Sympathy Crossword Construction is a software tool that helps users create custom crossword puzzles, with the added support of TEA Crossword Helper to suggest words and fill in gaps. Ideal for educators, publishers, and hobbyists.
This software is not limited to specific types of puzzles, as Sympathy supports fully checked, diagramless, blocked, Italian style, and barred grid puzzles. You have the flexibility to start with an existing stock grid or a bespoke grid, and use any of the four different techniques available for filling the grid. And if you want to ensure the quality of the construction and fill, Sympathy also provides useful statistics on your puzzle.
Finding the right word has never been easier with Sympathy. This tool comes with an integrated dictionary and thesaurus that you can access throughout the crossword puzzle creation process. Also, the Wordplay Wizard feature can help you with cryptic clues. And once completed, you can print the puzzle directly or export them in several formats for publication. With Sympathy, you can create an HTML output for the crossword, complete with the grid in various bitmap formats such as JPEG and PNG.
Another excellent tool available for crossword enthusiasts is TEA. It is a crossword puzzle solver consisting of over 900,000 classified words and phrases. As a user, you will always see the most likely answers first, making it both fast and convenient to use. The problem-solving capabilities of TEA go beyond crossword puzzles as it can help solve anagram clues, and it works with other word games such as Scrabble and Countdown.
Cryptograms and finding words with unusual properties such as palindromes will no longer be a problem with TEA. The software uses letter variables, punctuation matching, and macros to make it easier to solve puzzles. It has a built-in dictionary and thesaurus composed of over 180,000 definitions and 130,000 citations. Plus, the user can incorporate their word lists using Word List Merge and Dictionary Builder tools provided.
TEA's command-line version is perfect for use in scripts, and results can be printed, copied to the clipboard, or saved in text files for future reference. Literature and language Scrabble lists are also included, making TEA a one-stop-shop for all crossword enthusiasts.
Version 2.2: N/A