Hearst Newspapers has acquired puzzle games hub Puzzmo.
Developed by game designer Zach Gage and engineer Orta Therox, Puzzmo is a platform for original daily newspaper games and puzzles, such as SpellTower, Typeshift, Flipart, and Cross|Word.
Puzzmo launched in October 2023 with a limited number of keys being released daily. It was financed during development by the Astra Fund, as reported by Game Developer.
Following its acquisition by Hearst Newspapers, Puzzmo will be rolled out amongst its brands such as the San Francisco Chronicle and Popular Mechanics, as well as other local news apps and websites.
Vox, Digg, theSkimm, and Canada’s Postmedia will also launch games on the platform.
“Zack and Orta are truly innovators, and we are thrilled to partner with them on the launch of Puzzmo,” said Hearst Newspaper president Jeffrey Johnson.
“Puzzmo brings all the challenges of traditional newspaper puzzles to a new level of design, collaboration and interactivity, and we believe they will become a daily habit for our readers across the country.”
Gage added: “Puzzmo’s design was inspired by traditional newspaper games. As an icon in the newspaper industry, we’re proud to have Hearst as our long-term partner.
Therox highlighted that “the power, flexibility, and scalability of what [they’ve] built makes it a smart choice for publishers,” and that he and Gage are “excited to reach so many players across Hearst’s audience.”
