Learn about crosswords with beginner-friendly puzzles

Crossword puzzles are a staple of newspapers and magazines that, despite their longevity, or perhaps because of it, remain as popular as they were decades ago. They offer a fun way to pass the time and perhaps learn a thing or two. Some are easy, ideally suited for beginners and even kids, while others, more advanced options will cause occasional head scratching even in the most well informed of players. If you too wish to explore the world of these fascinating word games, follow our tips and tricks, and you will become a master in no time!

Some of you reading this will be total beginners with little to no experience. If you recognise yourself here, you might want to first consider an app that will guide you through all the rules of the game. Not too difficult to learn, they will make your playing experience a lot easier further down the line.

Quite different from scrabble and anagram games, crosswords can be just as fascinating. As you progress on your journey, you will first want to focus on beginner-friendly options. Choose apps that are either aimed at novices or at least offer an option to adjust the difficulty so that you don't find yourself struggling too early in the game. The learning curve should remain a comfortable one.

Luckily enough, some apps will specialise in certain topics. In case you are an expert in art history or world politics but lack knowledge of sports or the beauty industry, you may be able to choose your forte and play on a familiar ground. For a start, at least.

Save money with puzzles you can play for free

When choosing apps, it might be wise to pay attention to the costs and stick to your pre-determined budget. Few of us can afford to load our smartphone with the most expensive options. In fact, if you are at the very beginning of your journey and are only exploring the realm of crossword puzzles, it might be good to stick to free versions.

First, decide what type of games better suit your style. Are you in for quick and easy one on your daily train ride to work, or a large, more elaborate puzzle you can play on a lazy Sunday afternoon? Some online options will have a very small archive of puzzles available but will, to compensate for it, deliver new games daily, to sate your thirst for intellectual adventure. If this sounds like the ideal option for you, then by all means look for such free yet fun apps.

Naturally, creators of free apps do still need to gather revenue from some source. Most opt for causal marketing options to fill the gap. If you don't mind seeing an ad or two here and there, there is no need for you to spend your cash on your favourite word puzzles. Free ones will do the trick!

Challenge your crossword mastery with difficult puzzles

Crossword puzzles can vary in difficulty, depending on their size, complexity, maker, and the topics they cover. Easy ones will include simple terms while the answers for more challenging pieces will rival the most advanced college-level quiz and be just as difficult. In case you consider yourself a seasoned player, you are advised to freely venture towards more advanced apps. You are likely to be pleasantly surprised by the offer.

Some will even combine the rules of other games such as crossovers with the hangman genre. Are you a fan of word association games? Then a crossword that blends this into its brew could be your best bet. Whichever option you choose, the universal appeal of these timeless word games will keep you glued to your screen for hours.

Of course, if you prefer to rest from fiddling with your smartphone - there's a solution to that problem too! Simply search for an app that offers printable versions of all their crossword puzzles and you will be free to play wherever, whenever, offline and off grid - the old school way.

Access daily puzzles to keep your mind active

As we have already mentioned, some apps will deliver your daily fix of crossword puzzles on a regular basis. If you are an experienced player and need such a steady influx of new intellectual challenges, be sure to look out for an app that will deliver your daily crossword every morning.

If you like to have full control of your experience and tweak your daily games to your liking, you might want to invest a bit of time exploring the apps out there and picking the one that will allow for such extensive manipulation. This way, you will be able to get a series of geography-centered puzzles this week, and a decent dose of military history the next, all tailored to your liking.

With the best of apps (some which do however come with a price tag), you will be able to tweak this process to minute detail. If you want to adjust the size of the crossword puzzle, the time of day at which your daily dose will be delivered, the approximate complexity and difficulty, and so much more - you will be able to do all of it with ease. Of course, in case you wish for this level of customizability, be prepared to pay for the download or even commit to a monthly fee.

Make crosswords more fun with puzzles from top creators

Needless to say, not all crossword puzzles are of equal quality. The information included, the complexity of the questions, and the precision of the correct answers can vary tremendously, all depending on the author. If you wish to play only top notch games, be sure to pay attention to who the creators are.

Some traditional sources are to be trusted and crossword puzzles from NYT, Washington Post, LA Times, CNN, Arkadium, USA Today, Sheffer and Word Cross are known for their quality as well as accuracy. A few of the app makers that have emerged on the scene in recent years are also well worth exploring. If you want to get only the best of the best, always keep an eye out for creators you know you can trust.

As you play and gain experience, you will be able to recognise names in the game that deliver top quality content almost daily. If you want to enjoy the best that there is out there, keep these names in mind when looking for the next app to download. A mini puzzle today, an extra large one tomorrow - you may even venture into guess the word, word battles, and other types of puzzles. Whichever way your journey takes you, never forget to enjoy the game!