Cryptic Crossword (Teazel)

About Cryptic Crossword (Teazel)

Cryptic Crossword comes from Teazel, which also makes the Crossword, Crossword US and Codewords apps; this one arrived on the App Store in June 2013. It is aimed at solvers who already know British cryptic crosswords: each clue hides a definition and a piece of wordplay, an anagram, a hidden word, a charade or the like, and the answers fill a grid in the usual way.

The daily part is a brand new cryptic crossword every day. The last four weeks of dailies stay available, so a missed day can be caught up. Playing each day builds a streak and earns coins, which unlock daily and archive puzzles; you can also watch a short ad for extra coins, or subscribe monthly, quarterly or yearly for every puzzle without coins.

What sets it apart is the Explain clue button. When you are stuck on the wordplay it shows how the clue works, which part is the definition and how the rest builds the answer, so you learn the tricks as you solve. There are also hints, a mistake highlighter and answer checking, and the grid can be pinch-zoomed. Beyond the dailies there are thirteen packs of archive puzzles.

It suits regular cryptic solvers who want a fresh grid on their phone each day, and improvers who want to understand why an answer is right.

How to play Cryptic Crossword (Teazel)

1. Open the day's cryptic crossword from the daily puzzles, unlocking it with coins or a subscription.
2. Tap a clue or a square to select an entry and read its clue.
3. Split the clue into its definition, at the start or end, and its wordplay.
4. Type the answer; crossing letters from other answers help you check it.
5. Use Explain clue, hints or answer checking when stuck, and fill the whole grid.

Screenshots

Tips

• Look for the definition at either end of the clue first: the rest is the wordplay.
• Words like broken, mixed or wild often signal an anagram of nearby letters.
• Use Explain clue after you solve too: it shows which reading the setter meant.
• Play daily to keep the streak bonus growing, so you have coins for the puzzles you want.

Questions