Rules & objective
Solve four Across and four Down clues in a 4 × 4 grid.
- Choose a clue and type one letter in each square. Across answers read left to right; Down answers read top to bottom.
- The grid uses standard crossword numbering: Across starts at 1, 5, 6 and 7; Down starts at 1, 2, 3 and 4. Every answer has four letters, with no black squares.
- The puzzle ends when all sixteen letters match the eight clues. A ! mark means a filled letter needs correction; blank cells are not marked as wrong.
- Choose a puzzle from the menu. Restart clears the current attempt; Next puzzle appears after a win. After puzzle 12, the next puzzle is puzzle 1.
Key terms
- Across
- An answer read from left to right along one row.
- Down
- An answer read from top to bottom along one column.
- Crossing
- A square shared by one Across answer and one Down answer.
- Given letter
- An underlined starting letter that cannot be changed. Revealed letters are also locked and underlined.
Difficulty levels
| Level | What changes |
|---|---|
| Easy | Four given letters, instant error marks and three letter reveals. |
| Medium | An empty grid, manual checks and three letter reveals. |
| Hard | An empty grid with no reveals. Check only when all 16 squares are filled. |
Changing difficulty starts a fresh round. Personal bests are tracked separately.
This version on puzzle free online
The twelve grids and their clues are authored for this website. There is no external daily feed, answer archive or association with another puzzle publisher. These are word clues, not the disc-dropping game Four in a Row. Difficulty changes the available assistance, not the grid size or the clue wording.
Common questions
How do I switch between Across and Down?
Choose a clue, use the Across and Down buttons, or press Space while a square is focused. Arrow keys move one square and select that direction. Backspace erases a letter or moves to the preceding editable square.
What do the three difficulties change?
Easy supplies four starting letters and marks errors as you type. Medium starts empty and checks letters only when you press Check. Both offer three letter reveals. Hard starts empty, has no reveals and checks only a full grid.
Does my crossword save?
Your selected puzzle, letters, hints, checks and elapsed time save in this browser. Refresh to continue; changing puzzle or difficulty starts a fresh attempt. Browser data is not synchronized between devices.
How are results compared?
Completion times are saved separately for each puzzle and difficulty. Attempts using Check or Reveal letter are labeled assisted and kept separate from attempts using neither. Easy's built-in letter feedback is part of that difficulty.