A "Double Cross.TM." crossword puzzle game is a method of playing a game that allows players to compete to complete a crossword puzzle. The game includes a game board which is configured as a grid of squares with a video screen in the center of the board which can be used to display written or visual clues to help solve the crossword puzzle. The players alternate controlling the selection of clues; when they answer a clue correctly they continue to control the selection, and when they answer incorrectly the clue selection passes to the next player. The game also allows players, having selected a clue, to "double cross" an opponent by challenging that opponent to answer the clue, exposing that opponent to the danger of losing some or all of his accumulated points. The game also includes a final phase where the leading player, or all of the players, must solve a word puzzle consisting of only two interlocking words. The game can be played on a television game show, using telephone or internet communication technologies, as a video game or on a board game.