Game: CrossAbout: Crosswords in Reverse
Genre: Casual, Indie
System: Steam (Windows) (also available for mobile)
Developer | Publisher: Christopher Cinq-Mars Jarvis | Cinq-Mars Media
Controller Support: None
Price: US $8.99 | UK £7.49 | EU € 8,79
Release Date: October 25, 2024
Review code provided, with many thanks to Cinq Mars Media.
CrossAbout: Crosswords in Reverse is a sort of crossword game with multiple answers. In order to complete each puzzle, you’ll need to have a large vocabulary and be able to think outside the box.
The Gameplay of CrossAbout: Crosswords in Reverse
CrossAbout is a puzzle game that updates daily. Each puzzle gives you three or four clues, and each clue has a variety of answers. In order to beat each level, you need to figure out what words not only fit into each category, but also can be put next to one another inside the square to make full words.
In the example below, the four categories are “Add Up,” “Dispute,” “Lightheaded,” and “Unmoving.” Each has to take up one line of the puzzle’s body, their first or last letters overlapping in the corners.
When you successfully finish a puzzle, you earn stars. Stars are used to give hints and unlock the needed puzzle packs. If you purchase the full version of the game, you not only get daily puzzles, but you also get 300 stars to get you started.
The Pros of CrossAbout: Crosswords in Reverse
CrossAbout: Crosswords in Reverse has a lot of good points; there are no microtransactions for more stars or puzzles. There are loads of puzzles to keep you amused, and more are added daily. The concept is unique; it feels like a crossword without being just another crossword game.
There are a lot of challenging categories, and if you don’t know enough about a specific category (like I didn’t know any Spanish articles, as I never took Spanish), you can either get hints or skip the whole puzzle with stars. I like the whole concept, and the menus and puzzles were sleek and minimalist in a way I really liked.
The Cons of CrossAbout: Crosswords in Reverse
I had a few issues with this game, however. I liked the idea behind it, but I think it could have been better executed. For one of the main examples, some words don’t actually make any sense in the category. A big example is from the very first non-tutorial puzzle I came across: it had the category “Champ,” and the first word I got after trying a hint was “Munch.” So I think this was a typo; the category should have been “Chomp” perhaps.
Overall, CrossAbout: Crosswords in Reverse just isn’t as fun as it could be. You need to come up with all the different possibilities, then some of the words can’t be used. There are always words you can think of that would fit in a category that don’t work, and there is no system for rewarding coming up with words that do fit but aren’t in the puzzle. It feels a little less than complete as a result, and it’s not as satisfying as it could be.
Conclusion
CrossAbout could have been a cool idea. It’s a neat, unique concept, but it feels a little bit lacking in some areas. I always love to support non-profits, and I like puzzle games, but I’m not sure I can recommend this one. It was close to being fun, but didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Final Verdict: I’m Not Sure
Do you like our content?
Subscribe to our daily news and never miss a review!