Puzzle
Ages 13+
6–12 minutes
8 randomized grids
Mini Crossword
Ten by ten, randomized, no clock. The crossings do the teaching: when two answers meet, each one checks the other.
How to play
- Tap a square to select it, then tap letters on the pad to fill it in.
- Tap the square again to switch between across and down.
- Tap any clue to jump straight to its entry.
- An entry turns green the moment every crossing agrees.
- Check grid marks squares that are wrong — nothing is penalised.
- Press New grid for a fresh randomized puzzle.
What it teaches
A crossword crossing is a constraint that checks another constraint, which is exactly how careful reasoning about systems works: a claim that survives one check is weak, a claim that survives two intersecting ones is worth something.
For educators
The grids are generated from a curated vocabulary, so filler answers are ordinary words on purpose. Ask students which entries were thematic and which were structural — the same question applies to any dataset.