Manufacturer: SOL Robots

System Requirements:

Operating System: Mac OS 8.0 to Mac OS X. Also available for Windows NT to Windows XP.

Price: $39

Download : You can download a trial version at the SOL Robots Download Page.

Every once in a while, you come across a program that simply makes you smile. Crosswordz OS X is one such program. Simply and beautifully executed, the program does exactly what its name implies. It creates crossword puzzles; as a bonus, it also creates word find puzzles.

Word Find Puzzles Made Easy! (click to enlarge)

When Crosswordz OS X opens, it presents you with the Puzzle Editor. From this box, your puzzle will take shape. Alternately, enter your clue and respective answer, building up the foundation of the puzzle to come. Once you have entered the desired number of clues, press the Make Puzzle button, and, voila, your very own (and probably first) crossword puzzle has been created.

The customization possible for your creation is almost limitless. The puzzle size (width and height) can be changed as can the font and language in which the puzzle is displayed. Ever want to try and produce a numerical word find puzzle? With the Math "language" option, you can! Additionally, the text can be colored, made bold, italic or underlined. In a word find puzzle, the hidden words can optionally be on diagonals or reversed. With these options turned off, a simple puzzle can be created which allows young children to learn the joy of these fun puzzles. As an additional challenge in word find mode, the hidden words can be guessed from clues.

A Finished Crossword Puzzle (click to enlarge)

The backdrop for your puzzle creations is likewise customizable. Use either a simple colored background (with the appropriate colored text), or apply any picture on your hard drive to spice up the puzzle. In preview mode, the answers can be shown or hidden. The puzzle grid and clues can be exported, both with and without clues.

The technical support from the author is exemplary. I had created a test puzzle and experienced difficulty when trying to open the puzzle from the Finder. After emailing an explanation of the problem to the author, along with the problem puzzle, a new version of the program was promptly emailed back which fixed the bug.

The only downside to the program is that the puzzles which you create cannot be played on the computer or online. However, this minor quibble aside, Crosswordz OS X is a great program to puzzle your friends and family with.

The program is available as shareware ($39) from http://www.solrobots.com/