Puzzlewright Guide to Diagramless Crosswords: Over 50 puzzles with solving tips and extra hints

Puzzlewright Guide to Diagramless Crosswords: Over 50 puzzles with solving tips and extra hints for beginners

A complete introduction to solving diagramless crosswords, featuring dozens of puzzles!

Diagramless puzzles (crosswords where the black squares aren’t included, and solvers must figure out where they go) have been a popular crossword variant for decades, but they only appear rarely in newspapers and magazines. This means that there’s a shortage of puzzles out there for diagramless fans. But this also causes another problem: if you’ve never solved a diagramless crossword before, they can seem intimidating, and there aren't a lot of opportunities to practice them. This book offers beginners extra help with solving, while offering plenty of puzzles for everyone.

The extensive introductory guide woven through the book will provide step-by-step instruction, and some of the tips and tricks might be new even to veteran solvers. Starting a diagramless puzzle is the most challenging part, so multiple hints for each puzzle will help smooth the way for new solvers, while experienced solvers can go it alone without any hints for maximum challenge or pick and choose as they wish. Puzzles will start out easy and get more challenging, with crosswords of many different sizes and shapes included—and each grid’s shape relates to its theme, adding to the solving satisfaction.

What Is a Diagramless Crossword Puzzle?

A diagramless crossword puzzle is a crossword with a twist—you don’t get the grid filled in for you. Instead of black squares showing you where words begin and end, you start with a blank grid and build the puzzle layout as you solve the clues.

As you uncover answers, you figure out where the black squares belong and how the words intersect. It’s part crossword, part logic puzzle, and part “aha!” moment. The clues follow standard crossword rules, but the challenge is discovering the puzzle’s structure along the way.

Diagramless puzzles are perfect for solvers who enjoy an extra layer of challenge and creativity. They reward patience, pattern-spotting, and deduction, making each completed grid especially satisfying.

Think of it as solving the crossword and designing the puzzle at the same time—no map required 🧩✨