Welcome to Crossword Duel, our 1‑on‑1 crossword game!

The first grid is a tutorial that helps you learn the rules, where you’ll face Lumen, your AI companion.

A turn in the game always consists of 2 phases:

Phase 1: Choose a Letter

  • Select a letter from the ones provided.
  • These letters are always present in the grid.
  • The letter will appear in all the squares where it occurs, and you earn 1 point per revealed letter.

Special Cases:

  • If the revealed letter completes a word without appearing in any other:
    You earn points for all revealed letters, plus 1 point for each letter in the completed word.
    Your turn ends here.
  • If the revealed letter completes a word and also reveals at least one other word:
    You earn points for all revealed letters, plus 1 point for each letter in the completed words.
    Your turn then continues to Phase 2.

Phase 2: Guess a Word

1) Select a playable word

  • You can only guess one word per turn.
  • Only words containing the letter revealed in Phase 1 can be played.
  • If the letter belongs to only one word, you must play that word.
  • If it belongs to multiple words:
    • Navigate between words using the arrows to the right and left of the clue (in the blue area below the grid).
    • You can also tap directly on the squares in the grid.

Note: All the tiles of the selected word have a dark blue outline. The orange tile is always part of that word and moves as you place letters in the squares.

2) Place the missing letters

Below the clue panel, you’ll see the selection of letters to complete the word, along with some extra “decoy” letters (except during the first tutorial duel).

  • You can use:
    • Hide Bonus (slashed eye icon, bottom left) to keep only the correct letters.
    • Reveal Bonus (lightbulb icon, bottom right) to reveal a letter in the active square (orange). The revealed letter is removed from the keyboard and gives you 1 point.

  • Tap a letter to place it in the orange square, which will automatically move to the next empty square.
  • You can return a letter to the keyboard at any time by tapping its spot or the letter in the grid.
  • Once all empty squares are filled, tap "CONFIRM" to complete your turn.

Points and Scoring

  • If the word is correct, you earn 1 point per letter. Otherwise, no points are awarded, and it’s your opponent’s turn.
  • If multiple words are completed thanks to crossings, you earn points for all valid words.

Game Objective

The game is competitive: the player with the most points at the end wins. But, it can also be seen as a collaborative effort to complete the grid.

Most importantly have fun!

Share the game with your friends to compare scores. Don’t forget to leave feedback and rate the game to help us make it even better!