Two months in and Clued In is becoming a habit. The good kind. The kind your therapist would approve of.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which means this entire crossword was built around the science, the practices, and the lifestyle choices that keep sober minds and bodies running on all cylinders. No filler clues this month. Every single answer is something you’ve either experienced firsthand, Googled at 2 AM, or discussed in a session you’re still processing.
What You’re Walking Into
Thirteen clues spanning the full spectrum of sober wellness. We’ve got neurotransmitters your brain is finally producing on its own, workouts that replaced your old coping mechanisms, therapeutic modalities that actually changed your life, and a few lifestyle terms that prove sobriety is about so much more than putting down the glass.
One clue will make you laugh. One will make you think. One might hit close to home. That’s kind of the point.
We’ll just say this: if you know the difference between cortisol and serotonin, you’ll have a head start. If you’ve ever tried to explain codependency to someone who doesn’t get it, 11 Across is going to feel very personal.
How to Play
Play Online: Play this month’s Clued In right here → Click a square, type a letter, chase the blue. Same interactive experience as last month, same celebration animation when you nail every square. The interactive version lets you type directly into the grid, toggle between Across and Down, and use the CHECK button to see which letters you nailed without revealing the whole solution.
Print and Play: Prefer pen and paper? Analog IS the new black. Download the free printable PDF below. White background, clean grid, clues included. Perfect for your morning coffee ritual, a lunch break brain workout, or bringing copies to your next sober event.
DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE PUZZLE →
About the Clues
We write every Clued In clue in full TSC voice. That means they’re specific, a little sassy, and occasionally uncomfortably accurate. Here’s a taste of what you’re dealing with this month:
“The book you write in that nobody else reads. Your therapist wishes you would bring it.” If you know, you know. And if you don’t journal, consider this your sign.
“You used to avoid setting these. Now you set them like a pro. Growth looks good on you.” We’ve all been there. Some of us are still there. But we’re getting better at it.
“Doing this sober is terrifying and also the only way to actually know if you like someone.” No further comment.
Where’s the Answer Key?
The answer key for Clued In lives exclusively inside BACKSTAGE, The Sober Curator’s private cultural membership. BACKSTAGE members get instant access to answer keys for both Clued In and Sober Search every single month.
Not a member? The CHECK button in the interactive version will show you which letters you got right without giving away the full solution. It’s like a hint from your sponsor. Helpful but not doing it for you.
The May Puzzle Pack
This month’s Sober Search word search also dropped with the same Body, Mind, and Sober Soul theme. Nineteen hidden wellness terms hiding in a 15×15 grid, including DOPAMINE, RESILIENCE, THERAPY, SELFCARE, and ENDORPHIN. Completely different words from the crossword, so playing both won’t spoil either one.
Between the two puzzles, that’s 32 wellness terms across two grids. Your mental health just got a bonus workout.
PLAY THIS MONTH’S SOBER SEARCH →
Mental Health Awareness Month
We chose this theme for May because sobriety and mental health are not separate conversations. They never were. The practices that keep you sober are the same ones that keep you well. Therapy. Boundaries. Meditation. Movement. Rest. These aren’t wellness trends. For a lot of us, they’re survival tools that became lifestyle pillars.
If this crossword makes even one person Google “EMDR” or finally book that therapy appointment they’ve been putting off, then we did more than make a puzzle. And that’s always the goal.
What’s Coming Next
June’s Clued In is our Sober Pop Culture Showdown. Sober celebrities, addiction-themed TV shows, recovery music, and entertainment deep cuts. If you know which Rocket Man has been sober since 1990, you’re already warmed up.
New puzzles drop the first of every month. Subscribe to The Sober Sip so you never miss one.
TSC GAME ROOM: You got sober. You got your brain back. You got your Friday nights back. Now what do you do with them?
You play.
