Crossword Software Links

Software sites for crossword enthusiasts:

Crossword Compiler: Sophisticated crossword construction software by Antony Lewis, with a host of powerful features for creating and publishing crosswords. The software of choice for many professionals.
Across Lite: A program for solving crossword puzzles online or offline in Across Lite format (puzzles available from many sources) from Literate Software Systems.
Arensus Crossword Puzzle Editor: Create and edit your own crossword puzzles with this software. Import Across Lite puz-files. Keep your own clue-databases and use them as electronic dictionaries with powerfull search functions. Puzzles can be exported as web-pages and published as interactive online-games with the Crossword Puzzle Java Applet. Runs on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
Crossdown for Windows: An excellent application for solvers and constructors alike. Crossdown supports both American and British-style puzzles. Scrollable clue list. Sound card support with optional speaking messages. Extensive on-line help. Construct your own puzzles just like the professional ones. Hot-link your favorite digital dictionary to run from within Crossdown. Print out in a variety of formats! Export to all major desktop publishing applications.
Crossword Construction Kit: Features the unique ability to make puzzles in fun shapes with over 50 predefined puzzle shapes (diamonds, doughnuts, trains, etc) with the ability to create unlimited new shapes. Up to 30 x 30 in size. Print options include skeleton or filled box, answer key, font selection, metafiles & more.
Crossworders' Dictionary And Gazetteer: This six thousand (6000) page digital dictionary/gazetteer supplements all other paper crossword dictionaries and is by far the largest and most complete work of its kind. It is the heavyweight of crossword references, a crossword puzzle dictionary on steroids. The dictionary is over five thousand (5000) pages long and the gazetteer content is over one thousand (1000) pages. The software allows for extensive easy searching and browsing, including specialized gazetteer (geography) sub-searches to find rivers, cities, language, coin, measure, VIPs and much more. The total work contains over one hundred and eight thousand (108,000) individual look-up words with over one million total words including look-up word definitions (clues) and supporting information, all cross referenced.
Crossword Express: Using Crossword Express software you can make your own crossword puzzles from your own word lists and dictionaries. The program also includes a comprehensive set of SOLVE features so that you can enjoy solving the puzzles you have made.
Crossword Maestro: An extremely sophisticated expert system from Genius 2000 for solving cryptic and non-cryptic crosswords. It solves clues completely automatically and explains in plain English how they work! Individual clues can be submitted to the software or it can even tackle whole crosswords: It is capable of inking in three quarters of the solutions to a difficult cryptic such as The London Times completely automatically. It is also a game where you can pit your wits against the computer in solving crosswords.
Crossword Solver: The Crossword Solver program is free software that lets you solve crossword puzzles, word searches, sudokus and coded puzzles offline. It can open files used by the popular Crossword Compiler online applet, XML puzzle files, and also ".puz" files. You can enter tentative solutions, check your answers, save your current progress, and print out for solving offline.
Tea & Sympathy: Software for crossword solvers and setters by Ross Beresford. Sympathy is a crossword grid construction program with support for US style, blocked and barred grid puzzles. The Electronic Alveary (TEA) allows you to search lists of words for those that match a particular pattern; it is ideal for solving and compiling crosswords, and other word games.
XWord Studio: XWord Studio is a comprehensive crossword design and production tool for the Mac. You can create crosswords from scratch, or quickly recreate them for inclusion in publications. Features include: Normal filled or "plain" grids; Copy or save grids in PICT format (vector, not bitmapped); Automatic symmetrical filling, numbering, and text entry; Produces a special clues template window so that you can type in your clues easily; Fills typical 15 X 15 grid with words in seconds; Accurate and adjustable placement of characters in grid.