I am not a tech expert nor a geek but I do love a good game on my phone, especially one that engages my brain. It is for this reason I have decided to write a mini review of what I consider to be the best games (Apps) for Android phones as well as iPhones. Note that although there are versions of these games that you have to buy, I am only going to look at the 'free' versions. Also note that since these games are free, you will have to put up with the adverts constantly displayed each time you complete your turn. Here goes...
1) Words with friends:
This is a free app ,made by Zynga, that can be downloaded quickly in your android/iPhone. The game is simple in that it is very similar to Scrabble. It allows the player(s) to each try to make words using the maximum eight random letters allocated to each player. The layout again is like Scrabble in that you have the checked multicoloured board in which, to place the letters to form a word. Those familiar with scrabble will also recognise the familiar terms using in this App such as "DW" to mean "Double Word" etc. The first player places his/her word either vertically or horizontally from the 'star' box in the centre of the board, again just like in Scrabble.
The main difference between 'Words with friends' and Scrabble is that some of the words acceptable to play on Scrabble aren't accepted on this App. Words such as "Jews", "Nazi" for example aren't accepted when played on Words-with-friends. Also whilst on normal Scrabble one can place the letter "C" with "H" (this is useful when wanting to capitalise on points by adjoining already placed words with what you wish to play) in this game you can't. However, such differences are easy to grasp once you become familiar with Words-with-friends. Aside from that you can also play with your friends or family members, just like Scrabble, provided that they have downloaded the App of course and you know their user-names.
This App also gives you a choice in that you can even opt to play with a random user or even play with multiple users in the same game. Points (or scores) are added up automatically and the one with the most points wins. Beware that unlike Scrabble, especially the usual version for Internet use, Words-with-friends will declare the person with most points as the winner even when neither play is able to use the remaining letter(s) at the end of the game. This means that if each player 'passes' his/her turn cause s/he cannot find anywhere on the board to place his/her remaining/final letter(s), the game will allow three passes between the players before automatically ending the game and awarding the win to the one with the most points.
Best suited: This App is best suited for people who love word puzzles and especially Scrabble enthusiasts. It doesn't take much data/byte space on your phone.
Rating 9/10
2) Scramble with friends:
This is another fun App made by Zynga, which is also great for those who enjoy puzzles and brain stimulating games. This App is also free, easy to download and easy to set up a user name, which you will need. It is similar to the Words-with-friends in that you can play with friends/family or even total strangers. It is however, different in that here you have a grid with letters scrambled in it, your job is to make as many words out of those letters as possible against the clock. You make words by simply dragging your fingers from one letter to another until you have joined up all the letter you need to make the word you wish. You must do this without lifting your finger in other words the dragging motion mustn't stop until you have made the word. You get 2 minutes in which, to complete as many words as you can and the longer the words you spot the more points you score.
When you start playing Scramble-with-friends, you get about twenty gold coins/tokens (displayed on the top bar of the screen). Each time you play your turn you use one of the coins. You can also use further coins if you opt to utilise the extra three add-ons (known as Power-Ups) in your game. These add-ons can help you freeze the clock for a few seconds or turn the letters around, which helps if you are struggling to get words out of the grid letters. It does also allow you to use one of the three add-ons for free i.e., without losing a coin/token. You also do get a 'free' Power-Up.
Watch out that you use your tokens/coins with care as once they are used up you will have to wait for them to be allocated to you one by one, which can take up to twenty minutes! This also means that while you wait for the free tokens/coins to add up again, you won't be able to play your turn. You do have an option however, to buy the tokens/coins if you find waiting too much of a bother.
Scramble-with-friends is also a much faster game than Words-with-friends. Whereas you can take days or even weeks to complete a game on Words-with-friends, here you only have two minutes to do it. The game does give you three turns before declaring a winner and the winner is simply the one with the most scores.
Best suited: This game is best suited for those who are keen on word games and enjoy 'word search' games rather than Scrabble. Although Scrabble lovers may find it fun to play too. You do need to be quick with your eyes and fingers though so if you are someone who like to take time deciding what to play and spotting words it won't suit you.
Rating: 9.5/10
3) Word search: This one is made by Mellimots, and it too is easy to download and play. Here you have a grid with words hidden within the scrambled letters, which you have to find. The words to be found appear at the bottom of the screen and each time you find one it gets 'crossed' over. Once you spotted the words on the grid simply move a fingers across it. It is simply especially if you like 'word search' puzzles.
Unlike the previous two games, this App does take a bit more data space in the phone. However, this isn't a real problem unless you have downloaded other App that also require more storage space. The layout is very simply and letters displayed are easy to read. You do get timed to see how long it takes you to find all the words. The scores are kept but this is sorely for your personal tracking of your efforts rather than as a competitive tool against other players.
Best suited: This is a must-have for those who love word search puzzles. It is also ideal for anyone wanting to be able to play a game without relying on other players moves i.e, playing solo. It also will suit someone who isn't a fan of scrabble type puzzle games and/or someone who wants a puzzle game without much pressure.
Rating: 9/10 (the larger storage space required for it might put some players off).
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