In US puzzles, the answers, rather than the clues, are the real stars, so I try to stay attuned to modern usage and coinage. Some FT cryptic compilers can’t walk down a street without trying to make a clue out of a passing road sign or shopfront. My mother and grandmother taught me the music and language of crosswords. Plus, the ever-present stack of crosswords on our kitchen table growing up. I did a PhD in game theory, covered games as a journalist and wrote a book about the role games have played in the development of artificial intelligence. I have arranged my professional life around games, too, whether on purpose or not. Chess, backgammon, Scrabble, euchre, pinochle, Ticket to Ride - no visit to my parents’ house can be escaped without at least one. Clues in US puzzles are more straightforward. When it comes to clueing, UK setters set devious, cryptic, challenging clues. The US puzzle tends to adopt the same-sized grid but has around 80 clues, their solutions tightly packed, with very few blocked squares. Well, UK puzzles have up to 40 clues, their solutions spread over a 15 by 15 grid, with lots of blocked squares. What’s different between an American-style puzzle and UK cryptic crosswords? And - miraculously - I am now Reorder, the setter (constructor, as we Americans say) of our new American-style crossword puzzle. I also write for the magazine about stuff - horseracing, chess tournaments, the world’s tallest flagpole. Other than a lot of ads there isn’t much else to complain about.I am Oliver Roeder, the FT’s US senior data journalist, based in New York. There are a lot of ads popping up that can be pesky but not a big deal but well worth it. Video tutorials: they have some video tutorials to help you outĪ lot of ads.Print immediately (no login of any kind required).Can change the puzzle color and/or add an image. You are able to edit the following: the name line, the title, instructions, fonts, and borders.It’s extremely easy to input a title, direction, and then the words and the clues.You don’t have to login or give them your email.If you can look past the extreme amount of ads then it’s a great tool. The only thing I don’t like about it is that there are a TON of ads on their website so be careful of where you click. There is no problem making a nice crossword puzzle in a matter of minutes after school or during your plan period. The Teacher’s Corner Puzzlemaker is so easy to use. I recommend giving it a try especially if you are looking to do a lot of editing or customizing. This is the second best puzzlemaker that is free to use. Other than the ads there really is nothing else that bothers me. When finished you can print or save it as a PDF, print it, or play it online.Ī lot of ads on the site too but not a huge deal.So easy you can have students create one.Easy to create crossword puzzle in minutes.You don’t have to log in or give them your email.Like the other crossword puzzle maker below this one it does have a lot of ads on it but no big deal.īeing able to quickly create a crossword puzzle while looking at a few too many ads is okay with me! Pros It’s no problem putting toghether a quick crossword puzzle during my plan period if I have to. I appreciate how easy it is to use and navigate. This is the one that I use if I’m in a hurry or if I want my students to create their own crossword puzzles as a way to reinforce vocabulary words. It’s one step at a time, you will appreciate that. Once you complete one step it moves you to the next one so you are not overwhelmed with options right away. It is very easy to input words and clues. In just a few minutes I was able to create a simple crossword puzzle and print it out. I like ABCYa Crossword Puzzle Creator a lot. These are the two best crossword puzzle makes that you can use for your students along with their pros and cons. I use crossword puzzles once in a while with my 8 th grade students for reviewing facts and vocabulary word meanings. Link to the puzzle maker is right here.ĪBCYa walks you through the process step by step and then lets you print or save an old school black and white crossword puzzle that is ready to go. When I’m looking to make a quick crossword puzzle or want my students to make one the I use ABCYa crossword puzzle maker. I have to say though, neither of them have a lot of cons, they both work really well. I tried each one extensively and below I list the pros and cons of each one. Both of them are very easy to navigate and in no time you will have you very own crossword puzzle that is ready to be used. The best free crossword puzzle maker is the ABCYa crossword puzzle maker and the second best is The Teacher’s Corner puzzle maker.
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