Who it's for
Anyone who enjoys large print cryptograms, or is buying for someone who does. Here are 200 letter-swap puzzles, and each one hides a small, good thought: a warm saying, an old proverb, a gentle reflection or a curious fact, across 20 short themed sections. Crack the code and the line is yours to keep.
It suits complete beginners as well as experienced solvers. The first 50 puzzles give you three letters free, the code letters are 19 point throughout, and every answer is at the back for the moment you want to check.
Large print cryptograms: what's inside
- How to Solve a Cryptogram, first. One plain page of rules and tips, then a worked example that takes a short coded sentence from blank to solved, step by step.
- 200 puzzles in 20 short sections, 10 to a section, on kindness, small joys, patience, courage, friendship, gratitude, home, hope, nature's wonders and more. Each section opens with a line about what is inside.
- Four kinds of piece. 67 warm sayings, 39 old proverbs, 47 reflections and 47 curious facts, each labeled above its puzzle. The proverbs are traditional and anonymous; no line is credited to a named author.
- Four levels, 50 puzzles each. Level 1 gives three free letters in every puzzle, Level 2 gives two, Level 3 gives one, and in Level 4 you are on your own. Where free letters are given, they are listed above the puzzle and already written in.
- Large print throughout. Every code letter is 19 point and sits over its own write-in line, and most pages have a key strip under the puzzles for keeping track of the letters you have found.
- One-Letter Help. Stuck in Level 3 or 4? A page near the back gives one more code letter for each puzzle, and nothing else.
- The answers at the back, grouped by section, in 17 point type.
How to use it
- Start with Section 1, even if you have solved cryptograms before. Three free letters make it a gentle warm-up.
- Try the short words next. A one-letter word is usually A or I, and THE and AND are the most common three-letter words.
- Guess a whole word from the sense of the line. Some puzzles hide familiar sayings or old proverbs; others hold reflections or curious facts. When a half-solved line sounds familiar, try a whole-word guess, then check it against the rest of the code.
- Stuck? Borrow one letter. In Levels 3 and 4, the One-Letter Help page gives you one more letter without spoiling the rest.
New to cryptograms? Our article on easy cryptograms for beginners cracks one coded proverb with you in four moves, and How to Solve Cryptograms walks through Edgar Allan Poe's method.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the print?
Every code letter is 19 point, with its own line to write on. The instructions and section notes are 16 point, and the answers at the back are 17 point.
I've never done a cryptogram. Can I start here?
Yes. The how-to page and the worked example come first, and the first fifty puzzles give you three letters in every puzzle.
What will I be decoding?
67 sayings, 39 traditional proverbs such as "Rome was not built in a day", 47 reflections and 47 curious facts. Each piece is labeled above its puzzle, and the sections cover topics such as kindness, patience, friendship, home, hope and nature's wonders.
How hard does it get?
The free letters drop from three to two, then one, then none, and the Level 4 pieces run a little longer. The One-Letter Help page is there for the harder half of the book.
Are the answers included?
Yes, for all 200 puzzles, grouped by section at the back.
How is it different from your other cryptogram book?
Large Print Cryptograms: The Village Detective's Casebook hides twenty gentle village mystery cases in its puzzles. This book has no story to follow: every puzzle stands alone, and each one is a small, cheerful thought.
How big is the book?
8.5 x 11 inches, 124 pages, printed in black ink.
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