Word nerds unite! Many of us love the challenge of word puzzles – they’re a test of logic, vocabulary, spelling and even reaction in some cases. Studies show that they are great for exercising the brain (potentially warding off degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s), plus they can be excellent ways to pass the time on long journeys or in waiting rooms.
While pen and paper word puzzles are excellent for when you want a break from screens, mobile word games can introduce new fun features such as automated point scoring and algorithmically-generated hints that can result in some truly unique games. You’ll find a huge array of different word games online and in your phone’s app store. In this guide, we’ll focus on seven of the most top rated mobile word games.
Wordle
Wordle exploded onto the scene in 2021 and has to become a global phenomenon. It was originally created by a Welsh software engineer named Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner during the pandemic. Within a year of its release it has become so popular that it was acquired by the New York Times.
The premise of Wordle is straightforward: you get six tries to guess a five-letter word. Each guess reveals clues – green for correct letters in the right spot, yellow for correct letters in the wrong position, and gray for misses.
The whole puzzle can be easily completed in 5 to 10 minutes. And you only get one puzzle per day – preventing you from getting too addicted. Many people share their results online with the aim being to complete the puzzle in as few guesses as possible.
There are many places online where you can play Wordle. Many of these sites limit games to one per day, but by visiting different sites, it’s possible to play multiple games per day if you desire. There are also various alternative options like Dordle and Absurdle.
SpellTower
SpellTower takes word-finding to new heights. Developed by Zach Gage, this game is best described as a mix of Tetris and Boggle – you’re presented with a grid of letters and you must form words to clear blocks and rows.
You get points depending on the letters used and length of the words you solve. One mode also increases the difficulty by adding a new row of letters after each turn – the game ends if the tower of letters reaches the top of the screen.
It’s a fun game that tests vocabulary knowledge, with different game modes adding different levels of tension. You can download the original version from most app stores, and there are various similar games that you can also explore.
Wordscapes
Wordscapes challenges players to solve crossword-like puzzles over relaxing nature-inspired backdrops ranging from seascapes to mountain vistas. It’s a very therapeutic word game for those that want to de-stress.
You form words by swiping letters in a circle, allowing you to unlock coins and progress through the levels. As you go through the levels, the words become harder to solve. There are thousands of levels, allowing you to keep playing for ages.
This game is available as an app and has spawned a few games with similar mechanics that could also be worth trying out. It’s suitable for all ages, easing you in players with hints and bonuses.
Contexto
Contexto focuses on semantic similarity. You guess words and the game ranks them based on how close they are to the meaning of the secret target word (for example, if the target word is ‘egg’, the word ‘chicken’ would rank higher than ‘guitar’).
You’re given unlimited guesses to solve the target word, but like Wordle you only get one word to solve per day. It’s a test of vocabulary knowledge that can be devilishly hard but also very rewarding.
Contexto is great for building creative thinking skills and can also teach new words. A few games exist that are similar to Contexto that could also be worth playing if you find the one word per day too restrictive.
Hangman
This classic classroom game requires you to solve a word by guessing letters. Every time you guess an incorrect letter, a part of the hangman is drawn. You must try to solve the word before the hangman drawing is completed.
There are many free sites that you can play this game through, as well as various apps. Many of these apps have different levels and difficulty settings to test the player. If the idea of a hangman is a bit too macabre, you can explore alternative options like Snowman. Some introduce animations to make the game more exciting and suspenseful.
Countdown
Based on the British game show, Countdown requires you to find the longest word possible out of a jumbled selection of letters. You have only 30 seconds to do this!
The game is a test of anagram-solving ability and speedy thinking. Just like the game show, app and website versions provide a countdown clock with the iconic music playing in the background to add suspense.
Countdown also has a number puzzle mode in which you must reach as close to target sum as possible by using the available numbers, as well as a conundrum mode where you must find one word from a single anagram.
Scrabble Go
Scrabble is the world’s most popular word-based board game. Players compete to score the most amount of points by placing down words on a board using a randomly picked selection of letters. Certain squares on the boards allow you to double or triple the score of a letter or word, making word placement an important factor.
An official app version, Scrabble Go, allows you to compete against a computer or compete against players from around the world. Points are automatically calculated for you and you can test out different word placements on the board to see what scores most highly.
All in all, Scrabble is a great game for building vocabulary and for building logic skills through anagram solving and careful word placement.
