Official external puzzles

The Ludwig crossword index

The Guardian turned the fictional setter into a real byline. These links open the playable originals; no grids or clue text are republished here.

18 entries verifiedLast checked 31 August 2026
Reviewed guide · Sources & corrections
Annotated puzzle anatomy

A crossword clue is a two-part contract

This original micro-grid demonstrates the archive’s annotation method without reproducing a programme or newspaper puzzle.

DefinitionBackground investigator produces a patternWordplay / instruction

The solver tests both readings against enumeration and crossing letters. A persuasive surface is not evidence of a correct answer.

Original instructional example · not intended as a published cryptic clue
A crossword setter worktable with blank grid, pencils and reference books
Original fan artworkUnofficial archive commissionAI-assisted original fan artwork · not programme material
Setter’s worktable

Definition, wordplay and checking letters

An original blank grid, pencils and source books give the index a visual centre without copying a published crossword.

Byline note: The Guardian describes “Ludwig” as a name used by various setters—not the concealed identity of one compiler.
DateTypeNo.Archive noteOpen
24 Sep 2024Cryptic29,497First verified Ludwig crypticSolve →
1 Jan 2025Cryptic29,581New Year puzzleSolve →
5 Feb 2025Cryptic29,611Standard crypticSolve →
3 Mar 2025Cryptic29,633Standard crypticSolve →
4 Apr 2025Quick cryptic53Beginner-facing clue guideSolve →
14 Apr 2025Cryptic29,669Standard crypticSolve →
21 Jul 2025Cryptic29,753Archive carries a corrected-clue noteSolve →
12 Dec 2025Quick cryptic89Four beginner mechanismsSolve →
2 Jan 2026Quick cryptic92Includes last-letter cluesSolve →
23 Jan 2026Quick cryptic95Includes alternate lettersSolve →
20 Feb 2026Quick cryptic99Includes soundalikesSolve →
19 Mar 2026Cryptic29,959Standard crypticSolve →
20 Mar 2026Quick cryptic103Four clue mechanismsSolve →
24 Apr 2026Quick cryptic108Introduces dropped-letter cluesSolve →
22 May 2026Quick cryptic112Includes hidden reversalsSolve →
26 Jun 2026Quick cryptic117Includes double definitionsSolve →
17 Jul 2026Quick cryptic120Soundalikes and acrosticsSolve →
21 Aug 2026Quick cryptic125Latest verified entrySolve →
Solving language

Six useful mechanisms

Anagram

Rearrange letters

“Broken,” “wild” or similar language tells you to reorder nearby letters.

Hidden answer

Look inside

The answer appears consecutively inside the clue's words.

Charade

Build in pieces

Short synonyms and abbreviations sit side by side.

Reversal

Read backwards

“Returned,” “back” or “reflected” can reverse letters.

Double definition

Two routes

Both halves define the same answer differently.

Soundalike

Trust your ears

“Heard” or “announced” may indicate a homophone.

Guardian byline archive

The continuing Ludwig crossword identity

The original television tie-in became an ongoing setter byline. This dated index records the 28 items shown on the official Guardian profile on 4 September 2026.

Quick Cryptic learning track

What each puzzle teaches

Letter selection

Acrostics, alternate letters, final letters and hidden answers train the solver to read clue surfaces in more than one way.

Sound and substitution

Soundalikes, dropped letters and Cockney-style omitted sounds demonstrate how spoken form can change an answer.

Rearrangement and definition

Anagrams, reversals, double definitions and cryptic definitions provide increasingly flexible routes into a clue.

Casebook index

Search the archive

224 results