Cross Words
Made by Shaun Inman
A pair of words, crossing on a shared letter, are laid out on a 5x5 board then scrambled. Unscramble the words within a target number of moves (par) by sliding entire rows or columns around the board. Unlock higher pars by completing 8 boards of the previous par, at or under par.
Cross Words features multiple modes: Commute, where par never increases (except when unlocking the next higher par) and Roadtrip, where par increases after playing a configurable number of boards. The first is great for unlocking new pars quickly. The latter is a devious challenge, especially after unlocking all pars.
Any board can be skipped during normal play. In the third mode Revisit, find and eliminate abandoned boards or retry to see if you can come in under par. Just keep in mind that not every board can be completed under par.
Each random board has a unique share code that can be found in the menu. Share a challenging or serendipitous pair with a friend!