If you play the daily Code Cracker in the NZ Herald or work through a Simon Shuker puzzle book, you already know his puzzles are not like the rest. They are harder to start, more carefully built, and far more satisfying to finish.
This page gives you a free solver tool built specifically for Simon Shuker’s Code Cracker puzzles. It also explains who Simon Shuker is, what makes his puzzles different from computer-generated alternatives, and how to get the most out of the solver when you are stuck on one of his grids.
Who Is Simon Shuker?
Simon Shuker is a Wellington-based New Zealand puzzle maker. He created the Code Cracker puzzle in the mid-1990s and has been making them by hand ever since. He is one of the few professional puzzle makers in the world who still handcrafts every single puzzle rather than using software to generate them.
His name is well known in New Zealand puzzle circles. Many solvers search specifically for his puzzles by name because they know the quality will be consistent. That is rare in the puzzle world, where most content is mass-produced and difficulty varies wildly from one grid to the next.
How Simon Shuker Got Started
Shuker created Take5, a puzzle that appeared in the New Zealand Listener. The Daily Mail in the UK noticed it and approached him directly. They asked him to develop a larger, more complex puzzle in a similar style.
The result was Codeword. It launched in the Daily Mail and became a hit from day one. The puzzle started at five days a week, grew to six, then expanded to seven when the Daily Mail Weekend magazine adopted it too. It has run without a break for more than 20 years — one of the longest continuous puzzle runs in British print media.
Back in New Zealand, the same puzzle ran under the name Code Cracker and became the most widely published word puzzle in the country.
Where Simon Shuker’s Puzzles Appear Today
| Publication | Country | Frequency | Puzzle Name |
| NZ Herald | New Zealand | Daily (7 days a week) | Code Cracker |
| Dominion Post | New Zealand | Daily | Code Cracker |
| The Press (Christchurch) | New Zealand | Daily | Code Cracker |
| Otago Daily Times | New Zealand | Daily | Code Cracker |
| Daily Mail | United Kingdom | Daily (7 days a week) | Codeword |
| Daily Mail Weekend | United Kingdom | Weekly (Saturday) | Codeword |
| Simon Shuker Book Series | New Zealand | 21 volumes published | Code-Cracker |
| Lovatts Platform | New Zealand / Australia | Daily online | Code Cracker |
What Makes Simon Shuker’s Code Cracker Puzzles Different?
Most word puzzles today are built by software. A program fills the grid, assigns random numbers to letters, and the puzzle goes to print. It works, but the result is often uneven. Some grids are trivially easy to start and frustratingly hard to finish. Others have no clear logical path at all.
Simon Shuker does not work that way. Every puzzle he publishes is handcrafted from start to finish. That single fact changes everything about how the puzzle feels to solve.
Handcrafted vs Computer-Generated Puzzles
| Feature | Simon Shuker Handcrafted Puzzles | Computer-Generated Puzzles |
| How It Is Built | Created by hand, one puzzle at a time | Generated automatically by software |
| Difficulty Curve | Carefully planned and balanced | Can be uneven and unpredictable |
| Starting Letters | Chosen to help solvers get started | Selected by an algorithm and may not always be helpful |
| New Letters per Step | Added gradually to keep solving fair | May reveal too many or too few clues at once |
| Vocabulary Choices | Uses familiar words that reward logic | May include unusual or less common words |
| Solving Satisfaction | High, with a clear logical path | Can sometimes feel like guessing |
| Every Letter A–Z | Always included in every puzzle | Usually included, but not always guaranteed |
| Proper Nouns | Never used | Usually avoided, but not strictly controlled |
The main idea of Simon Shuker’s puzzles is very simple: each letter you solve should help you solve the next one.
In a good Code Cracker puzzle, everything connects step by step. You find one letter, like E, and it helps you see other words. Then you find another letter, like T, and more answers become clear.But in computer-made puzzles, this does not always happen. You can get stuck because the next step is not clear or feels random.
How Simon Shuker Controls Difficulty
Simon Shuker controls how hard a puzzle is by deciding how many new letters you get after each solve.
