![]() SpellTower is $0.99 (regularly $1.99) in the iOS App Store and requires iOS v4.2 or higher to run. Hopefully, future updates will add more puzzle modes and features. The lack of options and an online multiplayer might be a deterrent, but that doesn’t detract from the fun or the challenge of the game. Looking for a word game that goes beyond a simple Scrabble/Boggle/Jumble clone? If so, then SpellTower is for you. The app is updated on a regular basis based on user feedback, so it’s possible that we may see online multiplayer coming in the near future. SpellTower is Game Center enabled, so you can track your progress with your friends and see your ranking on the nine leaderboards provided. When you first download the game and you start getting the hang of the strategy, you actually don’t even notice this. The biggest drawback about SpellTower is that there is no online multiplayer mode. You can also change the volume level of the game (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, or mute), although you could also just turn down the volume on your iPad instead. You can change the color mode of the letters to “Night Colors,” which reverses the colors on all tiles. Given that the app is fairly new, there aren’t a lot of options available. As you create words and clear your board, letters are dropped onto your opponent’s board. The Multiplayer mode is set up like Rush mode. The rows advance every fifteen seconds, so you’ll have to move quickly! Debate Modeĭebate mode for SpellTower is where two players can go head-to-head over a local Bluetooth connection. Once it reaches the top, a new row of letters is added. As you create words, The background changes color vertically until it reaches the top of the screen. You start with a wider grid of five letters. Rush Mode adds a bit more complexity to the regular Tower mode. However, several letters have length limits, so you need to form six letter words or longer in order to proceed. Like Puzzle mode, you’re started off with five rows of letters and a few black blocks. Once you have accumulated 2,000 points in Puzzle mode, Ex Puzzle mode is unlocked. You can also add new rows manually by tapping the Add Row icon at the bottom right of the screen. If any of your columns reach the top of the screen, the game ends. As you create words, letters are cleared from the board and a new row of letters will form from the bottom of the screen. Puzzle mode starts out with five rows of letters. Once you’ve cleared as many blocks as you can, tap the Done icon at the bottom right to tweet your best word, see a full list of words you’ve created, reset the board with new letters, or quit and go back to the Home screen. The objective here is to create words until you clear the entire grid (or come close). Tower Mode is a full grid of letters and blocks. The tutorial takes less than a minute to complete, and you can revisit it at any time from the Home screen. All puzzle modes include black blocks, which can only be cleared by forming words around them. As you clear words, they disappear from the board and a new row of letters appears. Words can be spelled backwards, forwards or diagonally, and some letters have word length limits or extra point values. Words must be at least three letters long, and longer words will net you more points. SpellTower’s tutorial is the first “mode” of gameplay, and it gives you a quick look at how to play the game. Let’s delve into each of the puzzle modes in more detail. SpellTower combines the word-finding fun of Boggle with the strategy and block-clearing satisfaction of Tetris or Collapse. But like any good word game, strategy is key. ![]() Gameplay is ridiculously simple just touch and swipe (or tap in sequence) across letters to form words at least three letters long. With over 90,000 ranked players, you’ll have your work cut out for you if you want to make it to the top. The ribbon at the very top links you to its Game Center leaderboards. Swipe left to reach multiplayer mode (local only), and swipe right to reach the Options screen. SpellTower’s home screen shows you the four different game modes on different colored ribbons. Let’s see what all the buzz is about and take a good look at this furiously addictive word game. The New York Times Magazine, IGN, Kotaku, and NPR Marketplace have all raved about the game, and it’s currently one of the top 50 paid apps available on the iPhone and the iPad. SpellTower has received a lot of great press since its release in early 2012. Now, there’s a new challenger for the top word game spot: Zach Gage’s SpellTower. Zynga’s popular trio of “With Friends” games (Words, Hanging, Scramble) come to mind, as well as Hasbro’s classics (Scrabble, Boggle). When it comes to word games, iOS has plenty to choose from. ![]()
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