Crossed Words is a speedy brain teaser. Not only do you have to come up with the most ingenious words, you also utilise the necessary swiftness. How good are you with words? Are you crossed or lost (for words)?
The game is published by Indie Boards and Cards and is therefore of American origin. This is noticeable in the first place because the cards (and rules) are completely in English, but also because the rules are written with proper American extravagance and enthusiasm. Are you crossed or have you lost?
Each player is given nine discs of the same color and the marker associated with that color. Believe me, it is not advisable to use a different color marker. It creates lopsided faces and brings forth odd traits (people don’t seem to be able to handle it quite well?). In the center of the table, an insert with nine equally sized squares is placed down. A total of six cards are placed on the top and left side of this insert, creating nine answer possibilities, since two cards together provide one answer.
In the top left corner there is always a card that depicts “starts with” on the back, obviously. This is not without reason, because this card indicates which half circles which other cards have to be placed. Once you have placed the other five cards from the three possible categories (“proper nouns”, “things…” and “miscellaneous”), you are good to go.
The idea is that you manage to place a disc in each box that combines the two corresponding cards. For example: if there is ‘colors’ and ‘bands’, then ‘pink’ is a good answer. But ‘pink floyd’ would also be possible here. Even ‘fred’ would be allowed if the cards ‘colors’ and ‘boy’s first names’ have to be combined, because ‘red’ is in the word ‘fred’. Possibilities abound.
It is also possible to play the game in different languages, but you will notice that there are some cards that are a bit America-based, like ‘places in the USA’. Against at least two others (with a maximum of six players) you try to be the fastest and the smartest. Fire up that grey matter and get going! Oh, and before I forget: duplicate answers will be crossed out against each other, so try to be unique (in life and in this game)!
Crossed Words is a good option when you feel like being linguistically challenged for a change, while trying to keep the momentum going. When a player puts his last disc in the insert field, there are five seconds left to play. Or actually: one Crossed Words, two Crossed Words, three Crossed Words, four Crossed Words, five Crossed Words…
This review was written by Stefan.