In an easy puzzle, one solved letter quickly helps you find 3 or 4 more letters through crossing words. In a hard puzzle, one letter may only help a little, so you must think more carefully before moving forward.
This is a skill that is hard for software to copy. The puzzle maker must think like the solver and ask: What will the player be able to solve next if I give them this letter?
- Easy puzzles: One letter quickly unlocks 3–4 more letters.
- Medium puzzles: Steady progress, usually 1–2 new letters each step.
- Hard puzzles: Slower progress with fewer clues before the grid opens up.
- All puzzles: There is always a logical path you do not need to guess.
Simon Shuker Code Cracker Book Series
Alongside his daily newspaper puzzles, Simon Shuker publishes a series of Code Cracker books. Each volume contains 125 handcrafted puzzles and is produced entirely in New Zealand written, published, printed, bound, and distributed domestically.
| Detail | Information |
| Volumes Published | 21 volumes as of September 2024 |
| Puzzles per Volume | 125 handcrafted puzzles in each book |
| Latest Volume | Volume 21, published on September 2, 2024 |
| Production | Written, published, printed, bound, and distributed in New Zealand |
| Available At | Scorpio Books, University Bookshop, and Bateman Books |
| Hint System | Each book includes a hint page that reveals one extra starter letter for each puzzle |
| Instructions | Easy-to-follow instructions are included in every volume |
| Difficulty Range | A mix of easy, medium, and hard puzzles across the series |
How the Hint Page Works in Simon Shuker’s Books
Every Simon Shuker book volume includes a dedicated hint page at the back. When you are completely stuck on a puzzle, you turn to the hint page and find one extra starter letter for that grid.
This is a simple but clever system. It gives you just enough to get moving again without solving the puzzle for you. The hint is a single letter-number pair the same type of information you started with. It restarts the logical chain and lets you finish the puzzle under your own power.
This is where the Code Cracker Solver also comes in. If you want to try before using the hint page, enter your stuck word pattern into the solver with your known letters and wildcards. In many cases, the solver will give you enough options to make an educated next move without needing to reach for the hint.
How to Use This Solver for Simon Shuker Puzzles
This solver works for all Simon Shuker Code Cracker puzzles daily newspaper grids and book volumes alike. The steps are the same regardless of which publication the puzzle comes from.
Step-by-Step: Using the Solver on a Shuker Grid
- Start by filling in the three given starter letters in every matching cell on the grid.
- Work through easy clues first, like short words and simple patterns.
- If you get stuck on a word, count how many letters it has.
- Choose that word length in the solver.
- Enter the letters you already know in the correct positions.
- Leave unknown letters blank.
- Use + for positions where two cells have the same number (same letter).
- Click Solve and check the possible answers.
- Pick the word that fits the grid numbers.
- Double-check it with other words that share the same numbers.
Wildcard Tips Specific to Shuker Puzzles
Simon Shuker’s puzzles use everyday English vocabulary with a preference for clean, familiar words. This matters when using the solver because it helps you narrow the results list.
| Situation in a Simon Shuker Puzzle | What to Do in the Solver |
| Two nearby squares have the same number | Use + in both positions. Example: sp++ for words with double letters. |
| You know only the first and last letters | Enter the known letters and leave the middle spaces blank. Example: C _ _ _ T. |
| You know a vowel in the middle | Place the vowel in its position and leave the other letters blank. Example: _ A _ _ _. |
| Too many results are shown | Turn on Exc Match to remove words that use letters you have already solved elsewhere. |
| No results appear | One of your letters may be wrong. Remove your latest guess and try again. |
| The word ends with -TION or -NESS | Enter the ending directly to quickly narrow the results. |
| The puzzle uses NZ or British English | Use spellings like colour, honour, and programme instead of American spellings. |
British and NZ English Spellings in Shuker Puzzles
This is one area where solvers who learned American English get tripped up. Simon Shuker’s puzzles use New Zealand and British English spellings throughout. If you enter an American spelling into the solver and get no results, try the British version.
| American Spelling | NZ / British Spelling | Which to Use in the Solver |
| color | colour | colour |
| honor | honour | honour |
| program | programme | programme |
| analyze | analyse | analyse |
| tire | tyre | tyre |
| center | centre | centre |
| traveled | travelled | travelled |
| recognize | recognise | recognise |
| gray | grey | grey |
| jail | gaol | gaol (older NZ usage) |
Understanding Simon Shuker’s Vocabulary Choices
A good puzzle feels fair and natural. When you finish it, you should feel like the answer made sense all along not like it came from nowhere.
