Clue & Cuppa: Word Crossword

Put the kettle on. Today's crossword is pinned to the noticeboard.

Clue & Cuppa is a little village word puzzle for one thumb. Each day brings a mini crossword and a ring of letters underneath. Swipe through the letters to spell a word: if it's in the grid, it drops into place with a satisfying tick. If it's any other real word, it goes into the Word Jar for bonus coins. Fill every square and pour the tea.

NO CLUES, NO KEYBOARD There's nothing to decode. Every word in the grid can be spelled from the ring, and the grid's shape does the rest. Stuck? Shuffle the ring for fresh eyes, or reveal a letter or a whole word.

BEFORE THE TEA GOES COLD A pot of tea steeps while you play. It never ends a puzzle; it just decides a star. Earn one star for finishing, one for managing without a hint, and one for beating the teapot or finding three bonus words.

A CROSSWORD A DAY, FOR 400 DAYS Day 1 is a gentle five-by-five with six letters. By Day 30 you're on a nine-by-nine with eight. Every puzzle is the same for everyone, so you can compare notes over the garden fence. Each day has a theme: the bakery, the allotment, the pond, the post office, the seaside, the hen coop, the canal, the kitchen, garden birds, the weather and the tea table.

DAYS WITH A TWIST Every third day brings something different: a Speed Round where the tea cools in a hurry and coins count double, Big Grid Sunday, One Vowel Only, Themed Thursday where every word comes from one theme, and Silent Letters with rarer words and double-pay bonus words.

ANOTHER CUPPA? Finished today's? Have another. A fresh puzzle at today's size, as many as you like.

THE BIG CROSSWORD Every Sunday there's a nine-by-nine with a coin prize, and a bonus for everyone who's solved seven puzzles that week.

FILL THE WORD JAR Every bonus word you find is kept, with how many times you've found it. Seven-letter words are rare, eight-letter words are gilded. Records keep your longest word, fastest solve, longest word streak and perfect days.

UPGRADES AND VILLAGES Coins buy a Bigger Teapot, a Warm Pot, a Sugar Lump, a Biscuit Tin, Reading Glasses and a Tea Cosy. After Day 30, move to a new village for a fresh start and a permanent bonus: Saltmarsh, Fellside, Market Cross and Cathedral Close.

SEASONS Festive rings at Christmas, eggs and daffodils in spring, a summer fête in July and August, and a little spookiness in October.

MADE FOR THE SOFA Plays offline, one-handed, portrait. An optional daily reminder tells you when tomorrow's crossword is up.

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