Crossword
Across
- 1. The star at the centre of our solar system (3)
- 4. Social class or rank (5)
- 5. To exist (2)
Down
- 2. A bird builds one (4)
- 3. A large tailless primate (3)
Tip: Every Across word crosses at least one Down word. Use the letters you have already filled to confirm the trickier clues.
About Crossword
Crossword is the classic intersecting-word puzzle · every Across word crosses at least one Down word at a shared letter, and the clues range from direct definitions to lateral wordplay. The form has been a daily newspaper fixture since Arthur Wynne's first puzzle in the New York World in 1913, and it stays popular because each entry constrains its neighbours · solving one clue gives you partial letters to attack the rest.
Three difficulty tiers. Easy is a 5×5 grid with direct dictionary-definition clues · "capital of France (5)" → PARIS. Medium is a 10×10 grid with synonyms, simple puns, and the occasional misleading definition · the standard "weekday paper" difficulty. Hard ramps to a 15×15 grid with cryptic clues in the British tradition · the clue gives the answer twice, once via a definition and once via wordplay, and you have to spot which half is which.
Cryptic clues, explained. A cryptic clue is two clues in one. "Bird is in cage upset (6)" splits as "Bird" (the definition) + "in cage upset" (the wordplay · CAGE anagrammed). Answer: ROBIN? No · IN CAGE = INCAGE, and the indicator "upset" can mean "reversed", giving EGACNI which doesn't help. Actual answer might be "OSPREY" if it fits the wordplay another way. The trick is identifying which half is the definition (it's always either the first or last few words) and which half is the wordplay.
Check and Reveal as you need them. Hit Check to highlight any wrong squares without telling you what should be there. Hit Reveal to fill in a specific square or the whole grid · useful when you're stuck on one corner. Both can be turned off for a more honest solve.
Deterministic, shareable. Every grid is keyed by a seed · bookmark a puzzle to come back to it, or share the seed to challenge a friend on the exact same grid. The labyrinth uses the same seed system to make crossword encounters reproducible across resumes.
Part of the PlayMemorize family of brain-training games. Runs entirely in your browser, works offline as a Progressive Web App.
FAQ
Q: How do I enter a letter?
Tap or click a square to focus it, then type. Use the arrow keys to move between squares; tab cycles between clues; backspace clears a square. On mobile the on-screen keyboard pops up automatically when you tap a cell.
Q: Does every Across word cross a Down word?
Yes · that is the defining rule of a crossword. Every white square is shared between exactly one Across and one Down clue, so solving one entry gives you partial letters in every entry that crosses it. That cross-checking is what makes the puzzle solvable even when individual clues are hard.
Q: What is a cryptic clue?
A cryptic clue gives the answer twice · once via a definition and once via wordplay (anagrams, hidden words, double meanings, sound-alikes). The challenge is spotting which part of the clue is the definition (always at one end) and which part is the wordplay. Hard mode uses cryptic-style clues throughout · they take getting used to but are addictive once the pattern clicks.
Q: Can I check my answers?
Yes. Hit Check to highlight any wrong squares without revealing the correct letter, or Reveal to fill in a single square or the whole grid. Both can be left off for a clean, no-help solve · which is how most cryptic-puzzle solvers prefer to play.
Q: Does it work offline?
Yes. PlayMemorize is a Progressive Web App.
