Crossword

Goal

Fill the grid using the clues. Words read across, row by row (Roman numerals), or down, column by column (Arabic numerals). Black squares separate the words; a single letter between two black squares has no clue in that direction.

Controls

• Tap a square to select it; tap it again, or tap the clue, to switch direction.
• On the keyboard: type the letters, use the arrow keys to move, Backspace to erase, Tab and Shift + Tab to go to the next or previous word, Enter or Space to switch direction.
• On a phone, a keyboard appears under the grid; the "List" button opens all the clues.

Help

• Check: wrong letters are marked in red.
• Letter (or Hint) reveals the selected square; Word reveals the whole word. Revealed letters carry a gold corner.
• Solution shows the complete grid and ends the game.
• "Immediate checking" option: each wrong letter is flagged as soon as it is typed.

Levels

• Easy: 7 × 7, direct clues.
• Medium: 9 × 9, direct clues.
• Hard: 11 × 11, about one clue in three plays on words.
• Expert: 12 × 12, mostly subtle clues.
• Diabolical: 13 × 13, nothing but mischievous clues: second meanings, idioms and winks.

About the generator

Each grid is built on the fly in a separate thread. The generator places the letters square by square, row after row, and decides for itself where to put the black squares (never three in a row or in a block). At the end of each row, dynamic programming on the word tree checks that a next row remains possible with the black squares available; otherwise it backtracks or starts again with another seed. Every word comes from a bank of more than 2,700 common words, each with a direct clue and a more subtle one. While you play, the next grid is prepared in the background.