Cross Wars Review

There's a nice and original idea behind Cross Wars. It's just a shame that its community is a tad on the quiet side, which is something that really isn't a good thing for a solely multiplayer focused title.

Cross Wars is a competitive crossword puzzle game - something that we really don't see much of. Two players take turns to complete crossword clues, with the player with the most captured tiles winning the game. Strategy comes into the equation through the ability to grab the opposing player's tiles. This is done through answering crossword clues that overlap with the opponent's already snagged tiles. At first this isn't a big deal, but as the board fills up it can make all the difference to one's success.

As is often the way with crossword puzzles, some clues are easier to solve than others. It's possible to enjoy a few attempts at one word during a single turn (through the use of a special power-up) but these are limited in number. More can be purchased through the use of an in-app purchase, but one is best off planning ahead than relying on such expenses. Elsewhere, one can unlock the 'full' game for $0.99, thus removing ads.

It's a fun game at heart, but one that's restricted by a limited interface and community spirit. Players find other opponents either through their Game Center friends or randomly hooking up. The latter has limited success though, as there just don't seem to be as many active players as there perhaps should be. If there were Facebook connectivity, I suspect things could be better here. Also, there's no way to chat with players mid-game, making Cross Wars seem like quite a cold experience.

As fun as it is, Cross Wars really is a title that one needs to bring their friends to the party with, rather than expect to find plenty of competition randomly.