NYT Games' Scrabble-like game Crossplay is a dream come true | TechCrunch

"I have long dreamed of a better world: one where I would unlock my phone to find a notification that my grandma has challenged me to a game of Scrabble. I would play my word. She would play hers. We would play back and forth over a few days, and the entire time, neither of us would have to see any overwhelming technicolor ads with deceptive skip buttons that blast us with even more pop-ups. It's a simple life."

"At last, New York Times Games has brought my humble dreams to life with a Scrabble-like multiplayer app called Crossplay, available now on iOS and Android. Crossplay is not a Scrabble clone exactly, but unless you are the type of Scrabble lover that goes to tournaments or memorizes the Scrabble dictionary, it's basically Scrabble. The game board and tile distribution are a bit different, and there's a slight rule change around what happens once the bag runs out of tiles. Those differences may have been done for legal reasons. As a casual player, I barely noticed them."

"Like other social word games, Crossplay allows you to invite friends to play, or you can get matched with strangers near your skill level. For New York Times Games subscribers, the game will have no ads at all, but free users might see some banner ads. Still, it beats paying $10 a month to remove ads from Words With Friends, yet still have to deal with a cartoon-like interface among other features that annoy me."

"While Scrabble purists may quibble about the slight rule changes, they may find delight in a feature of the game called CrossBot. Like the WordleBot and ConnectionsBot, CrossBot analyzes each move of your game to determine where you may have made a better move. It ranks your gameplay in terms of both luck and strategy, then highlights both your best moves, and those where you faltered."

New York Times Games released Crossplay, a Scrabble-like multiplayer app for iOS and Android that prioritizes low-friction, ad-minimal play. The game mirrors classic Scrabble with modest differences in board layout, tile distribution, and an altered end-of-bag rule that casual players are unlikely to notice. Players can invite friends or be matched with strangers near their skill level. New York Times Games subscribers experience an ad-free game, while free users may encounter banner ads. Crossplay includes CrossBot, which analyzes each move, rates games by luck and strategy, and highlights both strong plays and mistakes. The app provides an alternative to heavily monetized word-game apps.

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