Enter words and clues on the left, then click Generate Grid to build your puzzle.
Across
Down
Crossword Forge
Why this project?
Crossword puzzles are one of the most beloved forms of wordplay, with millions of people solving them daily in newspapers, apps, and magazines. Yet creating your own crossword — with proper crossing, numbering, and formatting — requires specialized software. Crossword Forge brings the full design-and-solve experience into a single, self-contained browser page.
What is it?
A complete crossword puzzle designer and solver. Enter your words and clues, and the auto-layout engine arranges them into a valid intersecting grid. Switch to Solve mode to test your puzzle, check answers, or reveal the solution. Export your creation as text or a shareable image.
How does it work?
The grid generator uses a backtracking algorithm that tries to place each word at every possible position and direction, maximizing letter intersections. Words that share letters are placed where they cross, and the algorithm prunes invalid configurations. Grid numbering follows standard crossword conventions — a number appears wherever an Across or Down word begins.
How to use it
Add words: Type a word and its clue in the Word Bank panel. You need at least 5 words.
Generate: Click "Generate Grid" to arrange words into a crossword layout. The engine tries multiple times to find the best arrangement.
Solve: Switch to Solve mode. Click cells to enter letters, or click clues to jump to their position. Use Tab to move between cells.
Check: Click "Check" to validate your answers. Correct letters turn green, incorrect ones turn red.
Reveal: Click "Reveal" to show the complete solution.
Export: Click "Export" to copy the puzzle as formatted text, including grid and clues.
Keyboard: Arrow keys navigate the grid. Backspace deletes. Tab moves to the next cell.