WordLok Contest Info (Click if no puzzle at right)   Basic Overview: WordLok is a skill game where you fill in crossword style puzzles using scored letter values like in the Scrabble Game. Your goal is to build interlocked words across and down to get the highest score among competing players. The first place player wins a prize of $250, 2nd place wins $150, and 3rd place wins $100.   WordFinder Info: A free word finder utility is provided for your assistance above the grid with results shown to the side [see help]. It is used by typing in word patterns from the grid to complete using the "?" character to indicate missing letters. For example, you would use the pattern "s??m" to find all four letter words that start with "s" and end with "m". The word finder uses official letter values to sort words from highest to lowest score that match your input pattern. You then choose which words to type into the grid from the word finder results, and repeat for the remaining open cells until the puzzle grid is completed with either letters or black spaces. Hint: You will probably need to back up and undo certain grid areas to then refill them again with alternate choices if you cannot find interlocking word combinations with that black space pattern. This usually involves refilling the existing layout pattern with other words or else rearranging black spaces if you get totally stuck in a specific area.   Official Rules: Eligibility to win prizes requires players to be at least 18 years of age, a resident of the United States, and winners must sign an affadavit of eligibility. All entries must be submitted electronically using the contest web page before the official deadline [here] to be eligible for prizes. Only the single best entry for a player will be eligible for winning a contest, but multiple entries can be submitted using the electronic web page. Players start with a default grid in which initial cells colored in black are non-editable and red cells will have their letter score values tripled. The open white cells can be edited to place either letters or black cells to make separated word paths in both the across and down directions. Players must fill letters into remaining open cells to form words across and down in crossword fashion. Across words must be formed from left to right and cannot be immediately next to each other without a black space or non-editable cell between them. Down words must be formed vertically straight down and cannot be immediately next to each other without a black space or non-editable cell between them. Words may only be used once per contest entry and must be from the official word lists [here] at least 2 letters long but not more that 15 letters long. All letters must be part of both across and down words with no one (1) letter words allowed. Scoring involves adding up the letter scores of all words using official letter values [here]. Letter scores for red color cells in the default grid layout are tripled and these triple score cells are not movable. Empty grid cells, user placed black spaces and non-editable cells are worth zero (0) points. In case of total score ties, the winning entries will be determined as those with the highest scoring topmost row. If a tie still exists, an entry with higher score on the 2nd row will be the winner and so forth until all successive rows are compared. The column scores will then be used in like manner from left to right should any ties still exist after comparing the row scores. Any ties still existing after the row and column scores are compared will be settled by evaluating entry submission dates and the earliest recorded date in the electronic entry database will determine the winning entry.