Staff writer
June Okafor
Word search & classroom puzzles
June started making word searches for a school newsletter and discovered that the format is far more designed than it looks. She writes about grid density, decoy fragments, hidden messages, and the practical constraints of making puzzles for readers who are eight or eighty-eight.
She is the person on staff most likely to argue that an easy puzzle is a hard thing to build.
On the record
- Builds classroom and care-home puzzle packs
- Specialises in accessible large-print grids
- Writes the PuzzleMakers word search column
Writes about
How to Design a Word Search That Is Not Boring
Diagonal density, decoy fragments and the case for hiding a message in the leftover letters.
What Actually Makes a Word Search Grid Hard
Grid size is the difficulty dial everyone reaches for first, and it is the weakest one available.
Why Word Searches for Kids Are Harder to Make
Vocabulary ceilings, letter frequency, reading direction and the accidental swear word problem.
The Crossword Constructor Software Stack
Grid editors, word lists, scoring and export formats: what each tool actually does, and which decisions the software cannot make for you.
One good puzzle a week. No filler.
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