SINGAPORE – The Straits Times and the National Library Board (NLB) will launch a new weekly crossword puzzle series – with a distinctly Singaporean flavour – featuring clues inspired by local food, slang, cultural references and shared everyday experiences familiar to readers here.

Starting on May 31, a new ST×NLB Crossword will be published every Sunday in the Life section of ST’s print edition, as well as online through ST’s website and app – with the digital version also accessible via the NLB app.

The answer key for each puzzle will be available on the same day in an online-only companion column called Cross-References. Answers will also be published the following week in print.

The six-month pilot partnership brings together contributors from both organisations to create original crosswords tailored to local audiences – a departure from the largely American- and British-centric puzzles that dominate the format internationally.

“We are constantly innovating to find new ways to engage with our readers and we have been actively exploring games as one such area,” said Mr Jaime Ho, editor of The Straits Times.

Referring to ST’s earlier experiments with games, including a hidden picture challenge launched during the SG60 celebrations in 2025, he added that “a crossword has been on our wishlist”, but many existing puzzles were either too generic or required US knowledge.

The partnership traces its roots to the Love Our Libraries and Archives (LOLA) series in 2025, when NLB introduced three locally themed crossword puzzles as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.