NoMonkeys has released a Lite version of their original iPhone game called Alphabetic Lite [App Store].
The game is a beautifully animated game in which you must find all 26 letters of the alphabet before time runs out.
The object of the game is to find all the 26 letters of the alphabet before the timer runs out. The game has dozens of nifty animations it uses to display the letters so they get harder and harder to spot.
A previous discussion thread revealed many fans of the game. The developer has since provided this lite version as well as a video (see right) of gameplay. This game's definitely worth a try.
The full version is available for $1.99 [App Store] and offers a number of different "challenge" modes.
Ian Marsh's Textropolis [App Store, $1.99] has generated quite a following amongst our forum members. An over 500 post thread has produced mostly glowing reviews for the latest word game to hit the App Store.
Not surprisingly, word games have been a popular gaming genre in the App Store. The iPhone's touch screen interface seems to lend itself well to these word puzzlers.
The basic premise of almost all word games is the forming of as many words as possible out of a given set of letters. And a large number of these games tend to fall into either TextTwist (Chicktionary, Lexitron) or Boggle (wurdl, Quordy) type games.
Textropolis, however, manages to offer a somewhat relaxed take by eliminating the time-limits found in other games of the genre. Instead of racing the clock, you are simply challenging yourself to find as many words as possible. Surprisingly enough, this formula has succeeded in producing a both fun and addicting game. One particularly glowing review from the developer of iPhone adventure game 1112 captures this sentiment:
I bought it this afternoon, I can't stop playing…. This is the best text game I played so far, I always was a bit frustrated with timed game, in this one you can pause the puzzle whatever you want and start the next one (if you manage to at least unlock it). it's very addictive
The game starts with a single unlocked city "Kingstown". Textropolis tells us there are 95 combinations of 4-letter-or-longer words based on that city name. To play, you simply start typing in words. No time limits, no penalties for guesses. Just you and the letters. Each word successfully submitted rewards you with the definition of the word flying across your screen. As you find more words, your city's population (aka game score) increases and you earn achievement stars. Once you find 10% of the words in a given city, the next city is unlocked. This relatively low hurdle to unlock each new city will keep novice players interested, while advanced players can dedicate themselves to reaching higher star achievements. The game also offers a "hint" feature in which you can sacrifice 1000 people from your city's population in exchange for a hint that will fly by the screen.
With 30 starting words and thousands of possible words, this $1.99 game offers plenty of gameplay. Without time limits, it can be a rather relaxing experience that you can pick up and continue at any time throughout your day. While no global or online scores are offered, the game does offer 5 distinct save slots so you can compete with your friends and family members.
The developer's video offers a good look at gameplay (music not included):
Textropolis is a word game in which you find as many words as possible from the letters of cities around the world. Well balanced progression and no time limit offers an ongoing challenge for both novices and experts alike. Trying to find "just one more" word will keep you coming back.
Gameblend Studios has recently released WordJong Daily Challenge [App Store], an iPhone version of their popular Nintendo DS and Wii word puzzle franchise.
WordJong presents players with a Mahjong solitaire-style board covered with lettered tiles. Players pick tiles to forms words which are then removed from the board, revealing tiles below. The bigger the word, the higher the score. Gold coins and bomb power-ups can be collected along the way. A soothing, ethereal soundtrack plays throughout.
Features listed by the developer:
Unlimited Play: Each day brings the fresh challenge of a new, unique puzzle! Completed today’s puzzle? Pick a previous day on the calendar to play or replay any of the hundreds of other puzzles available!
Zodiac Characters: Try to beat the scores of the WordJong Masters! Each of the seven characters has his or her own personality and play style, representing a different difficulty level ranging from easy (the Rabbit) to hard (the Dragon).
High Score Tracking: Compare your daily high scores with friends and family!
Awards: Complete 9 challenges to earn a beautiful butterfly collection!
Huge Dictionary: WordJong features a 100,000+ word dictionary!
Have a look at a demo video of the Nintendo DS version.
WordJong for the DS, which is similar to the iPhone version, has generally received high marks from review sites.
Imangi has released their latest word puzzle game called Imangi Word Squares [App Store].
The $0.99 game is a puzzle game that is based on "word squares". A word square is a grid of letters where each row and column forms a valid word. In Imangi Word Squares, you start with a scrambled word square and your job is to unscramble the letters by dragging and ropping the letters to the correct place.
Features include:
Over 1000 hand-selected unique puzzles
4 difficulty levels consisting of 3×3 to 6×6 squares
Adjustable hint settings
History of game.
Imangi Word Squares is on sale for $0.99 for as a limited introductory offer. The developer is also responsible for the self-titled game Imangi, a cross between Scrabble and Rubik's Cube, which has been a favorite amongst some of our readers. Imangi is also on sale for $0.99.
EA is starting to experiment more with price flexibility by putting Scrabble [App Store] on sale for $7.99. The app is normally priced at $9.99 but is on sale for "a limited time." EA had similarly dropped Tetris from $9.99 to $7.99 (though on a permanent basis).
The most recent Scrabble update has introduced Wi-Fi networking as well as improved game stability and sound quality.
Scrabble is popular word game in which players form words from individual lettered tiles. Words are formed in horizontal or vertical rows with scoring based on which letters are used.
The iPhone version of Scrabble has been reasonably well reviewed, so the discounted price and Wi-Fi option may provide some additional incentive for readers to make the jump.
When word got out that part-time developer Eliza Block had started earning $1800/day from her crossword puzzle application, we took notice.
While crossword puzzles aren't the flashiest of games on the App Store, they represent a significant market with a dedicated following. And unlike Sudoku and Solitaire, only two developers have released crossword games for the iPhone.
Block's 2 across [App Store] is the more popular of the two at $5.99, but Stand Alone'sCrosswords [App Store] represents another solid offering at $9.99. We decided to take a look at both crossword apps.
In the end both applications are remarkably similar in execution and functionality, and you are unlikely to make a bad choice with either app. Both applications offer an almost limitless pool of downloadable crossword puzzles as well as access to subscription NYTimes puzzles. I was unable to test the premium puzzle downloads, but was able to test drive both apps and provide gameplay videos.
Gameblend Studios has recently released 
