch some of the highlights below:

Radical Amazement

My sister and co-designer of Escape the Plagues, Lisa, wrote a beautiful article connecting Rabbi Joshua Heschel’s concept of “radical amazement” to puzzle design.

Solving a puzzle means looking at something from a new perspective, appreciating its intricacy, and striving and struggling together to understand it. If this isn’t a way of practicing radical amazement, I don’t know what is.

Check out the full article here.

STARTING SOON: Puzzles+Tunes Livestream!

In addition to being a puzzle designer, I’m also a musician! I studied classical violin all growing up, majored in ethnomusicology and composition at Wesleyan University, and currently play fiddle with a klezmer band and a few Balkan bands.

So, I’m trying a little experiment. This Thursday (4/1) at 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT, I’ll be joined by my sister, who’s a cellist and vocalist, for a Puzzles+Tunes livestream over on Instagram @enigmida. We’ll be playing a wide range of music and answering any questions you might have about puzzles. We hope to see you there! 🎶

Puzzle of the Week

Take the sound a certain animal makes and change the second letter to get the name of a different animal. Then, remove the last letter to get someone you might invite to a Passover seder.

What are these three words? Submit your answer here.

Solution to last issue’s puzzle:

Va pryroengvba bs Cv Qnl, rnpu vzntr pyhrf n jbeq juvpu pbagnvaf CVR va vg: zntCVR, tybpxrafCVRy, funeCVRf, naq CVRe. Fhozvffvbaf juvpu vapyhqrq whfg CV jrer nyfb npprcgrq. (in ROT13)

Congrats to everyone who submitted a correct answer: Wassamatta_u, Elliot T & Lucy, Kevin S, Yossi, Sean McBride, Brad Johnson, and a whole bunch of people on FB and IG!

Cryptically yours,

Matthew

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By Matthew Stein

I'm an Oakland, CA-based puzzle and alternate reality game designer. I create experiences that guide participants to connect through play and to find wonder in the mundane.

In this newsletter, I share behind-the-scenes content, puzzle design thoughts, project updates, and other miscellaneous whimsy I think puzzle lovers will enjoy.

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