How to play Crossword Tiles
The rules
- The grid shows the empty shape of a crossword. Each across and down run of squares is a word.
- The tray holds letter tiles: pieces of 2 to 5 squares of the solved crossword. No tile holds a whole word.
- Drag every tile into the grid. A tile must lie fully on empty squares and does not turn.
- When the grid is full, every row and column of letters must be a word. A word you complete correctly turns green.
How to play here
- Drag a tile onto the grid, from one place to another, or back to the tray. The places where it fits are marked while you drag.
- Tap a tile to pick it, then tap a square to put it there.
- Keyboard: Tab to a tile, Enter to pick it, arrows to choose a place, Enter to drop, Escape to cancel. Delete sends a tile back to the tray.
- Undo takes back the last move, check marks wrong letters, and a hint shows where to look.
Difficulty levels
| Level | Grid | Tiles | What it takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | Up to 7×7, 7 words | About 8 | A tile that fits in only one place |
| Medium | Up to 9×9, 10 words | About 12 | Also: a square that only one tile can cover |
| Hard | Up to 9×9, 10 words | About 12 | Also: a few “if this tile goes here, nothing else fits” steps |
| Expert | Up to 9×9, 12 words | About 16 smaller tiles | Many of those steps |
Tips
- Start with tiles whose letters are rare together, such as a Q, a J or a double consonant: they fit in few places.
- Look at the corners and ends of words: a tile that has to end a word can only go where a word ends.
- If a square can be reached by only one tile, that tile goes there.
FAQ
- Can more than one answer work?
- No. Every puzzle is checked before you see it: only one way to place the tiles makes every row and column of letters a word. Two tiles with the same shape and letters may swap places.
- Can I turn a tile?
- No. Tiles keep the shape and direction they have in the tray.
- Which words are used?
- Common English words of 4 to 6 letters.
- Is there a new puzzle every day?
- Yes. Each puzzle is built from the date, so every day brings a new Crossword Tiles puzzle at each of the four levels: easy, medium, hard and expert. Earlier puzzles are in the archive.
- Do I need an account to play?
- No. You play right in your browser, with no sign-up and no cookies. Your progress is saved in your browser.