2017 In Listeners

[olichant]

As someone who is *very* unlikely to be voting on the puzzle of the year through an endless series of transcription errors and the like, I was pondering my favourite puzzles of 2017. Looking back at the list, it's been a terrific year, and many thanks to everyone involved in producing them.

It's arbitrary, and quite tough to choose, but I think my top five would be

- Shackleton, Army & Wavy
- Phi, Squares
- Zag, Numerical Playfair (much to my surprise!)
- Artix, Follow the Directions
- Chalicea, Difficulty

I'd be very interested in others' own thoughts! Either way, hope everyone who contributes here has a Happy New Year.

[Hagen]

I usually forget the details of puzzles soon after solving them, but the one that stuck in my mind for a long time was Difficulty by Chalicea. To get fluent clues and a preamble, as well as a grid, that missed the letter O was an extraordinary achievement. Yes it was on the easy side, but as the Notes for Setters state: The essence of a Listener crossword is elegance and subtlety of theme and clueing, not difficulty per se. POTY for me.

Runners-up, based on the gushiness of my posts, would be

It's Dark up here by Colleague
Shady Characters by Malva
X XX XXX by Somniloquist

It's tempting to add Army and Navy by Shackleton, but the "six each" business spoiled for me what was in every other respect a brilliant puzzle.

HNY to all.

[Ruthrobin]

Really appreciated those votes of confidence, thanks!