Okay, so I’ve been wanting to make a crossword puzzle for a while, and I finally decided to do it. The theme? Pokemon, of course! I figured it would be a fun way to combine two things I enjoy.
First, I brainstormed a bunch of Pokemon names and clues. This took longer than I expected! It’s surprisingly hard to come up with clues that aren’t too easy or too obscure. I jotted everything down in a notebook – a good mix of easier ones like “Electric Mouse Pokemon” and harder ones, maybe referencing some obscure detail from the games.
Making the Grid
Next, I tackled the grid itself. I initially tried to make the grid freehand but soon realised that getting everything symmetrical was trickier and harder to maintain with pen and paper, and it looked messy.
So, I searched online for some free crossword grid makers. I found a few, but many were clunky or had limited features. Eventually, I stumbled upon a simple, no-frills one that let me input the grid size I wanted.
- I started with a 15×15 grid, which seemed like a good standard size.
- I typed in the Pokemon names, trying to make them intersect as much as possible. This was like a puzzle in itself!
- I kept rearranging words, adding black squares, and tweaking the layout until it looked decent.
Writing the Clues
With the grid finalized, I went back to my list of clues. I matched each clue to the corresponding Pokemon name in the grid, making sure the numbers lined up. I tried to make the clues a bit more creative, adding some wordplay where I could. Some were straightforward (“Fire-type starter from Gen 1”), while others were a little more cryptic (“This Pokemon’s tears can cause immense sadness”).
Testing, Testing…
Once I had everything filled in, I printed out the crossword and tried to solve it myself. This was crucial! I caught a few mistakes – a couple of clues that didn’t quite make sense, and one where I’d accidentally put the wrong number. I fixed those up, then I gave the puzzle to my friend (also a Pokemon fan) to test. They found a couple more things I’d missed, so I made those final adjustments.
The Finished Product!
Finally, I have done a printable Pokemon crossword! It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It was a fun little project, and it definitely scratched that creative itch. Might try a different theme next time, maybe something even harder.
