David Millar

Puzzle Creator & Graphic Designer

Contact

Email: dave@davegoesthedistance.com
Phone: (616) 819-9218
Project Gallery: davegoesthedistance.com

Objective

My ideal role is crafting logic and word puzzles by hand, and optimizing for delight on the part of the solver. My ideal projects use thoughtful and novel combinations of clues, patterns, and design.

Skills

Sudoku
Crosswords
Slitherlink
Masyu
Word Searches
Kakuro
Cross-Sums
Story Logic
Matrix Logic
Mazes
"Hunt" Puzzles
Variety word puzzles

Experience

Author at Skyhorse Publishing

June 2017 - Current

Authored many puzzle books in collaboration with American Mensa and World Almanac.

Drafted 100-150 puzzles per book.
Created a variety of puzzle and memorization exercises.
Puzzles delivered in formats and styles as required by the editing team.

Community Puzzles Editor at Sudoku Xtra

November 2009 - March 2012

Duties included test-solving puzzles for inclusion in Sudoku Xtra Magazine.

Contacted and worked with contributors on content to include in the magazine.
Test-solved and formatted puzzle submissions.
Created puzzles to supplement community section.

Puzzle Contributor at Publications International Ltd., Chicago, IL

January 2007 - January 2011

Created puzzles for use in the Brain Games magazine and book series.

Work appears inside 12+ issues from the magazine series plus some front and back covers.
Work appears inside 7+ editions of the book series plus some front and back covers.
Created topical puzzles for special sports and "glam" themed puzzle books and magazines.
Work includes hundreds of individual puzzles.

Promotional Puzzle Author at Trapdoor Books, Lyons, CO

April 2010 - January 2011

Created puzzles for a weekly feature on the company's blog.

Created topical puzzles based on books published by the company.
Created artwork for puzzles and blog posts.

Puzzle Contributor at Croxword Corporation, Taiwan

June 2009 - July 2009

Created puzzles for an expansion card pack to supplement a puzzle toy/solving board.

Puzzle Contributor at Total Life Ministries Inc., Scottsdale, AZ

January 2007 - January 2008

Created puzzle pages for Prison Living Magazine.

Education

Computer Information Systems (Web Design Specialty) - B.A.S.

Davenport University, Grand Rapids, MI
August 2006 - December 2009

Inventions

Area 51, a themed combination of slitherlink, masyu, corral/cave, and wolf/sheep logic.
Vampire Mirror Mazes/Haunted Mirror Mazes, a hall of mirrors puzzle genre. featuring paranormal themed logic based on lore. This genre was later built as the game 'Undead' in the Simon Tatham Portable Puzzle Collection.
Times Zone, a loop-building and arithmetic logic puzzle clued in a way like nonograms.
Throwing Shade, a word puzzle where solvers shade unwanted letters to leave answers.
Heyasleep, a variant of Heyawake involving sleeping cats.

Add'l Writing Credits

Hidden Puzzle, 2022 National Puzzlers' League Convention
Bonza puzzle app, contributing author, 2015
Contributing author, 2014 World Puzzle Championship and World Sudoku Championship
Contributing author, 2012 United Kingdom Open Puzzle Championship
Marathon puzzle competition, contributing author, January 2012, Logic Masters India
Contributing author, 2011 Indian Puzzle Championship
FLIP puzzle competition, primary author, November 2010, Logic Masters India
Sampler Platter sudoku competition, primary author, August 2010, Logic Masters India
Haunted Mirror Maze puzzle iPhone app and Flash game, primary author

Organizing Credits

Co-organizer and graphic design lead for Puzzler Pride, 2023 - ongoing, a showcase of puzzles from LGBTQIA+ puzzle authors. In 2023, Puzzler Pride won the 3rd annual Bravo Puzzle Award for the category Other Significant Community Contributions.

Solving Credits

Team member of The Providence Planetary Stations, MIT Mystery Hunt 2024, finishing 2nd place.
Team member of The Providence Planned Vacations, MIT Mystery Hunt 2023, finishing 6th place.
Team member of The Providence Transmutations, MIT Mystery Hunt 2022, finishing 6th place.
Appeared on FOX television show SuperHuman in 2017. Completed a challenge involving memorization and solution of a maze. Placed top 3.