How To Create And Sell Free Puzzles With Solutions

Following How To Create & Sell Crossword Puzzles For Free, here is another free resource for creating multiple types of puzzles including Crosswords and Word Search for selling. Let us create an easy example crossword puzzle for print and export with solutions.

In a competitive modern market, we have to niche down to have a better chance for sales, we will next explore how to create a theme dictionary for incorporating into our new puzzles.

How to create and sell free puzzles with solutions

Crossword Express

Crossword Express is a labor of love stretching 25 years in the making of a particular individual.

How to install Cross Express?

Download and install Java from here if you do not already have it
Download the ZIP file from this page. Unzip it. Double-click the Crossword-Express.jar file to run the program. Read the Read Me file.

Double click the JAR extension file to start the program

How to create a puzzle with Crossword Express?

Let us start with a crossword puzzle.

Select Standard Crossword and then click GO

Select Build and Conststruction Wizard — Select Build and Construction Wizard

Select english as Dictionary — Select English as Dictionary

30 puzzles and leave the puzzle name as it is

Select a grid and wait for building to complete after OK — Select a grid and wait for the building to complete after OK

Select puz clue sol — Select puz-clue-sol

Export to multiple PNG files of different puzzles at once

Example screenshot of first PNG puzzle exported

Congratulations, at this point, we should have multiple high-quality PNGs that we can import into any book editing app or site for selling.

How to create a dictionary theme for our puzzles?

It is impertinent in current competitive markets to distinguish our products from others. Creating puzzles with curated words enables us to do just that.

Put in word and clue and enter to insert for a new dictionary entry

Theme dictionary should appear after Save and Quit

Select the created theme dictionary for construction

That’s it.

How to sell Crossword Express puzzles?

Here are some ideas that we may get creative with.

Benefits of Crossword Express

Free working shareware/freeware (why freeware)
Multiple types of puzzles e.g. 30 including Crossword and Word Search
No limitations at all to creating an unlimited number of puzzles
High PNG pixel resolution quality export option
Commercial use allowed. The author would like the website to be mentioned with each puzzle e.g. www.crauswords.com

Disadvantages of Crossword Express

Old Java program
The program may not be very robust or very intuitive to work with
The website is not on SSL
The print to PDF option may not work as expected

Crossword Express VS Crossword Labs

Crossword Express (CE) has multiple puzzles but Crossword Labs (CL) only Crosswords
CE is a Java program while CL is web-based
CE is free without limitations. CL is free but a 10 dollars lifetime subscription has more options for hidden or private puzzles
CL is more intuitive with fast words insertions for a crossword puzzle

Conclusion

Crossword Express is a useful program for creating certain puzzles quickly. Although it is not a modern app with the latest technologies and may have some glitches, it is nevertheless working shareware/freeware that can still produce an unlimited number of evergreen puzzles for any free and commercial use.

Remember there are multiple puzzles that can be generated all for free. My gratitude to the author for his hard work and generosity. Please consider contributing with a donation to the author if you are a satisfied user.

Crossword Express is a powerful route that can be a feasible viable source of passive income for anyone interested to put in the hard work and time.

The puzzles can be sold as KDP books, Etsy PDF downloads, YouTube or site videos, website membership access, or even incorporated into games or publish as games embed.

Be wholesome.