Welcome to ThinkVail – shop for the best Mensa crossword puzzle for yourself or to give as a gift. Choose from a variety of traditional & cryptic crosswords.
You do not need to be a member of Mensa, the internationally famous high-IQ society, to enjoy these Mensa-sanctioned crossword puzzles. The format of all of these books is a compact, high-quality spiral binding that lies perfectly flat Whether you’re looking for fun, challenging or cranium crushing you will find a book perfect for your abilities from this list.
See also: Vail, Colorado Crossword Puzzle
Do you have just a few minutes to spare, but still want a challenge? Mensa 10-Minute Crossword Puzzles is adapted from the popular Mensa 10-Minute Crossword Puzzles Page-A-Day Calendar. All of these puzzles are tough and challenging, but are designed to be solvable in ten minutes or less.
These crosswords were created by master Fred Piscop, Mensa member, author of the Mensa calendar, and frequent crossword contributor to both The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Cleverly themed crossword puzzles will delight both seasoned puzzlers and newbies looking to become better. Perfect for adding a little spice to your morning routine, after dinner downtime, subway or train commutes on the subway, or anytime you need a mental pick-me-up.
The book fits easily into a purse or bag. An answer key is in the back of the book.
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Enjoy148 crossword puzzles written by crossword genius Martin Ashwood-Smith. All puzzles are designed to be completed in about 15 minutes. So they are perfect for any time you have a few spare minutes during the day. While not extremely difficult, these crosswords are full of clever themes and up-to-date clues that make them engaging and hard to put down.
This book is perfect for relaxing. The print is not too small and the puzzles are challenging without being too hard or too easy. Enjoy this book, it is a great way to keep your brain active
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Designed by David Levinson Wilk, one the country’s most popular crossword creators, these 72 puzzles will test your knowledge of history, pop culture, science, literature, sports, and lots more, as well as your ability to puzzle out clever themes.
These clever and challenging crosswords will appeal to seasoned solvers but can still be solved and enjoyed by novices. Great for an airplane ride or long car trips.
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This is the second volume of clever, challenging puzzles by David Levinson Wilk. He has devised 72 crosswords that will test solvers’ knowledge of a variety of tricky and entertaining themes.
For example, in one puzzle, you need to know how much every letter of the alphabet scores in Scrabble. There are plenty of less experimental crosswords, with anagrams, puns, hidden words in the grids, and other wordplay that are also lots of fun.
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Think you’re smart? Super smart? Well, now here’s your chance to prove it with these 72 cranium-crushing challenges.
This book by Frank Longo is the most challenging crossword collection ever. There are very few black squares in these crosswords, which means that most of the answers are LONG. These puzzles will challenge every facet of your general knowledge. And when the answers aren’t hard, the clues can be quite tricky.
These puzzles require you to take your time, to think about the clues and then put it down, come back to it, and keep picking at it, until you are finally, able to figure out the solution. This book lives up to its title, as the puzzles are really rewarding when and if, you finally solve them.
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You don’t need to wait for a rainy day for these puzzles just pull them out anytime you have a spare few minutes and want a challenge. These crosswords are really good and a lot of fun!
This collection offers a lot of variety including not just themed crosswords, but also anagrams, rebuses, and games with word pronunciation to spice up the deciphering. There is plenty to keep you busy for hours, no matter the weather. Get ready to enjoy!
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Tired of conventional crosswords? Looking for something different? Look no further, these clever games will make your brain work overtime. Each puzzle has a little twist, something unusual to keep puzzle lovers on their toes.
Designed by Henry Hook these engaging puzzles offer something new for everyone. Instead of moving left to right and top to bottom as a normal crossword does, you’ll find all sorts of variations: answers arranged in circles, multiple letters in a box and sometimes you don’t even know where to start the answer. If you are looking for challenging, unusual word puzzles, this book is definitely for you.
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If you haven’t heard of Cryptic crosswords yet, it’s time you did! Try your hand a at 65 puzzles that combine crosswords, logic puzzles, acrostics and clever puns.
New York Times puzzle experts, Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon have created an amazing variety of puzzles with Double Definitions (words with two meanings), Hidden Answers (words inside other words or phrases), and Homophones (clues that only sound like the answers). Add to that puzzles featuring Charades (word clues that break into syllables), Reversals (clues spelled backwards), Deletions (clues where you lop off a letter), Complex Clues (clues that combine these other tricks), and Containers (too fiendish to explain here)–and you’ll know why puzzle fans love Cryptic Crosswords.
If you’re not familiar with cryptic crosswords, check out the a how-to video below before trying to tackle even the easiest puzzle.
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Because we just can’t get enough cryptic crossword puzzles! Mensa® offers a second book of super-challenging puzzles that go way beyond the average crossword. Each puzzle offers irresistible wordplay including double definitions, hidden answers, homophones, and containers. Get ready to put your thinking cap on and sharpen your solving skills.
If you’re not familiar with cryptic crosswords, check out the a how-to video below before trying to tackle even the easiest puzzle.
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Brought to you by the former puzzle editor of The New Yorker, Fraser Simpson has designed quirky puzzles that use clues that combine straightforward definitions with clever wordplay.
For example, “Hit friends back” is the clue for SLAP, which means “hit” but is also PALS reversed (“friends back”). You’ll also encounter homophones, hidden words, charades, deletions, pig Latin, and more.
These puzzles are not like standard American crosswords. Cryptic clues usually have two parts and are not to be taken literally. The solutions may be found in anagrams of the clue, hidden in the clue, homonyms of referenced words or in any number of other ways. If you approach these like traditional crosswords, you’ll get frustrated.
Solving cryptic crosswords asks you to think outside the box, and the clues are often mindbogglingly witty.
If you’re not familiar with cryptic crosswords, checkout the a how-to video below before trying to tackle even the easiest puzzle.
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Beginners Guide to Cryptic Crosswords Video
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We hope you found you found your favorite Mensa crossword puzzle helpful. Are Mensa crosswords your favorite crossword puzzles? Have you ever tried a cryptic crossword? Did you like it? What is your favorite type of crossword or who is your favorite crossword creator? We would love to hear your thoughts and comments regarding these challenging puzzles.
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I really enjoy crossword puzzles and have been solving them for years. I especially like Mensa Crossword puzzles as they can be so difficult to finish, and so satisfying when you do do. However, I have never heard of Cryptic Crosswords, these seem unbelievably fun and tricky and I want to give it a try. I think I will start with 102 Mensa Cryptic Crosswords. Can't wait to get started! Thanks for opening up my crossword world!
Great choice! Cryptic crosswords are my new, favorite vice. They are kind of addictive so just watch out. Well, addicting and frustrating (but in a good way, like in a pulling your hair out, kind of way) Have fun with this new type of crossword puzzle and enjoy! Watch the video about cryptic crosswords before you start so you get the feel of what type of solutions you will be looking for.
I love crosswords. I remember, I’d always asked my dad for the section of the newspaper so I could play it. Now, my husband and I always solve them together, it's an easy way to spend time together without a cellphone! I have never heard of of Mensa crossword puzzles but they sound fun and challenging so I am going to order a book today as a gift to my husband, a gift that I also get to enjoy!
Hi Nuttanee, yes I love doing crosswords with my husband as well. Since you have not done a Mensa crossword puzzle before (they can be VERY difficult) I recommend that you start with Mensa Take A Break Crosswords as they are fun, challenging but not as difficult as the other crossword puzzle books on the list.