Codeword: Free Daily Cipher Crossword Puzzle
A crossword with no clues: every letter is a number from 1 to 26. Crack the code from a few given letters in a new daily puzzle for everyone, or play unlimited Easy and Standard puzzles.
Quick facts
- Category
- 🔤 Word
- Price
- Free, no download or sign-up
- Plays on
- Computer, phone and tablet
- Screen
- Portrait
- Provided by
- After School Play
- Added
About Codeword: Daily Cipher Crossword
Codeword: Daily Cipher Crossword is our own take on the codeword puzzle, also called a codebreaker or cipher crossword. It looks like a crossword, but there are no clues. Every letter in the grid has been swapped for a number from 1 to 26, the same number always stands for the same letter, and every letter from A to Z is used at least once. A few letters are given to start you off. From there it is pure deduction: spot the words taking shape, guess a letter, and watch it appear in every cell with that number.
Tap a cell and every cell with the same number lights up, along with the word you are in. Type a letter or tap one on the on-screen keyboard and it goes onto that number everywhere in the grid. The strip of numbers 1 to 26 under the grid shows which letter you have put on each number, and tapping a number jumps to its cells. Each letter can stand for only one number, so typing a letter you have already used moves it. Letters you have used are marked on the keyboard, and a word you complete correctly flashes.
Nothing is held against you while you think. Undo is free and unlimited, any letter can be cleared, and Check is free too: it underlines every letter you have placed on the wrong number. The clock stops while the game is paused or the tab is hidden, and your puzzle is saved as you go, so you can leave and come back later. On a computer you can type straight away, move with the arrow keys and press Backspace to clear.
Every day brings a new daily puzzle, the same for everyone: a 13×13 grid with three letters given. It is scored for the leaderboard: 1000 points, less 1 for every second after the first two minutes, and never less than 100, so a perfect day is worth 1000. Solve it each day to build a streak. When you want more, free play makes a new puzzle every time, unlimited: Easy is an 11×11 grid with four letters given, and Standard is a 13×13 grid with three.
Every grid is built fresh by the game's own generator: a symmetric pattern filled with interlocking everyday English words of three to nine letters, each word used once. The only paid item is a reveal, which costs gems and fills in the right letter for the selected number everywhere it appears. Codeword: Daily Cipher Crossword is free to play in your browser with no download or sign-up, and its grids, look, sound effects and music are all made for the game.
Want more? Browse Word games.
How to Play
- Pick the daily puzzle, or free play at Easy (11×11) or Standard (13×13).
- Every number from 1 to 26 stands for one letter, and every letter from A to Z is in the grid.
- Tap a cell, then type or tap a letter. It fills every cell with that number.
- Use the given letters and the words taking shape to work out the rest.
- Undo, clear and Check are free. Check underlines any letter on the wrong number.
- Fill every number with the right letter to crack the code and post your daily score.
Tips
- Start with the short words around the given letters. A three-letter word with two letters known usually has only one answer.
- E, T, A, O, I, N and S are the most common letters. A number that turns up everywhere is probably one of them.
- A number that ends many words is often S, D or E. Common endings like -ING, -ED and -ER give away several letters at once.
- A number that appears twice in a row inside a word is a double letter, most often L, S, E, O, T or P.
- In these grids Q is always followed by U. The rare letters J, K, X and Z usually fall into place last, once the words around them are known.
FAQ
- Is Codeword: Daily Cipher Crossword free?
- Yes. It is free to play in any modern browser, with no download and no sign-up.
- What is a codeword puzzle?
- A crossword with no clues, also called a codebreaker or cipher crossword. Each letter has been replaced by a number from 1 to 26, the same number always means the same letter, and every letter of the alphabet is used. A few letters are given, and you work out the rest from the words that form.
- How does the daily puzzle work?
- There is one daily puzzle for everyone, a 13×13 grid with three letters given. It changes at midnight UTC. Solve it each day to build your streak; your score goes on the leaderboard.
- How is the daily score worked out?
- You start from 1000 points. The first two minutes are free, then each second costs 1 point. Revealed letters never cost points. The score never drops below 100 for a solved puzzle, and the maximum is 1000.
- What is the difference between Easy and Standard?
- Easy is an 11×11 grid with four letters given, so it has fewer words and a quicker start. Standard is a 13×13 grid with three letters given, the same size as the daily puzzle. Both make a brand-new puzzle every time.
- What do gems buy?
- Only reveals. A reveal costs 10 gems and fills in the right letter for the selected number everywhere it appears. You can use it in the daily puzzle too, and it never lowers your score. Check, undo and clearing letters are always free.
