What is Crossplay?
Crossplay is New York Times Games' two-player word game for iOS and Android. Two opponents take turns placing letter tiles on a shared board to build words and extend existing ones. Each player begins with seven hidden letters, earns points from letter rarity and word placement, and wins by finishing with the higher score.
How to play Crossplay
- Start a match against another player or practice against the computer.
- Use tiles from your private seven-letter tray to create or extend words on the shared board.
- After a tile is played, draw a replacement from the finite tile bag.
- Continue scoring until the bag is empty and each player has taken a final round.
Why choose Crossplay
Crossplay is a word-building board game with real-time competition. Players can practice against computer opponents at different difficulty levels, match with other players by skill, and review completed games to improve their word placement.
Scoring and winning
Players score points based on letter rarity and word placement. The highest score wins after the tile bag is empty and both players complete one final turn. Tiles left on a player's rack do not count against that player.
Game modes
In head-to-head matches, two players take turns on the same board and compete for the higher final score.
Players can practice against computer opponents at several difficulty levels before playing head-to-head matches.
Subscribers can use Cross Bot to review player-to-player games after they end. The review identifies important moments and offers strategic suggestions.
Practice against computer opponents at the available difficulty levels before moving to head-to-head matches. Pay attention to letter rarity and word placement, because both explicitly affect points. Use Cross Bot's postgame review, when available to subscribers, to identify key moments and improve future matches.
Platform availability
Crossplay is available for free on iOS and Android through the Crossplay app. The game also offers chat and skill-based matchmaking for players who want structured competition.