Decryption. “Soothing and fun”: the return to favor of crossword puzzles, especially among young people

It's a summertime pleasure (and not just there) for many French people: crossword puzzles, those little books with grids to fill in, sell particularly well during this season. Ten million of them are sold each year.

Did you think crossword puzzles were old-fashioned? Think again. This activity, which is nothing new, is far from being obsolete . And younger generations are also fans of this brain-stimulating hobby , allowing them to get away from screens. Nicolas, 33, from Chamonix (Haute-Savoie), is a fan of crossword puzzles, a hobby he finds "calming and fun." Camille, 33, from Huttenheim (Bas-Rhin) always has a book of crossword puzzles at home: "I do them especially during the summer holidays or when skiing; it's a passion my grandfather and mother already had." Iris, 32, from Île-de-France, loves doing them with her friends during the holidays: "I find it gives us something to do together and we can be amazed by our mutual knowledge or laugh at our beliefs," she says.

On newsstands, two giants have reigned supreme in this market for years: Megastar and Brain Sport. Both publishing companies have the capacity to produce many new puzzles each year thanks to design software that allows for high output, even if they are nevertheless proofread by a human. This standardization is lamented by young crossword puzzle enthusiasts. Dior, 27, and Louise, 23, two friends who are fans of this hobby, decided to create their own workbook, in their own image. "We always found ourselves with the same books in hand, we thought it would be nice to have an alternative that resembled us, in both content and form," Dior explains.

"The idea is to modernize the puzzles a little, to bring in different subjects, like music, emotions, gastronomy, sexuality, and also to keep older references, historical figures, geography," explains the young woman. A book that aims to be intergenerational. "We want to create moments for several people around this object that is the crossword book. We didn't want to make puzzles with only current references," she adds.

Creating a crossword puzzle can be a long and complex process, especially when you do everything from A to Z. The two friends therefore surrounded themselves with a specialist in the genre: crossword expert Yves Cunow. "For example, he taught us not to mislead the player when giving a definition, the rules to follow," explains Dior. In June, after several weeks of work, they put 500 copies of their book, Grillé, on sale. On social networks, it took off. They finally printed 15,000. It can be purchased online and is even starting to be distributed in a few concept stores, like Flux in Paris and Basta Kiosques in Bordeaux. A new issue is already planned for the fall, with easier puzzles, accessible to anyone who wants to try it.

Angèle, a crossword puzzle fan since she was little, tired of the "very industrial crossword puzzles you find in supermarkets and newsstands," was also shocked by "sexist, homophobic, or racist definitions." With no alternative, she also started creating her own puzzles. "My idea was to update these puzzles, to add slang words, because it's a popular pastime, it's not supposed to be elitist," she explains.

To get started, she was advised by crossword puzzle maker Jujubier. "My first grids, I must have spent eight hours on each one," says Angèle. Because in addition to the grids, you have to work on the definitions and the layout. Her book, available for purchase online , dusts off traditional notebooks. "For example, we have a special rap grid, a special fashion grid, a nostalgia grid with lots of references to the 1990s and 2000s, and a special queer culture grid," she describes.

"It's a project made with the heart, with values that are important, more inclusiveness. I wanted to create something fun, but also virtuous." A new book is already being prepared for the end of the year. If the project works, Angèle hopes to release one per season. So, are you ready to try these 2.0 crossword puzzle books?