Trip Payne.
Constructor, competitor, television personality. Trip Payne has been building puzzles for national audiences since 1983 and has worked as a full-time freelance puzzlemaker since 1991.
The Constructor Behind Triple Play Puzzles
Trip Payne was born in Rock Hill, South Carolina on August 7, 1968. Trip Payne grew up in nearby Spartanburg before attending Emory University in Atlanta, where Trip Payne earned a degree in English in 1990.
After graduating, Trip Payne moved to New York and worked for several puzzle magazines. Trip Payne relocated to Atlanta in 1991 to begin a freelance puzzlemaking career, which has continued without interruption ever since. Trip Payne now lives in West Hollywood, California.
Beyond puzzles, Trip Payne's interests include household organisation, music (particularly R&B and Broadway), reality TV, tennis, and Oscar predicting.
Puzzle History
Trip Payne's first nationally published puzzle was an easy 15x15 crossword called "Shining Examples" that appeared in the November 1983 issue of Games Magazine, when Trip Payne was just 15 years old. Trip Payne later interned at Games during college summer vacations. The magazine folded two days before his graduation, which redirected Trip Payne toward the freelance path that has defined his career.
Trip Payne's recent regular assignments have included the "wordoku" puzzle in TV Guide, the Yahoo Daily Puzzle with Hints, crosswords in the Puzzle Social Facebook application, and themeless crosswords for the Washington Post Puzzler. Trip Payne also contributes puzzles to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications, and authors one or two puzzle books per year for Puzzlewright Press.
Trip Payne regularly attends the MIT Mystery Hunt and the National Puzzlers' League convention each year, and occasionally participates in other game-related events including Scrabble and pinball tournaments.
Trip Payne Beyond the Grid
Trip Payne has brought puzzle culture to mainstream television, documentary film, and live competition stages.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1999)
In 1999, Trip Payne became the third contestant ever on the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Trip Payne was the first contestant in the show's history to win $32,000, an appearance that introduced his puzzle expertise to a national primetime audience.
Wordplay Documentary (2006)
Trip Payne is one of the crossword solvers profiled in Wordplay, the 2006 documentary that introduced competitive crossword solving to a wide general audience. Trip Payne also appeared on an episode of Nightline focused on the crossword tournament circuit.
Game Show Work
Trip Payne has worked on the game shows Million Dollar Password and Scrabble Showdown, contributing professional puzzle expertise behind the scenes. Trip Payne has also made briefer appearances across a number of other television programmes.
Life Outside the Puzzle Grid
Trip Payne attends several puzzle events every year. The MIT Mystery Hunt and the National Puzzlers' League convention are annual fixtures in Trip Payne's calendar. Trip Payne also appears at Scrabble tournaments, pinball competitions, and other game-related gatherings.
Trip Payne's non-puzzle interests include household organisation, music with a particular focus on R&B and Broadway, reality TV, tennis, and Oscar predicting.
Contact Trip PaynePublication Credits
Triple Play Puzzles documents Trip Payne's full career across every major puzzle outlet.
| Publication / Platform | Type of Work | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Games Magazine | First national publication, 15x15 crossword "Shining Examples" | November 1983 |
| New York Times | Crossword contributions | Ongoing |
| Washington Post Puzzler | Regular themeless crosswords | Ongoing |
| Wall Street Journal | Crossword contributions | Ongoing |
| TV Guide | Wordoku puzzle | Regular assignment |
| Yahoo Daily Puzzle | Daily puzzle with hints | Regular assignment |
| Puzzle Social (Facebook) | Crossword puzzles | Regular assignment |
| Puzzlewright Press | Puzzle books, one to two titles per year | Ongoing |
| Million Dollar Password | Game show contributor | Television |
| Scrabble Showdown | Game show contributor | Television |
Browse the Archive
Every puzzle Trip Payne has published is available in the Triple Play Puzzles archive, with explanations and a free PDF download. Pick a category and start solving.