How to Play
One Across is a "one-dimensional crossword puzzle". You are given a series of clues that correspond to overlapping segments of a word. By solving these clues, you can piece together the full word. Each letter of the word will typically have at least 2 clues that cover it.
Indicators
Some clues have "indicators" that modify how the clue is interpreted in the final puzzle. Below is a list of all valid indicators.
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ? | Wordplay. The answer is typically a pun or an non-literal
interpretation of the clue. e.g. "A shocking catch?" → "eel". |
| (!n) | Character n of the clue isn't actually in the final word, and
should be replaced with something else. e.g. "Common greeting (!2)" → "h*llo", where * is some unknown letter you must discover via other clues. |
| (V) | Remove all vowels (AEIOU). e.g. "Common greeting (V)" → "hll" (hello with its vowels removed). |
| (C) | Remove all consonants. e.g. "Common greeting (C)" → "eo" (hello with its consonants removed). |
| (<>) | Reverse the clue. e.g. "Common greeting (<>)" → "olleh" (hello reversed). |
| (-n) | Remove n letters from the start of the clue. e.g. "Common greeting (-2)" → "llo" (hello with its first 2 letters removed). |
| (n-) | Remove n letters from the end of the clue. e.g. "Common greeting (2-)" → "hel" (hello with its last 2 letters removed). |
Indicators can be combined. For example:
"Common greeting (!1)(<>)" → "*ello (<>)" → "olle*"
The order of indicators matters -- this same clue with the indicators reversed results in a completely different answer:
"Common greeting (<>)(!1)" → "olleh (!1)" → "*lleh"
If this looks daunting, don't worry. I will only use these if absolutely necessary to make a good puzzle. Puzzles with lower difficulty ratings will have fewer indicators, and if you are ever truly stuck, you can always use the "Reveal letter" button.
Happy puzzling! Message me on X @quickbusterarts for any feedback.