- Set-up
- About 2 min
- Reading
- Some
The quick verdict
Full verdict ↓Great for Families with children of 7 and up who know their English words, since nobody plays against anybody
Think twice if Some players are not at ease with English words; the whole game is about word meanings
How we rate it
Learning curve. There is one thing to do: give a one-word clue for your square. The rules take a few minutes, so it sits at 1 on our scale with Just One; finding a good clue is the real challenge.
Luck & skill. Which words land in the grid and which square you draw make some clues easier than others, but the game is mostly about choosing clever clues and reading your friends.
Interaction. Everyone talks over every clue and agrees on one guess, so the whole table is involved all the time.
Set-up. Pick a grid size, lay out the axis tiles with a code word card beside each, shuffle the clue cards for that size and deal one to each player (two each with two or three players).
Reading. Each code word card shows a single English word and each clue card a grid square such as B3; players need to read and know those words.
Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.
Is Cross Clues right for you?
Great if
- Families with children of 7 and up who know their English words, since nobody plays against anybody
- Couples and small groups: with two or three players, each person holds two clue cards and picks one to clue
- A quick warm-up before a longer game, or a few rounds after dinner
- Groups who find Codenames slow or don't enjoy splitting into rival teams
Skip it if
- Some players are not at ease with English words; the whole game is about word meanings
- You often have more than 6 players; Codenames or Wavelength suit bigger groups
- You want a competitive game with a single winner
How Cross Clues plays
Set up a grid of words. Lay the axis tiles out like a map: letters across the top and numbers down the side, three of each for the easy 3x3 grid, four for the standard 4x4 grid or five for the hard 5x5 grid. Put a code word card beside each tile, so every square of the grid is the meeting point of one word across and one word down. Shuffle the clue cards for your grid size and give each player one, face down; with two or three players, everyone holds two.
- Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
- Reading and language: The code word cards are printed with English words, and every clue must be a single word that links two of them, so everyone needs a good everyday English vocabulary. Bored Game Company's box says the rules come in English and Hindi. If the whole table agrees, a family can allow Hindi or Hinglish clues as a house rule.
How to Play - Cross Clues - A quick and fun party game · Bored Game Company · Official
Choose a video · Watch right here
If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.
A turn, step by step
- 1Draw
Take a clue card in secret. It names one square of the grid, where a word across meets a word down.
- 2Clue
Whenever you are ready, say one word that links those two words. The others talk it over and give one guess.
- 3Place
A right guess puts your card face up on its square; a wrong one sets it aside. Then draw a new card.
- 4Score
When the cards run out, count the squares filled correctly and check the rating table. Everyone wins or loses together.
The full explanation: how a game of Cross Clues goes
There are no turns. Your clue card names one square, such as B3. Look at the two words that cross there and, as soon as you think of one word that links them, get everyone's attention and say it. Say column B is 'Fire' and row 3 is 'Kitchen': 'Stove' would be a good clue. The others talk it over, then one person gives the team's single guess. If it is right, your card goes face up on that square; if not, it goes aside face down. Either way, you draw a new card.
Clues must be a single word that relates to both code words. You can't use a word with the same root as a code word, and you can't repeat a clue that has already been given, even one that was guessed wrongly.
The game ends when the clue cards run out and nobody holds one, or when time runs out if you play with a timer. Everyone wins or loses together: count the cards placed correctly and check the rating table in the rules. On the 4x4 grid, 15 or 16 is a top score and fewer than 8 is a fail.
How it differs from Codenames: there are no rival teams and no spymaster. Everyone holds a secret square, anyone can speak when ready, and each clue links exactly two words, so a game is short and nobody waits for long. Blue Orange's rules add an optional five-minute timer (ten minutes for the 5x5 grid) to make it frantic; the contents printed on Bored Game Company's box don't list a timer, so use a phone if you want one.
What's in the box
- 10Axis tiles
letters A to E and numbers 1 to 5 that label the columns and rows - 25Clue cards
each names one grid square, such as B3 - 50Code word cards
the English words laid along the columns and rows - 2Illustrated rules
the box front says the rules come in English and Hindi
Box: 0.29 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.
