Nathan Curtis

I'm Nathan Curtis, aka Tortoise. I make puzzles. I've been mashing words together for the amusement since about 2006, and for profit since 2015. My primary areas of expertise are variety crossword types and puzzle hunts, though I also dabble in math and logic puzzles. Some of my puzzles have appeared in Will Shortz's WordPlay and the Enigma, and I have helped write and edit puzzle hunts for the <a href="http://momath.org/" rel="nofollow">National Museum of Mathematics</a>, the <a href="http://www.baphl.org" rel="nofollow">Boston Area Puzzle Hunt League</a>, the <a href="http://www.miskatonicuniversitygame.com/">Miskatonic University Game</a>, and <a href="https://www.burnaftersolving.com">Burn After Solving</a>. To find out more, you can check out some of my puzzles over at my website, <a href="http://www.tortoiseshellstudio.com/puzzles/" rel="nofollow">Tortoiseshell Studio</a>. Unfortunately, there aren't many outlets for freelance constructors to get variety puzzles published. The newspapers and magazines out there only publish so many puzzles a year, and they have hundreds of submissions by dozens of constructors to pick from. If I want to get more puzzles out there, self-publishing is the way to go. And that's where you and Patreon come in. I am writing puzzles, and I will share a few puzzles with my patrons each month. I don't have an exact schedule for posting puzzles, but all patrons will get at least 1 exclusive puzzle every month. Patrons at higher levels will get at least 1 bonus puzzle every month. In addition, support from my patrons allows me to post a monthly free puzzle, available to all solvers. Most of the puzzles will be variety crossword types as I mentioned before, such as Snake Charmer, Marching Bands, Pathfinder, and cryptic crosswords. I will also throw in the occasional logic puzzle or whatnot to mix things up, but variety crosswords are my bread and butter, and you can expect to see at least one or two every moth. Why should you support my puzzle-writing habit? For one thing, I'm rather good at it. I'll be the first to admit that my early puzzles were rough, but I've been at it for several years, and I'm continuing to improve. If you like crosswords but wish they came with more of a twist, I think you'll enjoy my puzzles. And while I will continue puzzles here for free, supporters will get more puzzles, and get them sooner. Also, your support allows me to employ test-solvers on a regular basis, making sure the puzzles are as smooth as possible. That's it in a nutshell. If you like puzzles, I hope you will consider supporting my work. And thanks for taking the time to check me out! Art credits: The Tortoiseshell Studio logo was created by Joe Cabrera. The art for the reward tiers was created by Julie Levy.

Free

For $1, you gain access to one Patron-exclusive puzzle per month, as well as the free monthly puzzle. In addition, your support allows me to publish an additional puzzle each month, free to everyone.

Mock Turtle

For $2, you get access to one bonus puzzle per month, as well as the patron-exclusive and free puzzles available at lower tiers. In addition, your support allows me to post an additional puzzle each month, free to everyone.

Cecil Turtle

For $3, you get access to three extra bonus puzzles per year, as well as the puzzles available to lower tiers. In addition, your support allows me to publish an additional puzzle each month, free to everyone.

Morla, the Ancient One

For $5, you get access to all the puzzles available to lower tiers, and you will get special recognition in any standalone collections. In addition, your support allows me to publish an additional puzzle each month, free to everyone.

Recent posts by Nathan Curtis