Players take turns adding letter tiles to a shared gameboard to create words, and must build on existing tiles on the board to create more words. 

• Players begin with 7 letters that are hidden from your opponent.
• When a tile is played, it will be replaced with a tile from a finite “tile bag.”
• Points are earned by the rarity of the letter and where the word is placed on the board.
• When the “tile bag” is empty, both players will have one final round before the game ends.
• When the game ends, any leftover tiles in your tray are not counted against you.

The player with the most points, wins.

Note: When playing against the computer, you can choose your desired difficulty level (easy, medium, hard). In order to change the difficulty level, you must Cancel the game by selecting More in the bottom left corner. Then, start a new game in the Play tab at your desired difficulty level.

What dictionary does Crossplay use?

Crossplay uses the NASPA wordlist for acceptable words in the game. Our definitions come from Oxford Languages. If NASPA includes a word but Oxford does not have a definition, we will default to the NASPA definition in the dictionary. We also exclude trademarks from the acceptable word list.

If you are unsure of why a word is not accepted, please refer to the NASPA FAQ page.

Important Gameplay Rules

• Cancelling a game does not count as a loss.
• Resigning a game will count as a loss.
• You can cancel any time when playing against a computer.
• Players can also pass, which will count as their turn. 
• Games that are played against a computer are not saved across devices.
• Games played against a computer are not saved to your stats. 

Crossplay is currently in beta and only available on the Crossplay app on iOS and Android devices.

Crossplay is available in Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Europe, India, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States. Android Users in Ghana will also have access to Crossplay.

Once you have downloaded the Crossplay app from the Apple App Store (for iOS) or the Google Play Store (for Android), open the app on your device and take the following steps: 

1. Select the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen to access Account Settings.
2. In the Account Info section, select Log in. 
3. Enter the email address and password associated with your All Access, Home Delivery, or New York Times Games subscription and select Log in.

Note: When a New York Times app is removed from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or any other app store on the market, it means it is no longer supported. If the latest operating system is not available for your device, you can continue to use some older versions of the app. However, The New York Times will not be able to offer technical support for unsupported versions of the app. 

Play Tab

This is where you can start a new game, see whose turn it is in ongoing games, find a match, and review your suggested matches. 

To start a new game, select Start Game at the top of the Play tab. 

Your Turn:

If you’re in a game with someone, this is where you will see when it is your turn. If someone has challenged you to a game, it will also appear in Your Turn. 

Find a Match:

Matchmaking refers to the game trying to match you to real human opponents who have also opted into being matched with other players. Matching is based on a combination of your performance level, recency of being online, and other components. Only players who have opted into matchmaking will appear in the matchmaking list. Matchmaking may suggest playing with someone from your friends list, other players, or a computer opponent.

Your Best Matches:

Similar to a Find a Match, find this list of similarly skilled opponents by selecting the Start Game button on the Play tab. This list will be both friends and other players matched to your skill level and not a computer. 

You can select any player's profile icon to view their statistics to determine if they're a good challenge for you.

Friends Tab

Select the Friends tab to view your friends and start games directly with them. 

Add your friends by selecting Add Friends on the bottom of the page or the Friend icon in the top right-hand corner.  This will give you the option to send a link to friends who will be routed to a page to accept or decline the friend request. If the friend does not have the Crossplay app downloaded, the link will navigate them to the app store to download the app.

You can also add friends by allowing Crossplay to access your email contacts list. Once you verify your email, you will be able to send your friends an email with a link to become Games friends. This will also make you discoverable to your friends via your email. If you wish to change your discoverability, you can do that in the in-game settings. You can change which contacts Crossplay has access to in your device settings.

Your Friends:

These are friends that have the Crossplay app downloaded. You can select Start to begin a new game with them.

Not yet playing Crossplay:

These are friends you have on the NYT Games app who do not have the Crossplay app. You can select Invite next to their name to send them a link to download the app. 

Me Tab

The Me tab is where you can find your stats and manage your profile picture and username.

Compare your wins to losses, see what your best and longest word is, and your average scores! Games with computer opponents do not affect stats.

Players can have in-game chats with other players Select the chat icon in the top right corner of the puzzle to start a chat.

• In order to start a chat with another player, you must be in an active game with another player and be friends on Crossplay. 
• You can turn off the ability to chat in your Settings.
• You can block, mute, remove, or report a friend/player by selecting the gear icon in the top right corner of the page, in the chat, or in the player’s profile. 
  • Mute: If you mute a player, it prevents chat conversations from that player.
  • Block: If you block a player, they will no longer be able to send match requests.

For more information about Crossplay policies, please see the Crossplay Acceptable Use Policy.

If you are experiencing technical issues with the Games app, visit Mobile App Troubleshooting in the Help Center.

If you still have questions or are encountering any issues or have feedback, you can Report a Bug in your settings by selecting the gear icon. 

Cross Bot is a player-facing host with multiple features to help players learn, improve and find the fun in Crossplay. 

Cross Bot’s main feature, called Game Review, gives players access to strategic insights on completed (player vs. player) games. Players will use Game Review to better understand what went right or wrong in a game and, most importantly, how they can learn and grow from it. 

Game Review offers a summary of how you and your opponent played. A selection of four- to five plays, custom-chosen for the player as learning opportunities, will be highlighted, and specific insights are catered to where your specific pain points are. Players can also check out any other play they are interested in.

Cross Bot is available to Subscribers with Games access (New York Times All Access, New York Times All Access Family, New York Times Games, and New York Times Games Family Subscribers). Registered users will have limited access.