From the contents printed on Bored Game Company's box back ('10 tiles, 75 cards, 2 illustrated rules', read by Claude on the maker's photo) and the listing behind our Amazon.in link, which splits the cards into 25 clue cards and 50 code word cards. Blue Orange's original box has the same tiles and cards plus a five-minute sand timer, which the Indian box does not list.
Where to buy
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.
What reviewers and players say
Reviewers like Cross Clues as a fast, friendly cooperative word game that takes minutes to teach and to play. They praise the simple idea of linking two words with one clue, the three grid sizes and the retro look, and some compare it with Codenames, though here the whole table is on one team. The common criticisms are that it fades rather than builds near the end, as the last squares become easy to work out, and that the rating table is less exciting than a clear win or loss. One reviewer found it more of an activity than a game.
What people love
- Quick to set up and play, so it is easy to fit in several rounds
- Everyone thinks at the same time, so there is very little waiting
- Three grid sizes make it easy to start simple and then make it harder
- The retro artwork and simple, well-made parts
Common complaints
- It gets easier near the end, as fewer squares are left to choose from
- Comparing your total with a rating table feels flatter than a clear win or loss
- The rules don't spell out exactly what counts as a fair clue
5 research sources
- Review Cross Clues: 'Codenames' Meets Co-op in a Lightning-Fast Word Game (Jade, June 2021) · The Fandomentals
- Review Cross Clues: Can You Give a One-Word Clue for Two Completely Different Things? (Naomi Laeuchli, November 2020) · Casual Game Revolution
- Review #646 - Cross Clues (Eric, June 2020) · What's Eric Playing?
- Review Cross Clues (Chris Bowler, May 2022) · Unboxed: The Board Game Blog
- Reference Cross Clues (Blue Orange Games USA game page) · Blue Orange Games
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
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| Compare the games.The details that make a difference. |
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Cross Clues
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Wavelength
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why consider it | This game Give one-word clues that link two words and fill the grid together | A different fit The best-known one-word-clue game, played in two rival teams with a spymaster each | A different fit Another cooperative one-word-clue game, where matching clues cancel each other out | A different fit A team guessing game for bigger groups, built around one clever clue |
| Players | 2–6 | 2–8 | 3–7 | 2–12 |
| Best with | 3-5 | 6-8 | 5-7 | 6-12 |
| Play time | 5–15 min | 15 min | 15–30 min | 30–45 min |
| Age | 7+ | 14+ | 8+ | 14+ |
| Rules | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Available | Imported | Imported | Imported |
| On this page | Explore Codenames | Explore Just One | Explore Wavelength |
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Questions people ask about Cross Clues
How is Cross Clues different from Codenames?
In Codenames two teams compete, and each team's spymaster gives clues that can cover several words while avoiding the assassin. In Cross Clues everyone is on one team, everyone holds a secret square and can speak whenever ready, and each clue links exactly two words. It also works with just two players and takes about 10 minutes.
Can 2 people play Cross Clues?
Yes. With two or three players, each person holds two clue cards and chooses which one to clue, so there is always something to work on. Start with the 3x3 or 4x4 grid; the 5x5 grid is the hardest.
Does the Indian Cross Clues come with a sand timer?
The contents printed on Bored Game Company's box list 10 tiles, 75 cards and illustrated rules, with no timer, while Blue Orange's original box has a five-minute sand timer. The timer is optional: set a phone for five minutes, or ten for the 5x5 grid, if your group wants the pressure.
What age is Cross Clues for?
Bored Game Company and Blue Orange both say 7 and up. Younger children can join in if they know the English words on the cards; pairing a child with an adult, or starting with the small 3x3 grid, helps.
Is Cross Clues made in India?
Bored Game Company's edition is printed 'Made in India' on its box, and the box says the rules are in English and Hindi. Our Amazon.in link goes to that edition.
Game facts
- Designed by
- Gregory Grard
- Publisher
- Blue Orange Games; Indian edition by Bored Game Company
- In India
- Bored Game Company (Pune), which publishes its own Indian edition
- First published
- 2020
- Players
- 2–6
- Language
- Needs English – The code word cards are printed with English words, and every clue must be a single word that links two of them, so everyone needs a good everyday English vocabulary. Bored Game Company's box says the rules come in English and Hindi. If the whole table agrees, a family can allow Hindi or Hinglish clues as a house rule.
- Box size and weight
- 0.29 kg
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.