How to play Crossword Maze
Crossword Maze is a crossword that reveals itself as you solve. You start with two clues and a mostly hidden grid; every correct answer uncovers new squares and new clues, until the whole grid is open.
The rules
The game starts with only one across clue and one down clue visible. The rest of the grid is hidden.
Solve a clue correctly and the squares of every clue that crosses it are revealed, together with those clues. Black squares next to visible squares are revealed too.
The puzzle is finished when every clue is solved. There is no penalty for wrong guesses — an answer only locks in when it is correct.
Controls
Tap or click a square to select its word, and tap again to switch between across and down. Type with your keyboard on a computer, or use the on-screen keys on a phone. Backspace clears the last letter. A few hints are available each day — they can reveal a letter or a whole word.
An example
Say the first across clue is "A small purring pet" in three squares. Enter CAT and the clue locks in as solved. The down clues that cross C, A and T now appear, each with its own squares — solve any of them to push further into the grid.
Step by step
The diagram shows how the grid opens up. Dark squares are still hidden.
- At the start you see one across clue and one down clue, with their squares. The rest of the grid is hidden.
- Solve either one. When your answer is correct it locks in, and every clue that crosses it appears with its squares.
- You now have several clues to choose from, and the answer you just placed has already filled in some of their letters.
- Keep going. Each solved clue opens more of the grid, until every answer is in.
Strategy
Take the clue with the most letters
After a few answers, many visible clues already show some letters. Choose the one with the most letters filled in: it has the fewest possible answers.
Open the grid wide
A long answer usually crosses more hidden words than a short one, so it reveals more at once. When two clues seem equally hard, solve the one that crosses more of the grid.
Save hints for dead ends
There are a few hints each day. Keep them for a clue that is the only way into an unopened part of the grid, where being stuck blocks everything behind it.
Think in the language you play
The clues are written separately for every language, not translated from English, so wordplay and references belong to the language on your screen.
Tips
If a clue resists, work the clues that cross it. Even one confirmed letter often settles the answer.
Short words fall first. Three- and four-letter answers have few candidates, and each one you place feeds letters into the longer words.
Questions and answers
What is Crossword Maze?
A daily crossword that starts almost hidden. Each correct answer reveals the clues that cross it, so solving is a path through the grid rather than a list of clues.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers?
No. An answer only locks in when it is correct, so you can try again as often as you like.
How big is the puzzle?
The grid is 7 × 7 and holds about ten to twelve answers. Puzzles are easier early in the week and harder later.
Which languages can I play in?
English, Turkish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, Polish and Danish. Each language has its own grid and its own clues.
Is it free?
Yes. Every memraize puzzle is free and needs no account. Your progress is kept in your own browser, and a new puzzle appears every day.
A new puzzle every day
A new Crossword Maze is published every day, written separately for each language. Past days stay in the archive.