Criss-Cross

How to play

• Aim at any square of a word to select it. Squares that belong to two words select the across word.
• Work out the word from the letters already showing and the words that cross it, then type it as a line in chat. It fills the word you are aiming at.
• A word lands only if it is the right length, is a real word, agrees with every letter already in that spot, and leaves every other word a way to be completed.
• A word that fails any of that never reaches the board. It flashes red for a second, and you can try another.
• Stuck? Click an empty square to reveal its letter. A hint is drawn in its own colour so you can tell it from the puzzle's printed letters, and it costs points.
• Hover over Undo to see which word it would take back and how many ways the board can still be completed. A finished word is left alone: you cannot type into it.
• Fill every square so that every word reads correctly and the board is solved. A solve moves you up one level.

Scoring

• Each puzzle starts at 100 points for every square you have to fill in.
• Every hint and every Undo takes 5 percent off what is left.
• Higher levels have more words, let shorter words in and print fewer letters, so a clean solve there is worth more.
• The points you have now show at the left of the buttons.

Controls

Aim at a square    select its word (across, where two cross)
Type in chat       fill the selected word
Click empty square  reveal that letter (a hint)
Undo               take the last word back off
Level              move to the next level and deal it
New                deal a fresh puzzle
Exit               leave the game