Codewords
About Codewords
Codewords is a free code-cracker puzzle that runs in your browser on phone, tablet, or desktop. No download, no install, no sign-up.
Also known as a codeword or cipher crossword, it is a crossword grid with no clues: every letter has been replaced by a number, and the same number always stands for the same letter. Crack the code and the whole grid falls into place.
How to Play
- Tap any cell (or a number in the key) to select that code. Every cell sharing the number lights up.
- Pick a letter (or type it) to assign it to that number, everywhere at once. It works in reverse too: choose a letter first, then tap any cell.
- A few letters are revealed at the start. Use them to decode the words they touch.
- The puzzle is solved when every number has the right letter. Your time joins your local best-times list.
Three difficulty levels change how many starting letters you get. Best times are tracked separately for each.
Tips & Tricks
- Start from the revealed letters Every word touching a starter letter is a mini clue. A short word with two known letters often has only one possible answer.
- Count the numbers The most frequent codes are usually vowels or common consonants like E, A, S, R and T. A code that appears once or twice is likely a rare letter.
- Look at word shapes Double letters, endings like -ING or -ED, and a single-letter gap between known letters all narrow the options fast.
- Watch the alphabet strip Each letter is used at most once. Crossing off what is taken shrinks every later decision.
- Erase without fear A wrong assignment shows up quickly as impossible words. Clear it and the letters it suggested, then rebuild.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a codeword puzzle?
A codeword (also called a code-cracker or cipher crossword) is a completed crossword grid where each letter has been substituted with a number. Your job is to work out which number stands for which letter, using the revealed starting letters and your knowledge of words.
Does every number appear in the grid?
Yes. Every number in the key is used somewhere in the grid, and the same number always means the same letter. Not every letter of the alphabet necessarily appears.
Is the game free?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no sign-up required.
Does my progress get saved?
Your current puzzle and best times are saved locally in your browser. They are tied to that browser profile, so clearing site data or switching devices will not bring them with you.
Are new puzzles added regularly?
Each new game generates a fresh puzzle in your browser, so there is always another one to crack.
A Short History of Codewords
Cipher crosswords grew out of the substitution ciphers that puzzle magazines ran alongside early crosswords in the twentieth century. Combining the two, a crossword grid locked behind a number code, produced a puzzle that needs no clue writing at all, and it has been a staple of British and European puzzle pages ever since.