MEMBERSHIP
Account & Membership
Puzzlebyrinth has three tiers. Reviews and the daily puzzle Tridem are free with no account. A free account adds CRYPTEM and unlimited recent essays; beyond that, Premium opens the whole archive of criticism.
Why Premium exists
Puzzlebyrinth is an independent web magazine run by one person. I edit and publish reviews and essays about puzzle games, and build and update the daily browser puzzles. There is no publisher or corporate money behind it.
Premium fees pay for the writing, the puzzle development and the servers. They are what lets the site run without ads or sponsored articles, publishing what we think is worth publishing, in the order we choose. Without them, sooner or later it would have to lean on advertising or tie-ins.
Reviews and the daily puzzle (Tridem) stay free with no account, and will. The idea is not to take reading away and charge to get it back, but to put a price only on the additions: the archive and the Premium-only puzzle Math?.
— Komugi, editor
Compare the three plans
No account
Guest account
No account · free
- Every review, full text, free
- The daily puzzle Tridem (no account needed)
- Essays: the opening plus 3 free reads per month
- The first episode of a series is always free
Free · right now
Free account
Sign up with Google or just email
- The latest 30 days of essays, unlimited
- The daily puzzle CRYPTEM (free account)
- Save daily-puzzle records across devices (streaks)
- Save for later · recently read · continue reading
- Achievements & badges (Grand Tour 2000–2025, etc.)
- Newsletter (optional)
We email you a sign-in link — that's all it takes to register.
PremiumRecommended
Premium account
Monthly or yearly (cancel anytime) — everything in Free, plus
- Full archive of essays past their 30-day window
- Premium-only puzzle Math? (daily at 18:00 JST · rule-deduction)
- Back-number archive for Tridem / CRYPTEM (older than 2 days)
- Support for independent criticism (funds running the site without ads)
Frequently asked questions
How do I cancel, and when does it take effect?
Any time, from "Manage subscription" on your account page (/en/account) — it opens the Stripe customer portal. After cancelling you keep Premium until the end of the period you already paid for. No extra charges.
When am I billed?
The first charge is on the day you subscribe; after that the plan renews automatically on the same date each month (monthly) or each year (yearly). Cancel before the renewal and there is no further charge.
Can I get a refund?
As a rule, no — you keep access until the end of the paid period instead. If we made a mistake (a duplicate charge, for example) we refund in full; use the contact page (/en/contact).
Do I get a receipt?
Stripe emails a receipt automatically for every payment. Past receipts are also available from "Manage subscription" (the Stripe portal).
Can I use it on several devices?
Yes. Sign in with the same email on your phone, tablet and computer — there is no device limit.
How is Premium different from a free account?
A free account gives you unlimited reading of essays from the last 30 days, CRYPTEM, synced records, save-for-later and badges. Premium adds the full archive of essays past their 30-day window, the Premium-only puzzle Math?, and the back-number archive for Tridem / CRYPTEM.
Is payment secure?
Payment is handled on Stripe's secure checkout page. Card details are never sent to or stored on this site's servers.
Will the price change?
If we ever change the price we announce it on the site in advance. Existing members keep their current price at least until their next renewal date.
Which currency am I charged in?
Prices are set in US dollars. Stripe's checkout page shows and charges in your local currency (including Japanese yen), converted at the rate on the day of payment.
Reviews and the daily puzzle Tridem stay free, no account needed. To catch new posts, the newsletter is there too.