Simon Shuker keeps his puzzles like this by using simple, everyday English words from New Zealand and British English. He avoids strange, technical, or confusing words so that most solvers can follow along easily.
- Common nouns: everyday things like kitchen, garden, window, travel
- Action verbs: simple actions like started, running, carried, twisted
- Adjectives: familiar describing words like golden, silent, broken, narrow
- No acronyms or abbreviations
- No proper names (no people, places, or brands)
- No foreign words unless they are commonly used in English
When you use the solver and see many results, this helps you choose. Just ignore unusual or technical words and focus on simple, familiar ones they are usually the correct answers in Shuker puzzles.
Common Places Solvers Get Stuck in Simon Shuker Puzzles
Even experienced solvers hit walls in Shuker’s harder grids. These are the most common sticking points and how the solver tool helps you past each one.
Stuck at the Start – Only Three Letters Decoded
The hardest part of any Shuker puzzle is the first five minutes. You have three starter letters and a full grid of numbers that still mean nothing. This is where most solvers give up or reach for the hint page too soon.Before using the solver, try these moves first:
- Find single-letter words in the grid they are always A or I.
- Count which number appears most often it is likely E.
- Look for two-letter words try OF, TO, IN, IS, IT, BE, AT against your known letters.
- Look for a three-letter word that includes one of your starter letters.
If none of those work, take a three or four letter word from the grid, enter its pattern into the solver, and scan the results. Even if the list is long, you can eliminate options that clash with your three known letters elsewhere in the grid.
Stuck in the Middle – One Wrong Guess Has Spread
This is the most frustrating situation. You decoded 10 letters and the grid was going well then something stopped making sense. A word that should work does not, and you cannot figure out which earlier guess was wrong.
The solver helps here in a specific way. Take a short word from the grid where you have 2-3 letters filled in. Enter the pattern and check whether your current letters produce any valid results. If the solver returns nothing, those letters contain a contradiction one of them is wrong.
Work backwards from the contradiction. The most recent letter you decoded is the most likely culprit. Erase it and try again.
Stuck at the End – Rare Letters Remaining
Near the end of a Shuker puzzle, the remaining undecoded numbers are almost always rare letters: K, Z, Q, J, or X. These appear in only one or two words in the grid, which gives you very little context.
Enter the pattern of whichever word contains the rare number and run the solver. With most of the word already decoded from surrounding letters, the results list will be very short — often just two or three options. The right answer will be the one that also works in any other word sharing that number.
| Rare Letter | Common Patterns in Simon Shuker Puzzles | Example Words |
| K | Often appears in -CK, -NK, or KN- patterns | TRICK, DRINK, KNOCK, BLANK |
| Z | Commonly found in ZO-, ZE-, or -ZZ- patterns | ZONE, ZERO, JAZZ, FIZZ, PIZZA |
| Q | Almost always followed by U in English words | QUEEN, QUIET, QUOTE, QUICK |
| J | Frequently appears in short words and JO- or JA- starts | JOB, JAM, JET, JOY, JOIN |
| X | Most often appears in words starting with EX- | EXACT, EXTRA, EXIST, EXILE |
Simon Shuker Code Cracker Solver vs Other NZ Solver Tools
Several free solver tools exist for New Zealand Code Cracker puzzles. Here is how they compare for solving Shuker puzzles specifically.
| Tool | NZ English Dictionary | Wildcard Support | Word Length Filter | Mobile-Friendly | Scrabble Scores |
| This Solver (codecrackersolver.co.nz) | Yes | Yes (*, +, -) | Yes (1–15 letters) | Yes | Yes |
| Les Nalder Solver | Yes | Yes (*, +, -) | No | Limited | No |
| Codeword Solver | UK English focus | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Crossword Solver | General English | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| WordHippo | General English | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
For Simon Shuker’s puzzles specifically, a NZ English dictionary matters. His puzzles use NZ and British spellings exclusively. A solver using an American English dictionary will miss valid answers like colour, honour, and programme which are common in his grids.
