crossword

7 Little Words is a simple, minimal puzzle game that's perfect for fans of crosswords, anagrams, word searches, and other word-based games. The first 30 puzzles are free. After that, you can purchase extra puzzles in packs of 50 for 99 cents from the Android Market.

The gameplay is simple. Guess the seven words. To help you, you get seven clues, the number of letters in each word, and a reservoir of letter combinations from which to construct your guesses. Since there is no time limit or penalty for guessing wrong, you pretty much just play until you win (… Read more

Like crossword puzzles? Put down that archaic newspaper and pencil and pick up your iPad. As I discovered recently, there's no better platform for crossword play.

Think of it: tons of puzzles on demand, zero trees sacrificed, hints and clues when you need them, and solutions on the spot (no need to wait for tomorrow's paper).

I also discovered that one of the best crossword apps--definitely the best free one--is hidden inside an app that has nothing to do with puzzles: USA Today for iPad.

Granted, the print version of the paper runs a daily crossword, but its … Read more

Remember Scrabulous, the Facebook-powered Scrabble knockoff that was all the rage a couple years back? I was a serious addict, but lost interest after all the name changes, lawsuits, redesigns, etc.

Thanks to my evil friend Denny, my addiction is reborn--and mobile. Words With Friends is a two-player crossword challenge that offers turn-based, Scrabulous-like competition. It's not perfect, but I'm loving it.

The game lets you complete online against random players and/or friends. (Built-in Facebook/Twitter links let you post an invitation as a status update.) You can have up to 20 matches going at once, with … Read more

Some folks would rather not finish a crossword puzzle than look up the answer; to them, it researching an answer feels like cheating. For those who like to learn new words and don't see anything wrong with a little assistance, there's Cross+A, a feature-packed application that can help you solve just about any kind of puzzle.

Cross+A's interface is plain and somewhat utilitarian, with its 158,000-entry word list displayed in the main pane. Small icons across the top give users access to each of the program's many features. We can't even begin … Read more

Crossword Puzzle is a basic word puzzle that purports to be a twist on the classic crossword. Unfortunately, the program's weird clues and lack of options make it somewhat disappointing.

The program's interface is pleasant enough, although we immediately noticed that the program contains no options, settings, or Help file. The program displays a crossword-style puzzle, but with a twist: users can only view clues by mousing over the word in question, and doing so blacks out the rest of the puzzle. We suppose that this could add an extra challenge to the game, but we didn't … Read more

French Verb Games allows users to practice conjugating French verbs. Its intuitive interface and variety of activities make it a great choice for students studying French.

The program's interface is basic, with large graphical buttons for each of the program's functions. Despite the program's name, there's nothing fancy going on here, no sounds or animations or attempts at making verb conjugation particularly fun. In fact, much of the program consists of grids of words and phrases. The program is not necessarily entertaining, but it is an effective way to learn French verbs. A built-in Help file … Read more

Crossword puzzle and word search enthusiasts who want to try their hand at creating their own will appreciate the tools and help found in Crossword Forge. While you won't be able to print or view your puzzles without the answers displayed, you can still get a good sense of how this program works.

The interface is designed for business, with tabs for easy access to create your puzzle in steps, from the title to the background. The hardest part is coming up with the clues and answers. Crossword Forge makes the rest fairly simple, and you need only type … Read more

Making crossword puzzles isn't easy, and Sympathy Crossword Construction isn't going to dumb it down for you. What it will do is provide you with plenty of options to create crosswords in a variety of styles.

The interface isn't bad, but it will probably require a visit to the built-in Help file to figure out, especially for first-time puzzle makers. A lot of the buttons will be unfamiliar simply because they're unique to puzzle creation, but mouse-over descriptions help. The program has a lot of different functions, which makes navigation a bit confusing, but on the … Read more

There are several word games to choose from for the iPhone, but WordsWorth adds just enough unique features and in-game bonuses to make it one of our favorites. You can play two different game types--Timed and Classic--in which you are challenged to make words by connecting letters from hexagonal tiles. Each word you make erases those tiles from the board, letting new tiles slide into their place.

Just looking for words and getting points on our way to the end of the round made us like the game, but WordsWorth offers a few other twists to make the game more … Read more