Crossplay Cheating Detector
Analyze a suspicious NYT Crossplay move and get a Suspicious Move Score based on how unusually solver-like it was. Enter the position your opponent played into, mark the tiles they placed, and compare that move to strong solver play and to ordinary human play.
- Board
- Mark move
- Score
How do you want to enter the board?
Upload a Crossplay screenshot to fill the board automatically, or enter it by hand. Either way you'll review the board before anything is analyzed.
Crossplay analysis, explained
Short reads on how the analysis works and how to use it well.
- How to tell if someone is cheating at CrossplayThe signs of solver-assisted play, and why a pattern matters more than one move.
- The Crossplay Suspicious Move Score, explainedWhat the 0–100 score measures, how to read the bands, and what it can't tell you.
- Solver vs. human play in CrossplayHow a solver picks moves, how people differ, and why strong isn't the same as suspicious.
- Word rarity and unusual plays in CrossplayWhy obscure valid words can hint at outside help — and why they're never proof on their own.
- Auditing a full Crossplay gameMove-by-move analysis across a whole game, where cheating signals actually show up.
How the analysis works
- Reconstruct the board as it was before your opponent's move.
- Have a game solver evaluate the strong, legal plays from that position.
- Compare the observed move against patterns from human gameplay.
- Account for the tiles on the opponent's rack that you can't see.
- Combine these into a single Suspicious Move Score.
Understanding the Suspicious Move Score
The Suspicious Move Score (SMS) runs from 0 to 100 and summarizes how unusually solver-like a move is compared with human play. Low scores mean the move looks ordinary; high scores mean it closely matches what a solver would choose and is rarely picked by human players.
For Crossplay, the score weighs whether an opponent consistently finds the highest-value placements a solver would prefer — especially in cramped board states where strong plays are hard for people to spot.
A high score on a single move is not proof of cheating — luck and skill both produce strong plays. Repeated high scores across many moves are much more meaningful than any one result.
Frequently asked questions
Can this prove my Crossplay opponent used a solver?
No. The Suspicious Move Score measures how solver-like a move is, not intent. A high score on one move is evidence the play was unusual, not proof of cheating. Repeated high scores across many moves are far more meaningful than any single result.
Do I need a screenshot to analyze a Crossplay move?
A screenshot helps you reproduce the board accurately, but you confirm the tiles by hand. Automatic board reading is not available yet, so the analysis works from the board you enter, not from the image itself.
Why might a strong Crossplay move score low?
Because strong moves are normal. If a good placement is one that many humans would also find, it is not unusual, and the score stays low. The score rises when a move is both high-value and rarely chosen by human players.