How to play Gridlock — free online multiplayer crossword race
Race the same crossword. First to answer a clue locks the word.
- Players
- 2–4
- Length
- ~8 min
- Type
- Crossword
- Price
- Free
Gridlock is a crossword you race. The whole room sees one mini grid and the same set of clues; tap any clue, type the answer, and the first person to get it right locks that word into the shared board in their own colour and banks the points.
What makes it a party game rather than a solo puzzle is the shared board. Every word somebody claims reveals letters in the words that cross it — so every point you score hands your opponents a leg up on the clues around it, and a runaway leader keeps feeding the field. The grid rubber-bands the game back together as it fills.
Free, no app and no sign-up to join — players hop in with a 4-letter code on their own phone.
How to play Gridlock
The host picks how many grids
Each round is one complete mini crossword. Four grids is the default; three is a quick game and six is a long one.
Everyone joins with the room code
Players enter the 4-letter code on their own device. Gridlock plays solo as a time trial, but it's built for two to four people racing the same board.
Pick any clue and answer it
You're not forced through the clues in order — tap whichever one you can see, type your answer, and submit. Everyone is working on the same grid at the same time, in any order they like.
First correct answer claims the word
Get it right and the word locks into the grid in your colour for everyone to see, and your score ticks up live. Get it wrong and it costs you nothing in points, but it parks you for about three seconds before you can submit again.
The grid fills, then the round ends
The round ends when the grid is full or the clock runs out. The reveal crowns the round's top scorer and shows who claimed what, then the next grid loads.
What Gridlock looks like
How scoring works
Each claimed word is worth 100 points per letter, plus a speed bonus based on how much time was left. Long words are where the game is won — a nine-letter answer is worth more than three short ones.
A wrong answer costs no points, but it locks you out of submitting for roughly three seconds. A correct claim parks you for slightly less. That short cooldown is deliberate: without it a single fast typist would sweep the entire board unopposed.
Because your score banks the moment you claim, the live scoreboard is always current — you can see exactly how far ahead or behind you are while the grid is still filling.
Tips for winning Gridlock
- Go for long words first. At 100 points a letter, one long answer beats several short ones, and long words also reveal the most crossing letters — though that helps everyone.
- When you're behind, work the crossings. The letters your opponents just handed you make the remaining clues much easier than the ones they solved.
- Don't spam guesses. The three-second lockout after a wrong answer costs you more than the guess could ever win, especially late in a grid.
- Scan the whole board before committing to a clue you're stuck on. Somebody else is probably already typing it.
- Short words go fast and early. If you spot an easy three-letter answer, take it immediately or it'll be gone.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need for Gridlock?
One to four. It works solo as a time trial, but the claim race is the point — two to four players on one board is where it's best.
Is this a normal crossword?
It's a mini crossword built for speed rather than a full daily-sized puzzle, and everyone in the room is solving the same grid simultaneously and competitively rather than alone.
What happens if I get an answer wrong?
Nothing is deducted, but you're locked out of submitting for about three seconds. There's no penalty score, just lost time.
Can two people claim the same word?
No. The first correct answer locks it, and it stays locked in that player's colour for the rest of the grid.
Do we need to talk to each other?
No — Gridlock is one of the games that needs nothing from the room. No call, no sitting together, no hidden screens. It plays perfectly muted and across different cities.
Is it free?
Yes, free to play and free to host, with no account needed to join.
Free, no app and no sign-up to join — players hop in with a 4-letter code on their own phone.