If you're wondering how the top teams are able to solve so many puzzles so quickly, part of the answer is that they're probably not relying solely on their brainpower. Puzzles in Puzzle Safari often involve anagramming, deleting, or otherwise manipulating letters and words to discover new words. This is a task well-suited to computers. Since we can't effectively ban the use of such tools, the least we can do is share the locations of some of them to help level the playing field.
WordMan is a free on-line app that allows you to search several different word lists for words that match a pattern. You can match with wild-cards, anagrams, word builds, cryptogram searches, and more. Click on the Help link to learn how to use. Also works on mobile (add to home screen to make it like an app). Access at "http://wordman.xyz".
An iOS only app with lots of puzzle tools, encodings, and reference materials. Especially good with ciphers and letter codes, but much more than just that. Free for download.
TEA (The Electronic Alveary) allows you to search word lists for words that match a pattern. TEA's pattern language supports simple template and anagram searches, but also has the flexibility to perform many more complicated queries. Check the Quick Reference page on the help menu to see the kinds of things TEA can do for you. Typing ;STIN for example will product all anagrams of the letters STIN (ISN'T, NITS, TINS, SNIT).
LeXpert is a software program designed to assist word game enthusiasts in expanding their knowledge of words. It offers more than 3500 word lists and different ways of viewing these lists. Customized lists can be created based on patterns, cryptograms, anagrams, number of vowels, etc. It offers similar functionality to TEA.
Cryptogram solver which not only provides a helpful interface for replacing letters in a cryptogram, but can also solve the cryptogram for you. You don't really think we'd give you any cryptograms that can be solved this way, do you?
Database of crossword clues.
Another database of crossword clues.
Detailed hints for solving cryptic crossword, including explanations and samples of all the major clue types.
Search tools for all kinds of word forms, including many you never knew existed.
Did we really need to tell you about this one?
There are a surpising number of "list of xxxx" articles which can be useful when you know the theme of a puzzle.
Various puzzle solving techinques.
An app on Windows Phone, Android, and iOS. Zyzzyva is the word judge program of choice at major events such as the North American SCRABBLE Championship, the North American School SCRABBLE Championship, the Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship and the World SCRABBLE Championship, as well as at smaller events, clubs and gatherings around the world.