Crossword
| No. of Players: | 1+ |
| Type of Game: | written |
| What you need: | pen and paper |
Goal
To solve clues to themed and interlocking words.
How to play
Crosswords are popular word puzzles usually played on professionally edited game boards commonly found in newspapers and published books. But simplified versions can be made for friends and family to solve.
One player prepares an empty grid in which six words will be written. These words are linked by a common theme and a clue is given for each word. The other players then take turns writing the solutions to the clues in the grid. Points are given for each letter in a solved word. The player with the highest score is the winner. Bonus points are given to the first player to guess the theme word or phrase. The number of words can be adjusted according to desired game length and will vary according to the skill of the preparer.
By the way, see our homepage for a selection of free, printable crossword puzzles. Or see if you can solve the World's First crossword puzzle.
And if you are looking for a warm-up for your next crossword puzzle, check out our Even Steven word game.
Up for a challenge?
Try the World's First Crossword Puzzle from 1913
Example
Alaina prepares the following empty grid and writes 10 clues for Bernice to solve. She is given a 15 minute time limit.
(2) Place to check out books.
(3) Opposite of (7).
(4) Pencil remover.
(5) Coed, pupil, scholar.
(6) Examination.
(7) Inform, instruct, tutor.
(8) Assignments for later.
(9) Place for physical activity.
(10) Tool to use with (1)
Bernice successfully solves all 10 clues and discovers the theme word SCHOOL within the time given.
Did you know?
Certified by Guinness World Records, the largest crossword puzzle (in physical size) in the US measures 7 feet by 7 feet and can be hung on a wall or conveniently folded for solving on your lap or kitchen table. It comes with a 100 page book packed with 28,000 clues for over 91,000 squares. If you get stuck, you can always check the 4 foot by 4 foot answer grid.
However, a still larger puzzle was published by Nikoli Co., Ltd on June 30, 2016. It measures nearly 130 square feet, has 244,971 blank squares, and 66,666 clues. It was created by 20 different crossword puzzle makers to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Japanese company.
If these two puzzles are still too small for you, there is yet a bigger one according to Guinness. Verified on June 3, 2014, it took Hristo A. Yonitsov of Sofia, Bulgaria 14 years to write the 93,769 clues and craft the 984 foot long puzzle. The grid is spread over a hefty 1,000 sheets of paper and remains unpublished at this time.
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