Explore our Code Cracker Grid User Guide for helpful information and instructions on how to utilise and navigate the puzzle’s features and options so you can tailor and enhance your puzzle-solving experience.
Puzzle Modes: Quick vs Challenge
In Quick Mode, you’ll have the option to use Hints and Visual Guides to assist you in solving Code Cracker puzzles. Hints reveal correct letters, while Visual Guides highlight cells containing correct letters in green and incorrect cells in a contrasting colour, making mistakes easy to spot and identify.
Challenge Mode offers a more difficult puzzle-solving experience, as both the Hints and Visual Guide help options are disabled. All cells containing a letter will be highlighted in grey regardless of whether it’s correct or incorrect.
If you wish to switch modes after you’ve commenced playing a puzzle, simply click/tap the Menu button and select Main Menu. Once there, you can re-enter the puzzle in the same or alternate mode and resume solving it from where you previously left off.
Deleting or changing a letter
Click/Tap on the letter you wish to delete. Once the square cell is highlighted, you can either use the Backspace key to delete the letter or simply type in the new letter using your keyboard or the Alphabet Key.
Alphabet Key
The Alphabet Key displays the available letters for solving the puzzle. If a letter is not used in that Code Cracker puzzle, it will also not appear in the Alphabet Key.
To enter a letter using the Alphabet Key, begin by clicking on a cell within the grid to highlight it. Then, within the Alphabet Key, click on the letter you think should go in the highlighted cell. That letter will also appear in every other cell in the grid that shares the same number. If necessary, you can click again to remove the letter.
Using Hints
If you need a hint, simply click inside the numbered cell that you would like revealed then click Hint. The correct letter will be inserted in the cell you selected and in every other cell in the grid with the same number. Remember, hints are only available when playing in Quick Mode.
Letter hints: Fills in the correct letter for the selected square cell
Word hints: Fills in the correct word for the highlighted word-space or clue.
Timer
The Timer, indicated by the clock icon, begins counting as soon as you begin the crossword. If you prefer a leisurely pace without the Timer, you can adjust its visibility in the Code Cracker Menu. To do this, simply, click/tap on the Menu button, locate the Time and use the toggle to either hide the Timer (toggle turns grey) or restore its visibility (toggle turns green).
Pause
To pause during play, click/tap the pause icon. Click/Tap Resume Puzzle when you wish to restart play.
Reset
To clear the grid and restart the puzzle and Timer, click/tap Menu and then select Reset Puzzle.
Menu Options
Show Timer: Toggle to show or hide the timer.
Visual Guides: Enable or disable visual guides (only available in Quick Mode).
Allow Hints: Toggle to enable or disable hints (only available in Quick Mode).
Completion
Once you’ve successfully completed the Code Cracker puzzle, a results panel will automatically be displayed, providing you with your puzzle-play information.
Solve Time: This shows the precise duration spent solving the puzzle, from start to finish.
Hints Used: Shows the overall count of letters that were revealed while you were solving the puzzle. Each letter revealed adds an extra 10 seconds to the Total Time.
Total Time: This is calculated by adding the Solve Time and Hints’ time extensions for each revealed letter.
Your Best Time: This value showcases the most optimal time you’ve ever recorded for that specific puzzle type and mode (quick versus challenge). It’s important to note that your best time might vary if you play the puzzle on different devices. For the most accurate and consistent results, we recommend sticking to the same device when playing the puzzle.
