What's the best opening move in NYT Crossplay?
There's no single best opening word in NYT Crossplay. The best opener is the play that wins most with your seven tiles. Crossplay's center star isn't a bonus square, so strong openers usually reach a double-word square four squares from the center, which takes five letters or more.
One opening rack, worked through
Your opening rack is D, G, I, O, P, R and U. It has 458 legal plays. These are the top four Next Tile found:
| Play | Points | Chance to win |
|---|---|---|
| UPGIRD, down from the center | 34 | 68% |
| UPGIRD, across from the left double-word square | 34 | 66% |
| UPGIRD, across to the right double-word square | 28 | 65% |
| Swap, keeping R | 0 | 54% |
All three plays reach a double-word square. The 34-point ones also put the G, worth 4, on a double-letter square. Swapping gives up the points and wins far less often.
What the opening board rewards
- The center star is worth nothing extra. Unlike Scrabble, Crossplay doesn't double your first word.
- The double-word squares are four away. There is one four squares from the center in each direction, so a word needs five letters or more to reach one from the star.
- The double-letter squares are two away. A high-value tile there counts twice: Z, Q and J are worth 10, and X is worth 8.
- Using all seven tiles adds 40. Crossplay calls it a sweep. Scrabble adds 50.
- Many tiles are worth more than in Scrabble. For example, K and V are worth 6, W 5, and B and G 4.
What 30 random openings showed
- Most openers reach a double-word square. 24 of the 28 opening plays Next Tile picked did.
- The highest score is usually right. In 19 of the 29 racks with a legal play, the pick was also the top-scoring play.
- When it wasn't, the gap was small. Nine picks scored 1 to 6 points less, to keep better tiles such as a blank or an S, get rid of the Q, or put the same word where it wins more.
- Sweeps came up twice, SWOONED for 68 and CRAWLER for 78, and Next Tile played both.
- It swapped twice: once on N, R, R, R, S, S and X, which has no legal play, and once on O, O, O, O, U, N and a blank, keeping the blank.
- Going first helps. Across the 30 racks, Next Tile's opening play won 65% of its simulated games.
Questions
Is there one best first word in Crossplay?
No. It depends on your seven tiles. The best opener is whichever play wins most often from there.
Should I always play the highest-scoring opener?
Usually. In 19 of 29 random openings it was also Next Tile's pick. The rest gave up 1 to 6 points to keep better tiles or place the word better.
Does the center star double my first word?
No. In Crossplay the center star isn't a bonus square. Reach a double-word square four squares away instead.
Is it free?
Yes. No account needed.