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Kriss Kross

Kriss Kross Instructions:
Here's how to play Kriss Kross:
Kriss Kross puzzles, also known as criss cross puzzles and a range of other names, are a fun and engaging word puzzle.

An empty grid is presented to you with a list of words alongside. Can you work out where each word goes in the grid to complete a crossword style grid?

Usually there are various places that some words can fit so you will need to do some thinking in your head in order to solve the puzzle.

Make The Words Cross

Kriss kross is a great puzzle. Sometimes the grid starts empty and at other times there are words placed. Either way you must complete the grid.

Typically the puzzle will require some thinking ahead at certain stages; at other times there might be only one place where a word can go at a given time.

The words are usually sorted by length to make it easier for you to work out what can go where.

There is only one place a word can fit in the finished grid with a valid puzzle - in other words there is only one possible solution; each word is used and used exactly once.

In terms of tactics, the key method is always to see if there is a place that only one word can fit at a time. If not, then you will need to visualise the options in your head and say "if this word goes here, are there still valid placements for each word that this one will cross?" If no then you know that's not the right word; if yes then it could be, and repeat the logic with the next option and so on.

If you do the above and every word is valid with each possible crossover, then you are tackling a hard puzzle, and will have to look ahead to the next level - if this word goes here, and that word goes there, is there still a word that will fit over there, and so on, until you find a unique combination, narrow down the options, and proceed to solve the kriss kross puzzle.

Related puzzles

Hidden Word Puzzle, Word Ladder, Word Wheels, Wordsearch

Last updated: 05 Jun 2013

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Sample puzzle:
start Kriss Kross image
Sample solution:
solution Kriss Kross image

View a sample Kriss Kross PDF

Play Kriss Kross Puzzles:

If you like this type of puzzle, then you can buy a collection of them in PDF format ready to print and play at your leisure: just take a look at the Kriss Kross Magazine page.

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