Halloween Crossword: how to play

Halloween Crossword is a free online crossword game with a new set of Halloween grids every day. Hoot the owl, in round glasses, fills every grid with friendly Halloween words: pumpkins, candy, costumes, owls and bats, moonlit nights and cosy autumn things. The first grid is an easy 5×5 and they grow to 7×7 as you travel from the Pumpkin Patch to Star Castle.

How to play

• Halloween crossword online, one small grid per level: tap a square, then type the answer with your keyboard or the letter buttons. Tap the same square again (or press Space) to switch between across and down.
• Hoot shows the clue for the word you're filling beside the letters, with its length. Use ◀ ▶ (or Enter) to jump between clues.
• As soon as every square of a word is filled, it's checked. Right words lock in green and Hoot hops; a wrong one flashes so you can fix it.
• From Owl Woods on, a wrong word costs 5 seconds. Stuck? REVEAL fills the selected square for 15 seconds and 20 points (not at Star Castle).
• Each grid has a clock. If it runs out you lose one of three hearts and the clock refills.
• Solve words one after another for a combo (up to ×10). Arrow keys move around the grid and Backspace deletes. Every level gives up to three stars: solve it, solve it without losing a heart, and solve it under the target time.

The five levels

1. Pumpkin Patch: an easy 5×5 grid with four answers
2. Candy Lane: 6×6: switch between across and down
3. Owl Woods: a wrong word now costs 5 seconds
4. Moon Hill: a bigger 7×7 grid
5. Star Castle: 7×7 with no reveals

Clear Star Castle and the levels loop again with new grids and a fifth less time on the clock. You have three hearts for the whole run, and the game is the same for everyone each day, so you can compare scores. Press Esc to turn the sound off or on.

Tips

• Start with the short answers: three- and four-letter words give you letters for the long ones.
• Think Halloween and autumn: most answers are about pumpkins, candy, costumes, the night sky or cosy things.
• The number in brackets is the answer's length. Use it before you start typing.
• Save reveals for the last stubborn square: each one costs 15 seconds.

Questions

Is the Halloween crossword free?

Yes. Halloween Crossword is free online in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. A new set of five grids is made every day, the same for everyone.

Is it an easy Halloween crossword?

It starts easy: Level 1 is a 5×5 grid with four friendly answers. The grids grow to 7×7 and the last levels add a time cost for wrong words and no reveals.

Can I play it on a phone?

Yes. Tap a square and type with the letter buttons under the clue. It works on phones, tablets and computers.

Is it only for October?

No. Halloween Crossword is Halloween all year. For everyday words, play Mini Crossword.