“The roll and tumble criss-cross word game”
Released by Milton Bradley in 1978, the Crossword game pitted players against each other to see who could assemble the highest-scoring crosswords before the time ran out.
GAMEPLAY
The player who rolled the highest-scoring single-letter cube started the game.
All 13 letter cubes were placed in the dice cup. The cubes were tumbled and rolled out onto the playing surface. The hourglass timer was flipped, and the player worked to form words in a crossword pattern — across and down — using only the letters on the top surface of the cubes. Slang, foreign words, proper nouns, and abbreviations were not allowed.
Each letter had a point value printed on the bottom right of the cube. Two wild sides — marked with a diamond — allowed the player to determine the letter, giving an advantage to those who were lucky enough to roll one (or both) during their turn. While the wild sides did not have a point value, they did allow players more flexibility when creating words.
Play stopped when the timer ran out, then points were recorded. The game could be concluded in a number of ways: 1) after each player took their turn, 2) after a predetermined number of rounds, or 3) once an established score was reached.
A solo game could also be enjoyed with the player aiming to better their individual score with each round.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included 13 letter cubes, dice cup, and hourglass timer. Instructions were printed inside the box top.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
Word games have remained popular through the years thanks to their blend of luck, strategy, and mental agility. While contemporary word games such as Wordle and Canuckle keep players engaged with daily digital puzzles, classic games such as Perquackey from Lakeside (1956), Spill and Spell from Parker Brothers (1956), Clock-A-Word from Topper Toys (1966), Boggle from Parker Brothers (1972), and Scrabble continue to be mainstays on family game nights and in vintage game collections.
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