The Bottom Line
These crossword puzzle gift boxes are designed for the cruciverbal coffee mugs marketed by It's Cubular! The mugs are a great gift idea for crossword fans and the innovative boxes give the solvers on your gift list a double dose of pleasure.
Pros
- Puzzles of very good quality
- Puzzles don't resort to "crosswordese"
- Adds a new dimension to crossword solving
Cons
- Each face of the cube is not a single self-contained puzzle
Description
- Crossword puzzle gift boxes designed for cruciverbal coffee mugs
- Each box comes with a pamphlet containing instructions, clues and solutions.
- Grid is diagonally symmetrical with no unchecked letters and few three-letter entries.
Guide Review - Crossword Puzzle Gift Boxes
I received two boxes (two different themed puzzles) for review and was intrigued to discover that some solution words run from one side of the box to an adjacent one. That is, each face of the cube is not a single self-contained puzzle. As you enter an answer on side 1, for example, you may end up on Side 2 or 5. Furthermore, on Side 6, you have some entries that run from right to left. This definitely adds a new dimension to crossword solving.
The quality of the puzzles is very good. Each side features a diagonally symmetrical grid with no unchecked letters and a minimum of three-letter entries. Side 4 is a wide open grid and has only 20 black squares in the 11x11 grid. All solutions words are lively and the absence of crosswordese is refreshing.
On a personal note, I recently gave my mother-in-law (a crossword fan) a gift in a cubular puzzle box. She was delighted and the wrapping was appreciated as much as the gift inside!
