The Name of the Game by Harribobs

Puzzle explanation

The theme was the Game of Life, created by mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970. Extra letters in wordplay gave “start cells have element of life; shade second generation”. Thus the cells containing L/I/F/E made up the first generation of live cells, from which one application of the rules would produce the second generation, forming LIFE in large letters.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 ESTOP E- + PO[S]TS <
5 SCURRIED (SMALL + CUR + [T]RIED) − MALL
10 MERLOTS LOTS after [A]MER
11 NODDY NOD + D[R]Y
13 ASIANS AS + (g)IAN[T]S
14 LIEGE EG in LI[C]E
16 NOVELLO NOVEL + L[É]O
17 LEVERS ’L[L] + EVER + S(aloon)
18 IREFUL (U after REF) in IL[L]
19 SISAL (LA[S]S + IS) <
21 ECLOSE (t)[H]E + CLOSE
24 UNITY I in [A]UNTY
25 SPLEENS S(wollen) + ELE[V]ENS with P(ie) for first letter
27 ARETS [E]AR + GETS − G(ood)
28 DREADS R[E]D < + ’EADS
30 RURAL RR around U(nitarians) + AL[L]
32 RATTON (A ROTT[E]N) *
33 BEACON [M]BE + A + CON
35 WAYSIDE DAISY * in [E]WE
37 ERUCT CE[N]TAUR * − A
38 IN TOTO O after ([T]INT + OT)
39 GROAT GOAT around [O]R
40 CANONRY (ANON + [F]RY) after C
41 SEAMSETS (E + META[L]S) * in SS
42 SASSY (e)SSAY[I]S(t) *
Down
2 SECO [F]ORCES < − R
3 TRAVELLER T[E]LLER around RAVE
4 POILUS [S]POIL + US
5 STALL [H]S + TALL
6 UNSLICED (LUC[A]S + ENID) *
7 ROLES [D]RÔLES
8 IDÉE I[E] + DEE(p)
9 DRESSY DR + ESSAY[S] − (malari)A
10 MONIED MARRIED with ON[E] for ARR
12 DIVANS D[C] + IVAN + S
15 GRATED TED after RA after G[O]
19 SWELL LL in (S + W + E + [N])
20 LIBATIONS LI[D] + BASTIONS − S(trong)
22 CARTER C(hina) + [G]ARTER
23 ELVANITE [E]VAN in ELITE
25 STUCCO STUC(k) + CO[N]
26 ESNECY SCENE * + Y[E]
27 ABBESS (ABSORBE[R]S − OR(iginals)) *
29 RAYONS R[A] + AY + ON + S
31 ROTAS R(epublic) O(f) T(rinidad) A(nd) [T](obago) S(crutinised)
32 RATAS (A[I] in STAR) <
34 AURA AER[O]NAUTS * − SENT *
36 DORS (e)[N]DORS(e)
Back to 2015 menu