Casual Crossword
Casual Crossword is built for solving on whatever device is in your hand, which is a design goal rather than a marketing line.
Most crosswords that work well on a desktop become awkward on a phone: the grid shrinks, the clue list scrolls away, and typing means fighting an interface built for a mouse. This one puts the grid in full screen, keeps the current clue visible, and gives you a virtual keyboard laid out for entering answers rather than writing messages.
The puzzles themselves are themed and gentle. Cities, objects, food, buildings. It is the crossword you do on a train, not the one you sit down with.
How to play Casual Crossword
- Choose a puzzle from the grid selection screen.
- Tap or click a square to select an entry. The clue appears with it.
- Select the same square again to switch between across and down.
- Type your answer using the keyboard or the on screen one.
- Fill every square correctly to complete the puzzle.
Solving on a phone
The virtual keyboard changes the economics of guessing. On paper, writing in a doubtful answer costs you an eraser. Here it costs a tap, and clearing it costs another.
That means you should guess more freely than you would on paper. Put in the answer you think is right, see whether the crossings support it, and remove it if they do not.
Themes
Each puzzle sits on a theme, and knowing the theme narrows the vocabulary before you read a single clue. A puzzle about buildings and a puzzle about food will not share answers, and a clue that could go either way resolves the moment you remember which puzzle you are in.
Tips and strategy
The first pass
- Read all the across clues, filling in only what you are certain of. Then do the same downwards.
- What you are collecting is crossing letters, not answers. Six scattered certainties beat one solved corner.
- Fill in the blank clues have exactly one answer and no misdirection. Always take those first.
Reading clues
- Match the grammar. Plural clue, plural answer. Past tense clue, past tense answer.
- Abbreviations announce themselves and tell you the answer length before you count squares.
- A question mark at the end signals wordplay rather than definition.
Bad habits
- Solving one corner completely before moving on, which wastes the crossings you just earned.
- Defending an answer that has no crossings supporting it.
- Forgetting the theme, which is the largest hint available and costs nothing to use.
The syndicated dailies are on the newspaper crosswords page and the rest are under crossword.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Casual Crossword work well on a phone?
Yes. It has a full screen mode and a virtual keyboard designed for entering answers, which is what separates it from crosswords ported to mobile as an afterthought.
Are the puzzles themed?
Yes, on everyday subjects such as cities, food, objects and buildings. Knowing the theme narrows the vocabulary before you read a clue.
How hard are they?
They sit at the accessible end. Clues are direct and the answers are ordinary words.
Can I play the same puzzle as someone else?
Yes, the puzzles are shared rather than generated per player, so they can be compared with friends.
Is it free?
Yes. Nothing to download, no account and no payment.