Crossplay Game Online - Play Free With a Friend

Crossplay Game is a free web version of the popular New York Times word game available on the NYT Games app. Now you can enjoy the same head-to-head word battle right in your browser -- no subscription, no app download, and no signup required. Simply create a room, share the 4-letter code with a friend, and start playing instantly from any phone, tablet, or computer.

Two players take turns placing letter tiles on a 15x15 board to form words, earning points based on each letter's value and strategic bonus square placement. With 100 tiles in the bag, blank wildcards, and four types of score multipliers, every round of the crossplay game delivers a fresh strategic challenge.

How to Play Crossplay Game

Getting started is simple. Here are the rules and steps to begin your first match:

• Create or Join a Room -- Enter your name and click "Create Game" to get a 4-character room code. Share it with your opponent so they can join. Or click "Join Game" and type in a code you received.
• Place Tiles on the Board -- Each player begins with 7 letter tiles. On your turn, select a tile from your rack and tap or drag it onto the board. Your first word must cross the center star.
• Form Valid Words -- Tiles placed in a single turn must form a straight line, either horizontally or vertically, and create valid English words. Every new word must connect to letters already on the board.
• Score Points with Bonus Squares -- Letters are worth 1 to 10 points each. Land on yellow squares to double a letter (2L), green to triple it (3L), blue to double the whole word (2W), or purple to triple the word score (3W). Place all 7 tiles in one turn to earn a 40-point bonus.
• Swap or Pass -- Stuck with bad tiles? Swap any number of them for new ones from the bag, or pass your turn entirely.
• Win the Match -- The game ends when the tile bag is empty and a player uses their last tile, or when both players pass in a row. The highest score wins.

Tile Values and Distribution

The crossplay game uses 100 letter tiles, each with a specific point value. Common letters like E, A, and I are worth 1 point and appear frequently, while rare letters like Q, Z, and J are worth 10 points but only have one tile each. Three blank tiles act as wildcards -- they can represent any letter but score zero points. Knowing which tiles are left in the bag is key to making smart plays late in the game.

Scoring and Strategy Tips

Winning at crossplay takes more than a big vocabulary. Here are a few strategies to improve your play:

• Target bonus squares -- Plan your words to land high-value letters on 2L or 3L squares, and extend words across 2W or 3W squares for massive score swings.
• Play parallel words -- Placing tiles next to existing words can form multiple new words at once, each scored separately. This is one of the best ways to rack up points in a single turn.
• Manage your rack -- Keep a balanced mix of vowels and consonants. Avoid hoarding too many of one type, or you'll be forced to swap.
• Save the S and blank tiles -- These are extremely versatile. An S can extend almost any word, and blanks let you play otherwise impossible combinations.
• Block your opponent -- If your opponent is heading toward a triple word square, cut off their path. Defensive play matters as much as offense.

Why Play on CrossplayGame.org?

This version of the crossplay game runs entirely in your browser with real-time multiplayer over WebSocket. There are no ads, no accounts, and no tracking. The connection stays alive even if your phone screen turns off for a minute, so you can pick up right where you left off. It works on mobile, desktop, and everything in between -- just share the link and play.