Take a Break! Crosswords

Last updated: January 22, 2026

Overview

Take a Break! Crosswords is a puzzle video game developed by Dynamix and N8 Productions, published by Sierra On-Line in 1992 for Windows 3.x¹². The game was part of Sierra’s initiative to create casual entertainment software designed for office workers seeking brief diversions during their workday³. The Macintosh version was developed by Presage Software Development Company and released in 1993⁴⁵.

The game features a collection of 375 crossword puzzles licensed from Dell Magazine, offering players a comprehensive digital crossword experience with multiple difficulty settings and puzzle sizes². Take a Break! Crosswords represented an early effort to bring traditional newspaper-style puzzles into the emerging multimedia PC market, complete with digitized speech, sound effects, and animated graphics⁶. The Oregonian newspaper noted that the Eugene-based Dynamix’s creation “should be a popular gift option for the upcoming holiday season”⁶.

As Compute! Magazine observed, “Although designed for breaks in the workday, Crosswords Deluxe is an ideal way to jump-start your brain on those particularly slow mornings. It’s more natural than caffeine, but no less habit-forming”⁶. The game was the first entry in Sierra’s Take a Break! series, which would later include Take a Break! Pinball in 1993⁷.

Game Info

Developer: Dynamix, N8 Productions¹ Designer: Scott Blum¹ Publisher: Sierra On-Line¹ Engine: Proprietary Windows application Platforms: Windows 3.x, Macintosh¹⁴ Release Year: 1992 (Windows), 1993 (Macintosh) Series: Take a Break! Protagonist: N/A Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Take a Break! Crosswords presents players with a traditional crossword puzzle interface adapted for the Windows environment¹. Players can navigate the grid using either mouse or keyboard input, with the ability to switch between across and down clues seamlessly². The game features an intuitive point-and-click interface that allows users to select cells, enter letters, and navigate through clues with ease⁶.

Structure and Progression

The game contains 750 total puzzles across various sizes and difficulty levels⁶. Puzzles range from compact 13x13 grids to expansive 19x19 layouts, accommodating different time constraints and skill levels¹². Players can track their progress through individual puzzles and across the entire collection².

The game organizes content by:

• Puzzle Size: 13x13, 15x15, 17x17, and 19x19 grids¹
• Difficulty Levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard¹²
• Player Skill Levels: Apprentice, Puzzler, and Fanatic¹⁶

Additionally, the game includes over 20 themed specialty puzzles, including holiday challenges and Star Trek tributes, providing variety beyond standard crossword fare⁶.

Puzzles and Mechanics

Take a Break! Crosswords offers several interactive features that distinguish it from paper puzzles². The game includes an autochecking feature that can verify answers in real-time, a hint system for stuck players, and a scoring mechanism that rewards speed and accuracy². A 65-page built-in crossword dictionary provides assistance for challenging clues⁶.

One of the game’s distinctive features is Wanda, an animated elf character who provides commentary and tracks player progress throughout their puzzle-solving sessions¹². Wanda’s animations and remarks add personality to the otherwise utilitarian puzzle experience¹.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Computer Game Review gave Take a Break! Crosswords a score of 79% in their February 1994 review, praising the game’s comprehensive feature set and accessibility for crossword enthusiasts⁶. The review highlighted the game’s multimedia features and user-friendly interface as standout elements⁶.

Computer Gaming World reviewer Charlotte Panther covered the Take a Break! series, providing critical assessment of Dynamix’s casual gaming efforts⁷.

Modern Assessment

Modern preservation sites have generally viewed Take a Break! Crosswords favorably as an example of early casual gaming software. MyAbandonware describes the title as “an above-average real-time title in its time,” acknowledging its historical significance in the casual puzzle genre⁸. GameFAQs categorizes it simply as a “Puzzle game,” though contemporary compatibility has rendered it largely unplayable on modern systems⁹.

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames: 5.0/5¹
• MyAbandonware: 4/5⁸

Development

Origins

Take a Break! Crosswords emerged from Dynamix’s efforts to expand beyond their traditional action and adventure game portfolio into the casual gaming market⁷. The concept was designed to appeal to office workers using Windows 3.x, capitalizing on the growing prevalence of personal computers in workplace environments⁶. Sierra On-Line saw an opportunity to reach a demographic that might not be interested in traditional video games but would appreciate digital versions of familiar pastimes⁷.

Production

The game was developed at Dynamix’s Eugene, Oregon facility, with the company licensing crossword content from Dell Magazine to ensure puzzle quality and variety²⁶. This licensing arrangement provided 375 professionally crafted puzzles without requiring Dynamix to develop crossword creation expertise internally².

The Macintosh port was handled by Presage Software Development Company, demonstrating Sierra’s strategy of farming out platform conversions to specialized developers⁴⁵. Presage’s involvement allowed the game to reach Apple’s user base without diverting Dynamix’s Windows development resources⁴.

Development Credits:¹

• Designer: Scott Blum
• Composer: Tom McMail
• Voice Talent: Jane Chase

Technical Achievements

Take a Break! Crosswords incorporated several multimedia features that were innovative for early 1990s casual software⁶. The inclusion of digitized speech and animated graphics elevated the presentation beyond simple puzzle utilities⁶. The animated elf character Wanda demonstrated that even non-narrative software could benefit from character-driven presentation¹².

