Cross Cross Castle, the first puzzle game from Simply Sweet Games, let’s kids use their words to unlock treasures and find new pathways.
The simple word game is set in an enchanting world of words and wonder. It’s a place where the Illiterati have taken away the magic of written language.
As the player, you must be the hero that restores the stories and tales of the Realm. This word puzzle adventure game by Simply Sweet Games is a spellbinding journey that will keep your mind sharp and it’s available now on the App Store and Google Play.
The company soft-launched on the App Store and Google Play on July 30 in Canada, the U.S., United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Romania. The game will be going worldwide soon and also opening up access for Android on the Epic Games store.
You can tackle different word puzzles to unlock secret treasures, open new pathways, and reverse a curse set by dastardly foes on your way to saving the stories of the Realm. You can save the citizens from the Dark Age of Ignorance and add yourself to those regained stories as the one true hero of word in Criss Cross Castle.
Key Features:
- A Wordy Quest Awaits – Dive into a magical word puzzle adventure filled with secrets, scrolls, and clever challenges.
- Powered by Language – An adaptive puzzle engine uses natural language processing to keep gameplay fresh, dynamic, and delightfully brain-boosting.
- Spellbinding Replayability – A roguelite structure invites players to return for fresh runs, new paths, and evolving vocabulary quests.
- Mini-Games & Bonus Challenges – Enjoy side quests and extra activities that reward curiosity and quick thinking.
- A Storybook to Savor (or Skip!) – Optional narrative and ambient storytelling let players tailor their experience to their mood—soothing or story-driven.
- Choose Your Hero – Play as Wanda, the spell-casting witch with a magical orb and a flair for gardening and wordplay, or Pip, a clever squire with shields and strategy, eager to prove their bravery while hiding a mysterious secret.
Criss Cross Castle is available on iOS and Android devices through the App Store and Google Play. A release through the Epic Games Store for Android is coming at a later date.
You can download it now to move through the Realm and complete puzzles, giving the people back their power of language with every word tile used.
There’s a free to play (and replayable) demo of about 20 to 30 minutes with a single in-app purchase to unlock the full game , which has about five hours of replayable content.
“We are effectively building a premium experience and targeting Nintendo switch and PC for the future. We will eventually also offer episodic content,” said Tina Merry, CEO of the company, in a message to GamesBeat. “We already have our Nintendo developer status and have the kit on order.”
Simply Sweet Games
Simply Sweet Games (SSG) is creating premium casual games that engage and empower diverse global audiences. Merry and Carina Kom started the company in the fall of 2023 and officially launched in early 2024.
The company is primarily bootstrapped, but to date the firm has also raised roughly $110,000 through friends-and-family support plus about $40,000 in non-dilutive funding and grants.
“We are on a mission to transform the gaming industry by setting new standards in sustainable development, accessibility, and player-first innovation,” said Merry. “Our games are designed to bring high-quality, engaging experiences to the millions of players—especially women and ESL gamers—who have been overlooked by mainstream gaming.”
The company has six people, including two co-founders, working remotely in British Columbia, Canada, alongside a small network of global plus local contractors and partners.
From early prototype to mobile soft launch, Criss Cross Castle took about 18 months.
There are no ads and no other app purchases.
“We took our first prototype and proof of concept to GDC 24,” Merry said. “As a female-founded studio, we’re keen to serve audiences who dominate puzzle and casual games but are still underrepresented in the teams making them.”
Merry added, “In our research, we discovered that 75% of word puzzle gamers are women. We set out to build a cozy, story-rich puzzle adventure that’s welcoming, clever, and free of exploitative monetization. “
Beyond this, the team was inspired to create a foundation for a sustainable studio strategy. Criss Cross Castle is the first step in showcasing the puzzle technology the company is building—designed to support adaptive gameplay, procedural content, and seamless scaling to different themes or IPs.
“We’re using this launch to validate the tech, gameplay loop, and audience before expanding into a flexible platform that can be re-skinned, adapted, and licensed for games, brand partnerships, and applications in education, wellness, and entertainment—enabling faster development, broader reach, and a long-term pipeline of adaptable puzzle experiences,” said Merry.