Remember Champak and Nandan? Puzzle newspapers are bringing that joy back

Remember spending hours solving puzzles in magazines like Champak and Nandan? Puzzle newspapers are bringing back that simple joy, with a nostalgic twist for grown-ups.

There is a new cool subscription on the block. And no, it is not a music or OTT platform. It is a newspaper, but one that has no news. Instead, it is packed with puzzles, riddles, crosswords, quizzes and trivia, and gets delivered straight to your doorstep. The idea? To get you to put your phone away for a bit, exercise your brain and perhaps revisit a little childhood nostalgia.

If you grew up in the 90s in North India, you probably know the chokehold magazines like Champak and Nandan had. Whether it was solving puzzles, cracking riddles or simply flipping through the pages, they were a part of many childhoods. And now, in 2026, as more people look for ways to take a break from screens, a new crop of puzzle newspapers seems to be bringing back some of that joy.

Meet The Picnic Post and Press Play, two independently published puzzle newspapers that are finding an audience among adults. They are not quite the kiddish puzzle books we remember, though. Think crosswords, word games, visual puzzles, quizzes and trivia, with a generous dose of Indian references and pop-culture cues.

From a crossword to a newspaper

For Mohit Mamoria and Nipun Jain, the founders of The Picnic Post, the idea came from a puzzle book they were working on for everyday Indian audiences. FYI: They are quite popular in India's puzzle and trivia circles, with a thriving community of their own called Arey Pata Hai.

Back to their quiz book now. They wanted to create something with references people here would relate to, rather than puzzles that leaned heavily on American or British culture.

When they announced the book in September last year, they decided to make a 500-clue crossword called Cross Wired a free bonus for those who pre-ordered it. The response surprised them. Families solved it together, some even put it up on office walls for colleagues to work on, and a few people asked if they could buy another copy.

That got the duo thinking. After asking around 50 to 60 people how much they would be willing to pay for something like this, they decided to turn the idea into a newspaper. In July 2026, they shortened the crossword to around 50 words and added more puzzles, quizzes and trivia. The Picnic Post was soft-launched during a livestream, with the idea of creating an offline picnic that people could enjoy with friends and family.

The response was almost immediate. By the next day, around 300 people had paid for a three-month subscription, even before the founders had a proper website or mock-ups ready. The first edition came out in August. Priced at Rs 299 per month, it has eight pages and packs in at least 30 puzzles, with most editions featuring around 32 to 35.

The newspaper has also found its way into family routines. Gargy, a Delhi-based student, came across The Picnic Post through an Instagram Reel and ordered a copy. Soon, her brother joined in, followed by their father.

"The big crossword is my favourite. It becomes a full family affair. Jisko jo samajh aata hai, they answer that. I used to solve Nandan like this with my brother," she says.

For Divya Arora, 33, the appeal is slightly different. She already has a daily ritual of playing puzzle games, including Wordle, Connections and the Mini Crossword on NYT Games. But she had always missed having a tangible version of the experience. The Picnic Post has helped fill that gap, giving her something to solve away from a screen.

The founders say the response has been encouraging, with more than 11,000 copies sold in the first four months. Around 80 per cent of their buyers are between 18 and 35, though the newspaper has also found takers among older readers. Some parents solve it with their adult children, while couples make a game of completing the puzzles together. The founders even have a line for it: partners who puzzle together stay together.

A childhood scrapbook inspired Press Play

Press Play, meanwhile, was born out of a childhood memory for its founder, Vidisha Mahajan. While visiting her home in Chandigarh from Mumbai, she came across an old scrapbook her mother had made for her. During summer vacations, when Vidisha was a particularly naughty child, her mother would cut out puzzles from newspapers and paste them into the scrapbook to keep her occupied.

That was how Vidisha learnt to solve Sudoku and other newspaper puzzles. Years later, even though she continued playing digital games such as Wordle and NYT Games, she found herself missing the experience of solving something on paper. She first made a newspaper for herself and eventually decided to take it to a wider audience.

Launched in August 2026, Press Play is a fortnightly publication, with a new edition every 15 days. A single copy costs Rs 399, while readers can also opt for monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and yearly subscriptions. The newspaper is aimed at people above 20 who are looking for screen-free activities and hobbies.

Vidisha says the average buyer is around 25 to 26 years old, though she has also seen interest from people in their 40s and 50s. The first three editions sold out, while the October editions were close to selling out at the time of our conversation. Each edition has a limited print run of 500 copies.

Keeping the puzzles desi and original

One thing both publications have in common is their emphasis on Indian references. Vidisha says she wanted to create something that Indian readers could relate to, especially when many popular online puzzle games are created in the US and often use cultural references that may not be familiar to everyone here.

She is also working towards bringing in more regional influences, with plans to feature flavours from different parts of the country. The puzzles are written by people, not generated using AI or picked up from online templates. Some clues are topical, drawing on things that have happened in the preceding month.

The Picnic Post founders, too, believe there is room for more adult-oriented puzzle content in India. While children have plenty of puzzle books and encyclopaedias to choose from, they felt there was a gap for people in their 20s and 30s who enjoy puzzles but don't necessarily want something that feels made for children.

They also spend time thinking about how approachable a puzzle looks. The idea is to give readers a small win early on, rather than overwhelm them with something that feels too difficult. Variety is important, too. Some people enjoy word games, while others prefer visual puzzles. Offering different formats gives readers a chance to discover what kind of puzzles they enjoy.

More than just nostalgia

There is also a larger shift at play. From board-game clubs to craft workshops and snail-mail communities, people seem to be looking for activities that take them away from their screens and give them something tangible to do. Puzzle newspapers fit neatly into that space.

For the founders of The Picnic Post, the idea is not to make people finish an entire edition in one sitting. They want puzzling to become a little routine, whether it is during a metro ride, on a flight, before bed or over a lazy Sunday morning.

Perhaps that is what makes these newspapers interesting. They bring back the simple pleasure of solving something with a pen and paper, asking someone for a clue or getting the family involved in a crossword. And in doing so, they are giving adults a little taste of the Champak and Nandan days, only this time, the puzzles are made with them in mind.

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