Crosswind

The goal

Find every word hidden in the crossword, using the letters on the wheel. There is no clock and no way to lose.

The rules

1. Spell a word. Swipe across the letters and lift your finger, or tap them one at a time and then tap the word above the wheel. A word needs at least 3 letters, and each letter on the wheel can be used once per word.
2. Grid words fill their cells. Letters shared with crossing words show in both.
3. Bonus words are real words that aren’t in the grid. They drop into the jar; every 6 fill it and give you a tonic. Obscure ones are rare specimens 🌟.
4. Finishing: the level ends when every cell is filled. Finish quickly, without hints, and the lab takes note of your time.
5. Hints cost tonic. The Dropper (1) reveals the next letter of a word you’re close to; Tweezers (2) reveal the cell you choose; Spore Burst (3) reveals 5 random cells. With no tonic, the Dropper is free once a level. The Dropper and Spore Burst take two taps: the first only readies them, so a stray tap costs nothing. Tap the flask at the top for every cost and reward.
6. Earning tonic: fill the jar, fill a catalyst cell with your own word, or reach a new island. Replays and past dailies earn none.
7. Stamps: a level finished without a hint earns a pressed leaf 🍃 in the replay list.

Twists

• Catalyst cells (from Fernmire) are marked with a flask. Fill one with your own word for a tonic.
• Fog (from Fogglass Moor) hides some words’ cells until you find a word that crosses them.
• The ? bulb (from the Hybrid Vaults) stands for any letter, but it only makes grid words.

Spelling

• Swipe: start on a letter and slide through the others; lift to spell. Slide back to the previous letter to take it off.
• Tap: tap letters one at a time, tap the last again to take it back, and tap the word above the wheel to spell it. Settings can make taps the only way (Tap only).
• Keyboard: type the wheel’s letters, Enter spells, Backspace takes a letter off, Escape clears, Space shuffles. Arrow keys move around the wheel; Enter or Space adds the focused letter.

Tools

Shuffle mixes the wheel. The jar shows its fill; tap it to see this level’s bonus words. With Tweezers out, tap a hidden cell, or move to one with the arrow keys and press Enter.

Ways to play

• The journey: 12 islands of 25 levels each, in order. Each island brings a new place, and some bring a twist. Any finished level can be replayed from Levels and daily.
• Today’s specimen: one larger daily level for everyone, with no clock. Finish it to keep your streak. A level you were part-way through waits for you when you come back.
• Past dailies: play any earlier daily from the calendar. They never change your streak.

Settings

Spelling (swipe or tap, or tap only), The long word’s meaning (show at the end or hide), Scene (day, night, or match the site) and Letters (rounded or engraved).

Tips

• Find the long word first: it usually crosses most of the grid.
• Look for endings like -S, -ED and -ER on words you already have.
• Shuffle when you’re stuck. A new order often shakes a word loose.

Questions

Where do the words come from? Valid words come from the public-domain ENABLE word list. Grid words use our Wordydoo answer list and familiar word forms. Shortened word meanings come from Open English WordNet 2025, under CC BY 4.0.

Why wasn’t my word accepted? It may not be in our list, or it may need the ? bulb, which only makes grid words.