Fernhawk GamesThese are small, friendly crosswords with plain-English clues, built fresh each time. Every white square belongs to a word that runs across, a word that runs down, or both, and the crossing letters help you check your own answers.
How to play
Tap a square and the word it belongs to lights up, with its clue shown under the grid. Tap the same square again to switch between the across word and the down word. On a computer you can click in the same way.
Type letters with the keys below the grid or with your own keyboard. The small arrows beside the clue jump to the next or the earlier clue, and the Clues button lists them all, so you can pick any clue you like.
The numbers in the corner of the squares match the numbers in the clue list. The number in brackets after a clue is the length of its answer.
Two helpers are always close by:
- Check marks wrong letters in red. You can check the word you are on or the whole grid.
- Reveal fills in a letter or a whole word for you. Harder levels allow fewer reveals.
When every square is right, the puzzle is finished. If the grid is full but something is wrong, you are told, and Check will show you where.
The levels
- Easy: a 5 by 5 grid, everyday words and plain clues. Check and Reveal can be used as often as you like.
- Medium: a 7 by 7 grid with everyday words. You may reveal letters freely, and reveal whole words 3 times.
- Hard: a 9 by 9 grid. Some of the words are less common, and about half of the clues that have a second version use the trickier, more indirect wording. You can reveal 5 letters and 1 word.
- Expert: an 11 by 11 grid with less common words. Clues that have an indirect version always use it. You can reveal only 3 letters and no whole words.
The black squares are laid out in a pattern that looks the same when you turn the grid upside down, as in a newspaper crossword.
Today's game
Each day there is one Medium crossword, 7 by 7, shared by everyone. Open it with the "Today's crossword" button on the new game card. If you only got halfway, the button says "keep going" and your letters are still there.
Tips
- Read through the clues first and fill in the ones you are sure about. Every answer you put in gives you a letter for a crossing word.
- Short words first. A three-letter entry is quick, and its letters often unlock longer ones next to it.
- Use the length in brackets. If a clue wants a 5-letter word and you think of one with six letters, it is the wrong word.
- Think about the crossing letters. If a down word needs to end in S and the across word would end in S too, a plural is likely.
- If two answers seem to fit, leave the square empty and work the crossing words first. Do not force a guess.
- On Hard and Expert, a clue may be a little sideways, such as a description, not a definition. Think about what the answer is used for rather than only what it means.
- Save Reveal for the end. Even one revealed letter can open up a whole corner.
A bit of history
Crosswords as we know them took off in newspapers in the early twentieth century and have been a daily habit for many people ever since.
Questions
Does Check ruin the puzzle? No. It only marks letters that are wrong. On Easy and Medium you can use it freely.
Can I use my own keyboard? Yes. Type letters straight into the selected square. The keys on screen are there for phones.
Are there names or brand words? The words are plain, everyday English, with a short clue for each.
Will my letters be saved? Yes. A puzzle in progress is kept on this device so you can return to it.