Puzzles are often one of several standard sizes. Grids forming shapes other than squares are also occasionally used. 'Free form' crosswords ('criss-cross' puzzles), which have simple, asymmetric designs, are often seen on school worksheets, children's menus, and other entertainment for children. Two of the common ones are barred crosswords, which use bold lines between squares (instead of shaded squares) to separate answers, and circular designs, with answers entered either radially or in concentric circles. Substantial variants from the usual forms exist. Most puzzle designs also require that all white cells be orthogonally contiguous (that is, connected in one mass through shared sides, to form a single polyomino). For example, if the top row has an answer running all the way across, there will often be no across answers in the second row.Īnother tradition in puzzle design (in North America, India, and Britain particularly) is that the grid should have 180-degree rotational symmetry, so that its pattern appears the same if the paper is turned upside down. Crossword grids elsewhere, such as in Britain, South Africa, India and Australia, have a lattice-like structure, with a higher percentage of shaded squares (around 25%), leaving about half the letters in an answer unchecked. In such puzzles shaded squares are typically limited to about one-sixth of the total. is part of both an 'across' word and a 'down' word) and usually each answer must contain at least three letters. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Ī person works on a crossword puzzle in the subway, New York City, 2008Ĭrossword grids such as those appearing in most North American newspapers and magazines feature solid areas of white squares. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. This section relies largely or entirely on a single source.

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