XWord crossword main window with grid, across and down clue lists, and clue prompt.
XWord main window: crossword grid beside across and down clue lists for offline solving. XWord docs/images from mrichards42/xword (GPL-3.0).

Prefer GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword when you want a Windows crossword binary you can name on a ticket. The primary asset is XWord-Windows.exe. Run the installer, then open a .puz file.

No winget package id was found on this review date. Do not invent one. The same tag also ships XWord-macOS.zip for Mac desks that should stay on one release family.

Steps

  1. Open XWord releases and confirm the tag still lists XWord-Windows.exe.
  2. Download XWord-Windows.exe from that tag.
  3. Run the installer from a folder you control.
  4. Launch XWord and use File, Open on a small .puz.
  5. Prove across and down clues update as you move the cursor.

SmartScreen wording on first launch is UNVERIFIED here. Prefer the Releases URL you typed yourself. Safe habits: download safe. First hour: installed.

After install

Write the filename beside the Windows version on the machine ticket. Prefer the same exe name for the next bump. Update path: update uninstall. Keep Across Lite only if that familiar window still matters. Switch notes: switch from Across Lite.

Common mistakes

Downloading a second portal copy when the first run is blocked. Expecting newspaper sync inside XWord. Skipping the first .puz open. Inventing a winget id. Mixing an old portable folder with a new installer without notes.

Why Releases over search ads

Search ads for crossword downloads often wrap rename jobs. GitHub Releases shows the exact asset names this guide maps. Confirm the tag date and asset list before you image a lab.

Formats to try first

Start with a standard American-style .puz. Save progress once. Then try jpz or a rebus puzzle after the baseline works. Formats guide: formats.

Shared desk pin

Shared desks should pin the Releases URL beside the OS version. After every reimage, prove one local crossword open before workshops begin. Travel laptops should download once on a trusted network, then solve offline with puzzles already on disk.

Club download discipline

Club volunteers invent Softonic mirrors when a first launch is blocked. Prefer returning to GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword instead. Write the exact filename on the machine ticket so the next bump stays honest for the whole room.

Classroom images

Classroom images drift when someone keeps a private copy of an old exe. Prefer the current tag that still ships XWord-Windows.exe and XWord-macOS.zip together. Linux builders should document their wxWidgets version beside the commit they built.

Family PCs

Family PCs benefit from a boring puzzle folder path. Keep Across Lite or a browser board as a fallback until the new window feels normal. Subscription newspaper apps remain optional for archives and are a different job than a local .puz client.

Publisher note

Across Bind publishes install maps for people who searched for crossword software. Upstream XWord remains GPL-3.0. When Releases change asset names, re-check the live list before you refresh a lab image.

Desk logistics

  • Ticket line: OS, asset name, puzzle folder
  • Demo door: one official path for volunteers
  • Travel rule: trusted network first

Write the OS version, asset name, and puzzle folder on one ticket line. Clubs should assign a single demo door so volunteers stop mixing Across Lite, browser tabs, and XWord without notes. Travel kits should carry puzzles on disk only when policy allows encrypted storage.

After the first week

Only then add Package Manager downloaders, heavy layout floating, or diagramless drills. Prefer one documented update habit. Re-check Releases whenever upstream publishes a new tag that still lists your OS asset.

Frequently asked questions

Is this crossword software free?

Yes. XWord is free under GPL-3.0, and GitHub Releases assets have no paywall for the client itself. Newspaper subscriptions stay separate if you keep those apps as a fallback for archives. Across Bind does not sell seats for those products.

Where should I download crossword?

Prefer GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword when you need a named crossword binary. Take XWord-Windows.exe on Windows or XWord-macOS.zip on macOS. Skip Softonic-style mirrors that only rank for crossword and rename the setup.

Does crossword need an account here?

No. XWord solves locally without a signup or cloud login. Newspaper account features do not apply inside the XWord window. You only need network for the first download and for later Releases updates or Package Manager sources.

Is there a winget id for crossword?

No winget package id was found for XWord on this review date. Prefer XWord-Windows.exe from GitHub Releases and write that filename on the machine ticket so the next bump stays honest for shared desks.