A 5-Letter Word for ‘Unstoppable Award-Winning Game Company?’ Try J-o-P-a-t!
Chicago, IL (November 17, 2025) – Cross Spin from JoPat Games continues to charm families across the US with its inventive and competitive twist on crossword puzzles. Tweens, teens, parents and adults young and old are providing their unanimous thumbs up after just a few rounds of Cross Spin, but what say the play professionals? The toy and game industry’ institutions that bestow awards to the best playthings carry great weight and respect; reputable and established firms which use their unique expertise to scrutinize and praise only the very best that the field has to offer. A seal of approval from merely one of these influential groups is cause enough for celebration, but multiple in the span of a few weeks during a company’s inaugural year? That’s certainly no accident! JoPat Games is ecstatic to share that their debut game Cross Spin is the fortunate recipient of several honors from multiple highly specialized toy and game evaluation groups.
Parents who are particular about presents this holiday season, take guidance from the National Parenting Product Awards (NAPPA) that Cross Spin is a gift that keeps on giving. NAPPA sources their reviews from real, certified families, and their reviews were glowing! One parent review succinctly summed it up best, “This is a fun game for children and adults—great for family game night!” Multiple reviewers also commented on Cross Spin’s utility as a teaching aid in a classroom setting. “Teachers can use this for small group literacy activities as well,” one reviewer remarked. “The games are always different as there are many puzzle combinations and categories. The booklets are well made with dry erase board material so they can be used repeatedly.” Yet another amazing parent-teacher noticed the versatility of Cross Spin with, “Great for a family or in a classroom!”
Who better to evaluate a game for educational value than a speech language pathologist, writer and toy expert? These bona fides belong to none other than Erika Cardamone and many of the incredible professionals on her staff at Play on Words.com, which awarded Cross Spin a coveted PAL Award for 2025. Only a very select few toys and games make this annual list, and Cross Spin earned its place with flying colors. PAL Award testers identified four main growth points that Cross Spin develops through play: “reading fluency,” “spelling accuracy,” “writing & composition” and “communication clarity and confidence.” Play on Words also praised the social element of the game, the need to validate one’s word choices to the group when submitting a solved puzzle. In her review, she summarizes, “Cross Spin is a smart blend of fun, vocabulary work, orthographic/spelling thinking, and social interaction. It challenges players to think flexibly, ‘know’ words and to use them under constraint, to fit words together spatially, and to explain or justify their choices. For families, classrooms, or mixed-age groups, it’s a welcome addition—it feels fresh, it plays differently each time, and it offers both immediate fun and deeper learning.”
As any industry insider will tell you, Clamour’s Influencer Choice Awards in partnership with the Toy Association is a list to look out for annually. Sourced straight from the eclectic and discerning tastes of top influencers within the Clamour network, any products picked for this hot list had tons of fierce competition to overcome. Evaluation for this coveted list included physical testing of samples as well as a thorough review of all product materials through digital means. And of course, Cross Spin was recognized for their Top Holiday 2025 list!
Let’s not forget the most important judges of all: Moms! The Mom’s Choice Awards also honored Cross Spin with their greatest accolade – the MCA Gold Award. Recognized globally as a true mark of distinction, the Mom’s Choice Awards Honoring Excellence Seal of Approval recognizes only the best in family-friendly products, services, media and more. Observed in over 60 countries, a win from this rigorous and competitive program is hard-earned and an excellent indicator that you’re definitely doing something right with your kids product! After all, Moms have the most refined eyes (including the ones in the back of their heads!)
And of course, for your friends and family who are neurodiverse, choosing the perfect gift for them can require even more intentionality and thought than usual. That’s where Autism Live comes in — a trusted resource in the toy industry that evaluates toys and games for suitability with kids and adults on the autism spectrum. After close evaluation, they recognized Cross Spin as the Card/Board Game Winner in the Adult category for their Holiday Toy Guide for 2025! They took particular note of the rotating puzzle board rule, and the freedom it allows players to imagine possibilities dynamically in multiple directions. Whether neurodiverse, neurotypical or having a party all together, Cross Spin is a splendid game to break out and play!
Take it from real families, fans and lauded play experts, Cross Spin is the game to get this holiday season! To see about ordering a copy to gift to a lucky friend or family member, visit JoPat Games’ official website and TikTok shop, as well as Amazon.
ABOUT JOPAT GAMES
JoPat Games is a Chicago-based game company dedicated to creating easy-to-learn, fun-to-play games that bring friends and families together. Its first release, Cross Spin, is a fast-paced word game perfect for game night—now available both as a physical board game and as a daily web puzzle/downloadable app for on-the-go play. Learn more at JoPatGames.com.