Crosswords For Two
| No. of Players: | 2+ |
| Type of Game: | written |
| What you need: | pen and paper |
Goal
To get the most points by entering words into a crossword grid.
How to play
An empty crossword grid is taken from a newspaper or elsewhere. Each player, in turn, writes a word into the grid such that it is linked with at least one other previously written word. A player scores one point for each letter of the word they are adding, multiplied by the number of words it is linked with in the grid. For instance, the word APPLE which links with just TRAP scores 5 points (5 points for APPLE multiplied by 1) and the word VIRUS which links with EVEN and STOP scores 10 points (5 points for VIRUS multiplied by 2). If a player cannot think of a word to add, the turn passes to the next player. The game ends when players can no longer add words, or the entire grid is filled-in. The player with the most points wins the game.
This word game is similar to Alpha-grid.
By the way, see our homepage for a selection of free, printable crossword puzzles. 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
Arnie and Betsy find an empty crossword grid in the morning paper. By flipping a coin, Arnie is elected to go first. He writes the word TWIG, scoring 4 points. Betsy writes in WAR, scoring 3 points.
Arnie then writes LUG, for 3 points and Betsy writes ARCTIC for 5 points. Seeing an opportunity for double-letter points by crossing two words, Arnie writes TUB for 6 points. The game continues in this manner.
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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