Simon Shuker Puzzles on the Lovatts Platform
Lovatts publishes a daily Code Cracker online at lovattspuzzles.com. The puzzles follow the same format as Simon Shuker’s newspaper grids 15×15 grid, numbers replace letters, 3 starter pairs, no clues, no proper nouns.
Lovatts offers two modes that change how you interact with the solver tool:
Quick Mode on Lovatts
• Hint button available reveals the correct letter for any selected cell.
• Correct letters highlight green as you type them.
• Errors appear immediately in red.
• Use the solver tool first before tapping the hint button it keeps your skills sharp.
• Best for days when you are short on time and just want to finish.
Challenge Mode on Lovatts
• No hints at any point pure deduction required.
• No colour feedback right and wrong entries look identical.
• Errors only appear when you submit the completed grid.
• The solver tool is most valuable in this mode it gives you options without giving you answers.
• Best for practising the logical solving method before attempting the NZ Herald daily.
Tips for Solving Simon Shuker Puzzles Faster
These tips are specific to Shuker’s style. They do not apply equally to all code cracker puzzles because they reflect choices he makes deliberately in how he builds his grids.
Trust the Logic Never Guess
In a well-made Shuker puzzle, you never need to guess. If you feel like guessing, it means you have missed a logical step somewhere earlier in the grid. Go back and check short words, single-letter words, and the highest-frequency numbers again before making any unverified moves.
Use Suffix Patterns for Long Words
Shuker’s grids often contain 8-12 letter words. These look intimidating but are actually your fastest route to multiple new letters at once. Look for words that end in -TION (4 letters), -NESS (4 letters), -MENT (4 letters), or -LING (4 letters). If you can confirm even one letter in the suffix, the solver narrows the results to a handful of options.
Check Both Directions for Every New Letter
Every cell in a Shuker grid is part of two words one Across and one Down. Every time you decode a new number, check both the Across word and the Down word that share that cell. New information in one direction almost always provides a clue in the other.
The Alphabet List Method
Keep a list of all 26 letters beside your grid and cross each one off as you decode it. As you approach the end of the puzzle, the uncrossed letters are exactly the ones remaining. A number you have not decoded yet must be one of the uncrossed letters. Match it against the word patterns containing that number and you will often identify it by elimination alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Simon Shuker?
Simon Shuker is a puzzle writer from New Zealand. He created the Code Cracker puzzle in the 1990s and makes the puzzles himself. His puzzles appear in newspapers, books, and online puzzle collections.
Does This Solver Work with Simon Shuker Books?
Yes. This solver works with Simon Shuker’s puzzle books, newspaper puzzles, and online Code Cracker games. Just enter the letters you know and let the solver help you find the answer.
Are Simon Shuker’s Puzzles Harder?
Yes, some of them can be harder than regular code cracker puzzles. They often need more thinking and careful clue solving.
How Many Code Cracker Books Has Simon Shuker Written?
Simon Shuker has published 21 Code Cracker books. Each book contains many puzzles for players to solve.
Why Does the Solver Show No Results?
This usually means one or more letters are entered incorrectly. Check your letters and spelling, then try again. You can also remove a letter and search with fewer clues.
Is Simon Shuker’s Code Cracker the Same as Codeword?
Yes. They are the same type of puzzle. “Code Cracker” is a common name in New Zealand, while “Codeword” is often used in the UK.
What Is the Hint Page in Simon Shuker’s Books?
The hint page gives you an extra clue when you get stuck. It usually reveals one letter-number match to help you continue solving the puzzle.
Can I Use This Solver for the Lovatts Daily Code Cracker?
Yes. The solver works with Lovatts Code Cracker puzzles too. Enter the word pattern, add any known letters, and search for possible answers.
