🔥 20 free puzzles
Hard Riddle & Brain Teaser Word Search
20 hard riddle & brain teaser word searches for keen solvers who enjoy a proper hunt.
Hard word searches use all 8 directions, including backwards and up, and words are allowed to cross and share letters.
Or make a brand new one
All hard riddle & brain teaser puzzles
- 110×10 · 12 words
- 215×15 · 15 words
- 320×20 · 24 words
- 410×10 · 12 words
- 515×15 · 16 words
- 620×20 · 21 words
- 710×10 · 12 words
- 815×15 · 15 words
- 920×20 · 24 words
- 1010×10 · 12 words
- 1115×15 · 14 words
- 1220×20 · 21 words
- 1310×10 · 12 words
- 1415×15 · 17 words
- 1520×20 · 22 words
- 1610×10 · 10 words
- 1715×15 · 17 words
- 1820×20 · 23 words
- 1910×10 · 12 words
- 2015×15 · 17 words
Puzzle guide
About hard riddle & brain teaser word search puzzles
What they are
Hard brain teaser word searches hide words in all eight directions, backwards included, and let them cross. CONUNDRUM might read right to left and WHODUNIT might climb upwards, sharing a letter with a CLUE along the way. The largest grids hold up to 25 words, and crossings let puzzle words overlap in ways that feel almost like a code. It is a fitting challenge for anyone who has worked through our riddle collection.
How to play
Investigate every direction around a likely letter, like a detective checking every door. Where two words cross, the shared square counts for both.
Tips
MASTERMIND is long and full of distinctive letters, so find it first. Check final letters too, so reversed words like REBUS, which would read SUBER, are not missed.
Who they suit
Hard brain teaser puzzles suit teenagers, adults and puzzle-club members.
Printing
Print hard brain teaser grids one per page and use them as a challenge round in a puzzle night. The answer key is separate.
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All riddles to go with your word search
A word search trains your eye for patterns; a riddle trains your mind to see the trick. Here are a few riddles with answers, then more brain games from the club.