I found this program a bit of a mystery - is it a game, or is it a utility? The manufacturer sees it as a game, but it could I suppose be used as an aid to crossword compilation too.

All it really does is generate a random crossword-style cell pattern, which you must then fill with any words you choose. But you cannot use the same word twice, and only letters will be accepted.

You can choose between four different sizes of grid, the larger ones obviously presenting more of a challenging, and to make things more difficult still the program will if required fill in random vowels too.

Once the grid is full, though, the program does not stop. The cursor goes moving on, and you can alter the words you have already inserted indefinitely until you have had enough.

On screen you are shown how many words of a given length are still needed to fill the grid, and how many you have already inserted. But there is no score, as you might expect from a Scrabble-type game; if this is to be marketed as a game, then a score facility might be a good idea.

On the whole, I don't think Wordfit makes the most of the ZX81's capabilities. It might appeal if you are a great crossword fan, or want to compile your own crosswords, but most of what it does could be done just as well with a good old low-technology pencil and paper.

C.C.R.