This release changes how networked games are created, configured and connect with each other. It tries to make the process simpler and should mean it's much more likely to succeed. I've also scattered "new user hints" around the app, dialogs with tips that you can dismiss with a "Do not show again" button when you don't need to see that hint again.

I'm breaking from tradition and not listing bugs fixed or features added here -- because there have been well over 300 separate changes committed since the last beta. Instead I'll outline how you get started with a two-player networked game.

Assume you and a friend each have Crosswords on an Android phone. You both need to

• Launch Crosswords and tap the "Add networked game" button on your device
• When the game appears, long-tap it and choose "Game settings..." from the menu
• Agree on a "room name" -- let's say it's "andy" --and enter it in the "New room name" text box.
• Scroll to the bottom of the window and tap the "Play game" button
• Wait as your phones connect. You'll see a status message and maybe a "new user hint", then the status icon in the upper-right will go all-green and boards on both phones will get tiles
• Now the first player makes a move, commits it, and it shows up on the other device. Rinse, lather, repeat.
• The "relay" server stores moves it receives until it can deliver them. If you have a bunch of networked games going, choose the "Check server" menu on the main list-of-games screen. It will redraw all games for which there are waiting messages. You can then open them and they will sync up.

Please remember that this is beta software. Letting me know (at eehouse@eehouse.org) what's broken and what features you'd most like to see is the best way to help get this to release quality quickly.

Thanks!
--Eric