How to Get Better at Crossword Games

Guest Contributor: Tim K

Is there really that much of an art (and science) to solving a “simple” crossword puzzle? What’s the difference between a daily crossword puzzle and the rest? Is “crosswordese” really a thing you should care about when looking to get good at crossword?

Yes, we’ll talk about it, and yes.

Crosswords may be simple in premise, but if you’re seriously looking to get good at crossword puzzles, then you might be surprised just how many strategies and tips there are.

Whether you’re learning how to get better at cryptic crosswords (more wordplay in the clues) specifically or if you’re looking to improve crossword ability, Arkadium has your back with this comprehensive guide on how to get better at crosswords.

First things first, we need to know our playing field, don't we?

First, we’ll cover the general idea, and then we’ll get into some fun and challenging crossword variations.

A “standard” or classic crossword puzzle consists of inserting the answers to a set of simple, ambiguous clues into a grid of tiles. Each word is comprised of multiple letter tiles and is matched by number to its corresponding question.

It’s also important to note that words can go across and/or down, which is indicated in the clues as well. For example, let’s say the clue for “3 down” is “brimless headpiece.” Upon checking the word numbered with a 3 on the grid, you see it only has three tiles in the downward direction. You insert “Fez” into the tiles. As such, the answer to “3 across” will begin with an F.

We’ve already mentioned two kinds of crossword variations. Daily crosswords offer a very popular twist and are commonly found in popular newspapers. This is simply a standard crossword that increases in difficulty throughout the days of the week. A cryptic crossword, on the other hand, relies more heavily on anagrams, puns, and other forms of wordplay.

As always, brushing up on your vocabulary and playing as much crossword as possible are foolproof ways to sharpen your skills over time.

But there are plenty of additional strategies that beginners, intermediate players, and even crossword experts can employ both in-game and when not playing to gain an advantage.

Start With Easier Puzzles

Full transparency: starting your “crossword career” with more challenging puzzles is a discouraging way to improve crossword skills. Even if you have an expansive vocabulary and a knack for trivia, crosswords have their own language: crosswordese. It’s not literally a different language, but different in the sense that clues rely on certain phrasings, devices, and themes that are consistent across puzzles.

The point is that starting with easy crossword puzzles will allow you to learn crosswordese while still being able to get the answer most of the time.

Clear Simpler Clues First

You can use this same technique within a single puzzle as well, meaning you should start with the easiest clues first. Clues that ask you to fill in the blank (_ and the Beast) tend to be easier.

This brings us to our next tip. Getting some letters on the board by clearing the easy clues first will help you expose intersecting letters, which in turn will help you solve other clues more easily. But this only works if you can solve both horizontal and vertical words to create these intersections.

Start to Increase Difficulty

Once you’ve got several fully cleared puzzles under your belt and are feeling confident, you can begin to transition from Monday/Tuesday puzzles to Wednesday/Thursday grids. As long as you’re mentally prepared for the spike in difficulty, you should still be able to knock out most of the clues.

Study Crossword Trivia

On that note, you can study crossword-themed trivia online or in books to increase your trivia knowledge base. For example, everything from the names of Shakespearean characters and classic movies to pop musicians and state capitals is fair game when it comes to crossword clues. Plus, isn’t it fun to throw down on some trivia every once in a while?

Dig Into Crossword Variations

Finally, this is a great time to start embracing some more crossword puzzle variations. Think of it as cross-training for your brain; cryptics and other crossword types can help you flex areas that come in handy with standard crossword puzzles.

Finally, when you’re really mastering those intermediate-level puzzles, it’s officially time to rise to the ranks of Crossword Master. But not everyone makes it this far.

Master Your Understanding of Crossword Clues

If you want to solve the toughest puzzles, you will need to get under the hood and deconstruct the anatomy of a crossword clue: containers, hidden words, reversals, charades, and all the fun tricks they use.

Time Yourself

It’s also helpful to pit yourself against the clock, as the added element of pressure can sometimes sharpen your clue-solving skills while forcing a higher level of creativity when searching for answers.

Create Your Own Puzzle

Another great practice for advanced players is to create your own crossword puzzle.

Don’t go easy on yourself, either!

Lonely at the top, is it? Rest assured, even if you somehow managed to summit the mountain of our best crossword puzzles, then Arkadium has plenty more in store for you—including classics like the LA Times crossword.

All we ask in return is that you share your elite crossword tips and tricks in the comments for our community. Now, don’t you have some studying to do?