In aid of RNIB and BBC Children in Need
Clues by Soup and Grid by Komorník. A toppled conical grid with a (for these puzzles, very) large base 13 spaces in diameter and 12 in circumference, tapering to a single letter at the peak provides the vehicle for this month.
Clues by Soup and Grid by Komorník Enter the prize draw by 30 September. The background for this puzzle is a Dennis Sylvester Hurd photo of a monkey eating an ice cream in a cornet wafer. This puzzle by Soup uses an innovative conical grid by Komorník consisting of seven progressively smaller dials, the last of which… Read more Hints & Tips September 2025
Clues by Vlad and Grid by Calluna. It’s high summer, so now is an ideal time to relax in the garden on a sunny weekend afternoon with a glass of white wine and an entertaining thematic crossword.
Clues by Vlad and Grid by Calluna Enter the prize draw by 31 August. The background for this puzzle is an Elijah Henderson photo of a zebra. This puzzle by Vlad uses a conventional 9x7x5 grid by Calluna commemorating those responsible for a movement in a period of British culture. Like Calluna, this movement has a strong… Read more Hints & Tips August 2025
Clues and Grid by Sirius. A really odd puzzle this month. It’s a dial puzzle (as we’d expect from Sirius), but it’s turned on its side and deformed a bit, making it look more like an eel trap or… something.
Clues and Grid by Sirius Enter the prize draw by 31 July. The background for this puzzle is a Darkmoon_Art image of a walkway through a dense tropical forest. The rubric is presented as if written in chalk on a traditional school classroom display. This puzzle by Sirius uses an unconventional Eight Dials torus grid, marking the… Read more Hints & Tips July 2025
Clues and Grid by Komorník. We have an unusual shape for this Extra puzzle. It’s sort of 6x3x5 but with gutters so words can be written around the separate pieces.
Clues by Paul and Grid by Absolution. A puzzle by Paul promises cryptic clueing of the highest quality. Many solvers would agree that Paul, who has been composing crosswords for the Guardian for thirty years, is UK’s Number One Crossword Setter
Clues by Paul and Grid by Absolution Enter the prize draw by 30 June. I seem to hear two repeated notes on low strings… The background for this puzzle is a Jean-Pierre Zill photograph of a great egret reflected in water. …gradually becoming more insistent… This puzzle by Paul uses a conventional 7x5x5 grid by Absolution, marking… Read more Hints & Tips June 2025
Clues by Raich and Grid by Rikki. A tall and extra unch-y 7 x 5 x 6 grid, gives us a normal number of lights, but longer and freer ones in the vertical directions. There are some shaded squares to give us an “eponymous character”