View Image

Diagnil is a software application designed specifically for solvers of diagramless crossword puzzles. It supports the process of solving puzzles distributed in print form as well as those distributed electronically using the Across Lite and XPF file formats. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux/Unix platforms.

The diagramless puzzle is a crossword variant where only word clues are provided; word locations are not disclosed. (If a grid is supplied, it is completely blank.) Solving a diagramless puzzle requires not only determining the words but also where they lie on the grid.

Despite the ubiquity of standard crosswords, the diagramless variety remains much less popular. One plausible reason for this is that diagramless puzzles are viewed as overly difficult. Though not suitable for beginners, they are easier to solve than is often presumed.

A second, more justifiable reason is that their solving mechanics can be tedious, especially when working on paper. Although the intellectual challenge of diagramless puzzles is appealing, the need to frequently redraw to converge on the correct word layout can sap the enjoyment from what should be recreation. While brilliant solvers are undaunted, mere mortals wear out their erasers.