Visual puzzles

Crosswords with interesting visual elements that emerge after filling in the grid

Sometimes there is more to a crossword grid than initially meets the eye.

Click any thumbnail to see the full view. Hover over a grid to see the author.
Across Lite links are included when available. See Grid Art for a different take on beautiful grids.

Sun 11/15/2009	In this tribute to Johnny Mercer, a classic Elizabeth C. Gorski connect-the-dots puzzle, the treble clef emerges only after the letters in the circles are figured out. [Across Lite]
Thu 11/5/2009	The grid by Patrick Blindauer has to be filled before determining that it's the letter S that must be shaded, revealing an Invisible Man. [Across Lite]
Wed 6/17/2009	Peter A. Collins and Joe Krozel make a tree out of five LIMBs, three ROOTs, and a TRUNK. [Across Lite]
Thu 6/11/2009	Alex Boisvert asks us to color the circles blue and any word containing an R red to reveal a familiar image. [Across Lite]
Sun 5/24/2009	In "Perpetual Motion" the theme answers are all about endlessness. [Across Lite]
Wed 4/22/2009	The theme is sailboats and Daniel A. Finan has us connect to dots to draw one ourselves. [Across Lite]
Sun 3/29/2009	Voilà, la Tour Eiffel. Rather than using circles, the key squares are indicated by rebus entries. [Across Lite]
Sun 11/23/2008	David J. Kahn gave us this nautical reflection on a Matisse masterpiece. [Across Lite]
Tue 11/4/2008	This Election Day 2008 puzzle shows us how to cast a ballot by tracing all the Vs in the grid. [Across Lite]
Sun 11/2/2008   WEB MASTER A B R U P T M I C E S P R I T I S H P L E N U M A D A T A H I N I N I E T U N E R S C O M I C B O O K C O V E R N I N A S A L I I O T S T I R E O N E S U G A R L I E T O E A T E R S G R E E N G O B L I N G A L L O W A Y P R O V E I T R U S S O B E T A S A N D I R M A S O C T A L E X I L E S S O I O P T T I T O C A T F I G H T D I T C H E S A M I S O M A R T A O O I E E R R V I N E M I N E S I B E R I A R E A D I N G S E N I D R E O I S M S N U G L I S E A M S C Y N D I A B A A S S E T O D I U M A I G L E T S A T A L A N T A W I L L E M D A F O E B E L I K E G E N I I H E S P E R U S A T T N E U R I M N O P L A C E T H E A M A Z I N G S M A N B L I T H E E E R E V E R S O E Y E R E C O R D D R S T A K E T O R A Y S T E R E S	The Amazing Spider-Man is hanging by a very long thread. [Across Lite]
Thu 12/16/1999 A R T S B A S I C S T A G L U A U A M O C O A H M E I N R E Y E M E N D E B T B O Z H O N E T R A V I S A V A L O N B E A U T I E S B E N I C E O L I N I N E A R T E T I D I N G I T T H U M S Y D S C I A B E I M A G E S R I I S T R A D E A R E L A I N E T A P D A N C E C A G I E R E V E R S O A W R Y I R V M E M O R O S I E L I R A P L A N A L E R T A N O N T Y N E H A D E S B E R T	There was a similar theme on a smaller scall in this funny Jungle Swinger puzzle by Harvey Estes and Nancy Salomon. [Across Lite]
Wed 10/1/2008	Barry Boone was the constructor but he had us construct the house ourselves. [Across Lite]
Thu 9/11/2008	Young star Caleb Madison contributed this puzzle to the 2008 Teen Puzzlemaker Week. [Across Lite]
Sun 8/24/2008	To complete this remarkable 3-D puzzle by Kevin G. Der, you must fold along the lines indicated and then GO THROW THE PAPER AIRPLANE. [Across Lite]
Sun 5/25/2008	The name is Gorski, Elizabeth Gorski, and the puzzle is shaken, not stirred. Or is it the other way around? [Across Lite]
Sun 12/30/2007	Another year-end visual from the queen of such puzzles. [Across Lite]
Wed 7/4/2007	Patrick Blindauer has us shade in some squares after solving this July 4, 2007 birthday puzzle. [Across Lite]
Sun 7/2/2006	Once again, rebus squares hide the visual element. [Across Lite]
Tue 1/31/2006	This scarlet letter puzzle is a kind of precursor to the Invisible Man above but with a different approach. The clue for 65 Across is "California team [and 18 letters in the grid to circle ... and then connect using three lines]" and the answer is THE A'S. [Across Lite]
Thu 6/26/2003	This one is similar. We're asked to find the letter that appears 21 times. It's an S. If you connect them all, you get the shape of a big S. [Across Lite]
Sun 4/25/2004	Rebus keys again. A flock of birds flies off to the right in V Formation. [Across Lite]
Sun 12/14/2003	This year-end Christmas tree is, as far as I know, the first puzzle where the solver connects the dots in alphabetical order. [Across Lite]
Sun 10/13/2002	All the circles in Downward Spiral contain the letter O in this puzzle about the famous double helix. The answer to 3 Down is DESOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID. [Across Lite]
Sun 12/30/2001   DROPPING THE BALL A R A B I A B O A Q U E I C E M A N L O U A N N O K S E T A S H R I N E I T L L D O W E S T D E R B I R D I E S O D D E D L E O N H U M A N L U N E F R E D I E T E T I C S S M A R T G E T S W I T H R I G B Y E E N E T T A S E R S A A C H E N E G G R A I T T F S T A R S T R S S A S E P E T I T F B A T T Y A B Y S S E S T O T R O W H O U S E S W I N T E R D O N T R R Y M A R I N E S T E E R A G E S O A S M A N I P L E S A C R A I N T A C T S C A T M A P K O R B U T A W A I T H R H A G A T E S S A P S E T C H A G E L U R I D F I R S T R L D A R M E D I N T R U D E R S O O O S T O P Y E A R N O A R S U S U A L S A S H O R E L A S T R D S R A G G L E F R A U D S I D O E E R G L E N D A L O T T O S Z E N D D S E L D E S T	This year-ender is more like a visual movie than an image. Follow the progress of the answer at 25 Down to ring in the New Year. As with any of these, click the thumbnail to see the full puzzle. [Across Lite]
Sun 12/31/2000	Another year-end puzzle showing the time on the clock when the yearly odometer changes over. [Across Lite]
Sun 1/7/1996	In this early example by Eric Albert, connecting STAR rebus squares forms a familiar constellation.

Click Grid Art for more beautiful grids!