Wreflecto Cross
Finish a small word square where every row and column has to be a word.
Every day: One word square a day, the same for everyone, with the top row given: fill the rest so every row and every column is a valid word. New puzzle: Midnight local time.
Wreflecto Cross gives you a small grid, usually four or five letters wide, with the first row already filled in. You complete the square so that each row reads as a word across and each column as a word down. Unlike its sibling Wreflecto Mirror, the rows and columns do not have to match.
About Wreflecto Cross
Wreflecto Cross is one of two daily word-square games from Nowflux Labs, alongside Wreflecto Mirror. Both are free on the web, and they also come together in a paid iPhone and iPad app that adds unlimited play, archives and offline access. The idea goes back to old word squares such as the Sator square.
Each day you get one grid with its top row filled in. You click a cell and type, switching between typing across and typing down with a double tap or the direction key. When a row or column is complete, a tick appears beside it if it is a valid word, or a red cross if it is not or repeats another word. The clock runs until every row and column has a tick.
Because the words across can differ from the words down, there is usually more than one answer, and after you finish the game shows its own suggested solution for comparison. Stats track wins, streaks and your times. It suits crossword solvers and anyone who likes building words more than guessing them.
How to play Wreflecto Cross
- Read the given top row; it cannot be changed.
- Click a cell and type letters; double tap or press the direction key to switch between across and down.
- Make every row a valid word reading across.
- Make every column a valid word reading down; a tick shows each valid line and a red cross an invalid or repeated one.
- Finish when every row and column has a tick, then compare with the suggested solution.
Tips
- Start with the columns: the given top row fixes the first letter of each word down.
- Leave the last row until the end, since it must fit every column at once.
- Common endings such as E, S and T make the bottom row easier to fill.
- If a column will not work, change the row that crosses it rather than starting over.
Questions
Is there one right answer?
Not always. Any square where every row and column is a valid word counts, and the game shows its own suggested solution afterwards.
When does a new Wreflecto Cross appear?
Each day at midnight on your device's clock; a countdown shows the time to the next game.
How is it different from Wreflecto Mirror?
In Mirror the square is symmetrical, so each row matches its column. In Cross the rows and columns can be different words.
Is there an app?
Yes. The paid Wreflecto app for iPhone and iPad has both games, with unlimited play and archives.
Games like Wreflecto Cross
Wreflecto Mirror
The sister game, where the square must read the same across and down
Waffle
Another daily grid where words run both across and down
Daily Mini Crossword
A small daily crossword for the same crossing-words skill
Squaredle
A daily square of letters to make words from
Crosswordle
A daily puzzle about fitting words into a grid
Alphalock
Crack the day's four-letter word from Mastermind-style counts, in ten guesses.
Smartle
Rearrange the letters until every row of the 5x5 grid is a word.
A to Z Today
Find the day's word by narrowing it down alphabetically, from aardvark to zyzzyva.