Technical Specifications

Windows Version:¹

• Platform: Windows 16-bit (Windows 3.x)
• Media Type: 3.5” Floppy Disk
• Business Model: Commercial

Macintosh Version:⁴

• Platform: Macintosh
• Release Year: 1993
• Developer: Presage Software Development Company

Puzzle Specifications:¹⁶

• Total Puzzles: 750
• Puzzle Sizes: 13x13, 15x15, 17x17, 19x19
• Difficulty Levels: Easy, Medium, Hard
• Built-in Dictionary: 65 pages

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	1992	Windows 3.x	Initial release12
1.0	1993	Macintosh	Presage Software port45

Additional volumes were released, with archive.org documenting Volume 1 and Volume 2 editions, described as “infinitely challenging” and “erasable”¹⁰.

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The game features Wanda, an animated elf character who provides running commentary and tracks player progress¹²
• Puzzles were licensed from Dell Magazine, ensuring professional quality crossword content²
• Themed puzzles include Star Trek tributes and holiday-themed challenges⁶

Voice Cast

Character	Voice Actor
Wanda (Voice Talent)	Jane Chase1

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Take a Break! Crosswords established Sierra’s presence in the casual gaming market, paving the way for subsequent Take a Break! titles⁷. By March 1996, the Take a Break! series had sold approximately 250,000 copies combined⁷. The game demonstrated that traditional puzzle formats could successfully transition to digital platforms, a concept that would later explode with web-based and mobile casual gaming⁷.

Collections

Take a Break! Crosswords was initially released on 3.5” floppy disks, with Sierra later producing CD-ROM compilations⁷¹⁰. The game appeared alongside Volume 1 and Volume 2 editions in various retail packages¹⁰. A 1995 CD-ROM version appeared, demonstrating the game’s continued commercial viability years after initial release¹⁰¹¹.

Related Publications

• Built-in Crossword Dictionary: 65-page reference included within the software⁶

Critical Perspective

Take a Break! Crosswords represents an important milestone in the evolution of casual gaming software. While not technologically groundbreaking, the game demonstrated that established puzzle formats could find new audiences through digital distribution and multimedia enhancement⁶. The addition of features like autochecking, hint systems, and the animated Wanda character showed thoughtful consideration of how to improve upon the paper puzzle experience rather than simply replicating it¹².

The game’s design philosophy—creating bite-sized entertainment experiences for Windows users—presaged the casual gaming revolution that would transform the industry decades later⁷. Dynamix and Sierra’s willingness to pursue this market, despite their reputation for larger-scale adventure and action titles, showed prescient awareness of computing’s expanding role in daily life beyond dedicated gaming sessions⁷.

Downloads

Download / Preservation

• Internet Archive – Archive containing game files¹⁰
• MyAbandonware – Abandonware download⁸

Manuals & Extras

• Built-in 65-page crossword dictionary included with software⁶

Series Continuity

Take a Break! Crosswords was the inaugural title in Sierra and Dynamix’s Take a Break! series, designed to provide casual entertainment experiences for the emerging Windows platform⁷. The series was conceived as a collection of bite-sized games that office workers could enjoy during breaks from their regular work duties⁶⁷.

The success of Take a Break! Crosswords led directly to the development of Take a Break! Pinball in 1993, which featured eight pinball tables based on various popular Sierra game franchises¹²⁷. Both games shared the common design philosophy of providing quick, accessible entertainment that could be easily started and stopped⁷.

• Next: 1993 - Take a Break! Pinball

References

Footnotes

1. MobyGames – Take a Break! Crosswords – developer, publisher, designer, composer, voice cast, platforms, ratings, puzzle specifications, Wanda character details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹

2. Dynamix Fandom Wiki – Take a Break! Crosswords – Dell Magazine license, 375 puzzles, puzzle sizes, difficulty levels, gameplay features, Wanda character ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶

3. Retro365 Blog – 3-D Ultra Pinball Article – Take a Break! series context, Dynamix development ↩

4. Web Archive – Presage Software – Macintosh version development by Presage ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

5. Wikipedia – Take a Break! Crosswords – Presage Software Macintosh development, release dates ↩ ↩² ↩³

6. Wikipedia – Take a Break! Crosswords (alternate) – Compute! Magazine quote, The Oregonian quote, 750 puzzles, themed puzzles, 65-page dictionary, Computer Game Review score ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰

7. Retro365 Blog – Take a Break! Series – series history, sales data, Computer Gaming World coverage ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴

8. MyAbandonware – Take a Break! Crosswords – “above-average real-time title” quote, 4/5 rating, download availability ↩ ↩² ↩³

9. GameFAQs – Take a Break! Crosswords – genre classification, platform listing ↩

10. Internet Archive – Take a Break! Crosswords – Volume 1 and 2 editions, 1995 date, CD-ROM format, “infinitely challenging” description ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

11. eBay Listing – 1995 CD-ROM version, Sierra publisher ↩

12. MobyGames – Take a Break! Pinball – sequel information, 8 pinball tables based on Sierra games ↩