Cruciverbalist 12+

Works fine, but doesn’t play well with other programs

I wanted an app that would let me construct crosswords on my phone, and this does the trick. It comes with a functional word list preloaded, and the standard sizes. I have only encountered one bug, which is that sometimes the app makes duplicate versions of the puzzle with the same name. I assume it’s linked to the autosave, and it’s better than losing work, but it’s a little tedious to go through and figure out which is the newest version.

Obviously it’s not as fully featured as a desktop program, which is fine, but there are two limitations that are real drawbacks. 1. The app only accepts entry-only text files for custom dictionaries, so no custom scored lists or .dict files 2. It can only export as pdfs - no .puz files.

Great except for bug

I generally really like this app! It doesn’t have quite as many features as Phil, but since Phil is web-based and I can’t use it on my iPad this is a great alternative. However, there is a bug where every time I try to fill in a square on the bottom half of the grid, the whole grid slides down toward the bottom of the screen behind the keyboard. This isn’t a dealbreaker because when I close the keyboard I can see the whole grid again, but it is really annoying and it would be nice if this could be fixed. Other than that it’s great!

Developer Response ,

Glad to hear you’re enjoying the app — and thank you for reporting the keyboard issue! I haven’t been able to reproduce it myself, so if you have a moment, would you mind emailing a screenshot to cruciverbalistfeedback@gmail.com? It would also be helpful to know which model of iPad you’re using, and the version of iOS (in Settings > General > About).

Excellent creator app

A great app for crossword constructors, especially if you’re into completing your fill by hand. I do most of my constructing on my commute and using PC or browser-based apps wasn’t really an option. The light weight interface is really easy to work with and the built in dictionary suggestions are really helpful with good variety.

Have noticed a bug with autosave failing every now and then and a duplicate puzzle gets saved. Doesn’t happen very often. Would also love a .puz export option to load to different sites for sharing.

Overall an excellent app. I highly recommended for anyone looking for a simple constructing app.