Five strategies to complete the crossword

You’ve read the rules, played your first game and got stuck on that eight-letter word that just won’t come. It happens to everyone. Here are five strategies we use to finish the PokèVerba crossword every morning (or almost).

1. Start from the crossings, not from the top

You don’t have to solve the clues in order. Look for the word that seems easiest, even if it’s the last one on the list, and write it in. Every letter you add is a free hint for the words that cross it. Often, after two or three sure words, the others fall into place one after another.

2. Use the length as a filter

The grid tells you exactly how many letters the answer has. That’s a powerful piece of information: if you think of a Pokémon but its name is too long, rule it out straight away. Remember that spaces, full stops and hyphens disappear, so a name like Mr. Mime takes up only six squares.

3. Look for the key word in the clue

Every clue has a detail that narrows the field: a weight, a height, a colour, a habitat, an evolution. Underline it in your head. “Weighs 200 kg” and “0.3 m tall” rule out half the candidates, even when the type is the same. To practise spotting these details, have a look at our guide to types.

4. Think about evolutions

When you’re sure of the “family” but not of the right member, the length and the letters you already have help you choose between the basic form, the middle evolution and the final form. Clues that tell you where a Pokémon sits in its line (“it is a basic form”, “the final form of its line”) settle it for you.

5. Check strategically

The Check button costs no tokens, but you get 5 per crossword. When you’ve finished a few words and have doubts, check: the right words flash, the wrong ones turn red. It doesn’t tell you which letter is off, but it’s enough to know which word to look at again before building other answers on top of it.

Bonus: come back tomorrow

Your memory works even when you’re not thinking about it. The more crosswords you do, the more names, types and evolutions stick in your head, and the longer your streak gets. Today’s crossword is ready: happy hunting!