What happens when you mix Scrabble with an RPG?  You get Criss Cross Castle, that’s what.  Help a wizard cast spells to defeat monsters by spelling words in turn-based battles.  It’s available on mobile devices, but reviewed on iPad here.

You’ll first view a map and can choose a path with enemies blocking the way.  Each time you confront an enemy, you’ll view a little crossword puzzle with letters on the bottom you can use.  Place the letters to form words, and then press the wand icon to turn them into spells to attack the monsters.  This part of the game is very much like Scrabble in that your letters are worth different points, and you can put them on tiles that double or triple points as well.  The points you earn translate into attack power you can use to whittle down the monster’s hit points.  If you can whittle them down to zero, you’ll win the battle.  But if you don’t, you must start the battle over again. There are also bonuses and shops on the map you can use to buy helpful items.

If you defeat the monster before finishing out the crossword tiles, you have a chance to get a treasure, but you must whittle down the treasure chest points first.  I wish you could choose to bypass that.  Also if you choose to shuffle letters or delete words, you could stand a chance to lose your own hit points or not get as good of letters, so be careful.  Also, the game requires a lot of planning and a little luck, as sometimes you just can’t get the right letters you need.  The game even says it’s a work in progress, so it could get better over time.  But right now, it’s a fairly decent if not difficult, little word puzzler.

Kid Factor:

Nothing too violent here.  You can shoot magic blasts at cartoony monsters that just fall over and fly off the screen when defeated, but that’s it.  Strong reading and spelling skills are needed to play, though.  Parental supervision is recommended for the in-game purchases.

Tags: Game Reviews