Cruxy: Review

Cruxy: Review

Information:

Mechanics: Word Game, Pen and Paper, Crossword
Player Age: 10+
Player Count: 1 - 4 Players
Time to Play: 20 - 30 Minutes
Game Designer: Charles Chevallier
Game Artists: Sonja Müller
Publisher: Red Cat Games
Year Published: 2023
Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher.

Introduction:

Cruxy introduces a unique twist on word games where players are competitively filling a crossword sheet. The goal isn't to fill the entire crossword sheet, it is simply to meet all of their player's conditions. These conditions are; specific letters used, length of the word, and passing through certain objects to collect them. The first player to meet all their conditions is the winner. 

Game Anatomy:

Sheets:

This game is filled with variety. There are 25 unique double-sided sheets with increasing difficulty and variance. This creates a whopping 50 different scenarios and the great thing is, due to the nature of this game, each sheet is easily replayable. Once you are more familiar with the game, no particular order of play is necessary and you can pick maps based on your favorite special effects.

Conditions:

To win the game you simply have to complete all of your conditions; length of the word as denoted on the puzzle sheet by a number, items to collect as you write a word over them, and using specific letters that are drawn at the start of each game. Each player will have the same conditions and with any word you create, you have the possibility of meeting multiple conditions, just one, or none.

Special Effects:

There are four animals depicted on the maps. These animals have special abilities that activate if the player fills one of the spaces orthogonally adjacent to them when creating a word. These animals can help you win by crossing off an extra condition of your choice (the penguin) or allow you to create your next word anywhere you please (the whale). They can also hinder your opponent, such as the Kraken, who will give an opponent of your choosing an extra letter condition drawn from the bag, or the bear that will forbid a player from writing a letter of your choice.

Setup:

- Choose any map sheet.
- Write each player's name at the bottom of the sheet.
- Draw letters from the letter bag equal to the number needed to fill in the player area. These letters are shared by all players.
- Return these letters back to the bag.
- There are two red squares on the sheet, they are starting locations and together players must come up with two words to begin the game.

How to Play:

On a turn a player must fill in one word in the crossword following the below rules:

- The word must cross one previously filled word.
- The word must read from left to right or top to bottom.
- The word must not have been used previously this game. 
- Any letters can be used in the creation of the word.
- Any singular noun listed in a standard dictionary is allowed except for proper nouns, abbreviations and hyphenated words.  

After filling out a word a player can now cross off any conditions they met in their play area. If one of the letters of their word is orthogonally adjacent to an animal they will activate its effect. The game will end on two conditions; if there is a full round where none of the players crossed out any conditions, or when one player has two or less uncrossed conditions. After the last round, the player with the most conditions crossed out wins.

Final Thoughts:

- Unique word game where you are racing against your opponent.
- Abundance of maps with different layouts and special effects.
- There is downtime between turns as players think of words. 

Cruxy is a fun word game that allows for any words to be used when you are filling the crossword. This helps this game to be easier to get into than other words games for players like me who always seem to get blocked when thinking up focused words. The trick to this game is meeting the most conditions per turn, this is where the puzzle of the game shines. When you add the variability of the special effects and layouts in all the maps, this has truly become one of the best, and most inclusive, word games in my collection.

Click...feed the addiction: 

Red Cat Games

Cruxy on BGG

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