Welcome to The Game Room, The Sober Curator’s home for everything games, puzzles, and sober entertainment. This is where crosswords meet board games, word searches meet Mahjong nights, and one very sparkly Monopoly parody proves that recovery is the ultimate power move.
Grab some friends. Pull up a chair. Grab a mocktail. Let’s play.
A Disco Ball is Hundreds of Pieces of Broken Glass, Put Together to Make a Magical Ball of Light. You are NOT Broken, Friend. You are a DISCO BALL!
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
Follow The Sober Curator on Facebook
What is Clued In?
Clued In is The Sober Curator’s monthly crossword puzzle. Every month we build a brand-new puzzle around a different theme in sober culture with clues written in full TSC voice. It lives inside The Game Room alongside Sober Search, our monthly word search.
What’s this month’s theme?
May’s theme is “Body, Mind, and Sober Soul.” It covers wellness, mental health, and lifestyle in sobriety. Thirteen clues spanning everything from neurochemistry to sober dating to the stress hormone that used to run your life. We dropped it during Mental Health Awareness Month because sobriety and mental health have never been separate conversations.
How do I play online?
Head to the Clued In puzzle page and click any white square to start typing. Quick rundown:
- Click a cell to select it and start typing
- Click the same cell again to toggle between Across and Down
- Click any clue in the sidebar to jump to that word
- Arrow keys move you around the grid
- Tab jumps to the next clue
- Backspace deletes and moves back one square
- CHECK highlights correct letters in green
- REVEAL fills in all answers
- RESET clears the whole grid
Can I print it?
Yes. Every issue has a free downloadable PDF with a white background designed for printing. Click the download button on the puzzle page, print it out, grab a pencil.
Where is the answer key?
The answer key is available exclusively inside BACKSTAGE, The Sober Curator’s private cultural membership. BACKSTAGE members get answer keys for both Clued In and Sober Search every month.
If you’re not a member, use the CHECK button in the interactive version. It marks correct letters green without revealing the full solution.
Is Clued In free?
The puzzle is always free. Play online, download the PDF, share it. The only thing behind BACKSTAGE is the answer key.
What is the Puzzle Pack?
The Sober Curator Puzzle Pack is our monthly collection of interactive puzzles. It currently includes Clued In (crossword) and Sober Search (word search). Both share the same monthly theme but use completely different words. You can find everything in The Game Room.
How is this different from Sober Search?
Clued In is a crossword where you solve clues to fill in answers. Sober Search is a word search where you find hidden words in a grid. Same theme, different format, different words, different brain workout. No overlap between the two, so playing one won’t spoil the other.
I’m stuck. Any hints?
- Start with the clues you feel most confident about and let the crossing letters help with the harder ones.
- If a clue mentions a specific TSC column, brain chemical, or wellness practice, the answer is probably exactly what you think it is.
- Use CHECK to confirm your letters. Green means right.
- Click the same cell twice to toggle between Across and Down. Sometimes the crossing word is easier than the one you’re stuck on.
- REVEAL exists. No judgment.
Can I share my completed puzzle?
Please do. Screenshot your finished grid, share your solve time, tag us @thesobercurator on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X, or LinkedIn. If you finished both the crossword and the word search in the same month, that’s worth bragging about.
Can I use this at a sober event or meeting?
Absolutely. Download the printable PDF and bring copies. Crosswords are a great icebreaker for sober events, retreats, recovery meetings, or therapy waiting rooms. If you want a custom puzzle for your event, email thesobercurator@gmail.com.
I have a clue idea or theme suggestion.
Send it. Email thesobercurator@gmail.com with “CLUED IN” in the subject line. Tell us the word, the clue, and why it belongs. If we use it, you get a shoutout.
When does the next puzzle drop?
First of every month. June’s theme is the Sober Pop Culture Showdown. Subscribe to The Sober Sip so you never miss it.
Something is broken or I found a typo.
Emailthesobercurator@gmail.com or DM us @thesobercurator on Instagram. We want this to work perfectly on every de
