Word Games have been around since much earlier than most graphics based computer (or mobile) games came into existence. The classic simplicity and the opportunity to improve your vocabulary, while having fun at the same time have served to make word games an all-time favorite with players of all ages.
It’s no wonder then, that word puzzles and games form an important genre in the mobile gaming segment, which is fast catching up with PC and console gaming as a platform of convenience, especially when on the move. Newer devices and tablets with specs that can put an average laptop to shame, have added to the advent in popularity of mobile gaming.
We thought it would be a good idea to put together a round-up of the most popular word games available on the Android platform for you to pick from. While some of these may initially appear to easy and more appropriate for kids, make no mistake that they can get pretty brain racking at times, and are guaranteed to be the perfect time killers on that long commute.
With more and more word games featuring inbuilt multiplayer capabilities which pit you against an online opponent, either known or random, you can check out and improve your word building skills pretty quick with the right word game. Not mindless gaming this! SO without further ado, let’s dive right in and have a look at the most popular word games out there today.
Words With Friends Free
Perhaps one of the most popular and addictive word games ever, Words With Friends by Zynga is unique in that it is cross-platform. Which means you can play Words With Friends even with your pals who use an iPhone or iPad. The gameplay is pretty uncomplicated, and more so if you have ever played Scrabble.
Each player gets a set of letter tiles, which they must use to create words on the onscreen board. Strategic placement of letters and words gets you bonus points, and the player who finishes all his/her letters with the highest number of points wins the game. Transitions and animations are smooth as silk, making you wonder whether this is indeed a free app.
You can play upto 20 different games simultaneously and have the option of either playing against a friend (pass ‘n play) or against a random online opponent. Notifications let you know when it’s your move, so that you can keep the game going. The game even features an in-game chat feature which lets you chat with your opponent.
Overall, a well-designed, exciting and fun Word Game to have on your device. Given all its features, and considering its a free download, Words with Friends is a must-have title on your Android device.
Wordfeud
Wordfeud may not have the visual frills that Words with Friends comes with, but is still widely considered by many enthusiasts (yours truly included) as the best alternative to Scrabble. What it lacks in eye candy, it more than makes up for it in the exciting gameplay and the fact that it works exactly the way the original Scrabble does.
The Multiplayer mode is robust, and goes one up on Words with Friends by letting you play upto 30 games simultaneously. Word making and gameplay is similar to an Scrabble clone, with players positioning words on a 15 x 15 word grid, to rack up various types of bonus points.
This is one of those genres where the last man standing is usually not the winner, unless the opponent voluntarily resigns.
Word Search
Straying slightly away from the Scrabble clones, this is a classic word searching game, that has graced the leisure pages of newspapers, periodicals and word puzzle books for many years. Word Search by Melimots involves finding a set of given words which are hidden in a word grid, which incidentally, adjusts itself dynamically depending on the size of your display.
Words are positioned horizontally, vertically as well as diagonally, and may also read backwards adding to the challenge quotient. All told, this is a classic retro style Word Search game, and a must-have for any word game junkie. The simple and straightforward premise of the game makes it a favorite with players of all ages, form kids to adults alike.
7 Little Words
This one’s for the crossword junkies. 7 Little Words by Blue Ox Technologies Ltd. is a different from your average word finder or Scrabble type game in that it involves solving crossword anagram clues using 20 letter groups including two and three letter groups as well. The game features a minimalist interface which is elegant, and yet does not distract you from the task at hand, which is to use up all the letter groups to solve the clues.
If you’re a cryptic crossword puzzle buff, you’re sure to feel right at home with 7 Little Words. Each puzzle has 7 clues, 7 mystery words with 20 letter groups that you can pick from to solve the clues. The game offers as many as 30 different puzzles that you can play for free, with additional ones available through in-app purchases.
Ruzzle
The classic find as many words as you can genre has been a favorite with word game junkies the word over. Ruzzle, by MAG Interactive brings this popular game to Android devices. Ruzzle is a fun and fast-paced word game where you can challenge your friends or allow an opponent to be chosen randomly and find out who can rack up the most words in two minutes?
The game is cross-platform compatible with iOS, which means that many more people to play with in random opponent mode. As a player you are presented with a word board, and you need to find as many words as possible within the board, by swiping your finger across the letters to create each word. Audio and animation effects are complementary, but not distracting.
The matches are played in three rounds and the highest total number of scores wins. The rounds can be played as per your convenience when it suits you. You can get going as soon as you have two minutes to spare! A must-have game on Android, Ruzzle is available for $1.99.
Dropwords
Dropwords by Ben Garrett is another word search puzzle game, but with a twist. It presents players with a grid of letters which, when used to make a word, disappear, creating an ever-changing and dynamic board of letters.
The game is quite rightly described as a blend of Scrabble, Boggle and Bejeweled. Scores are accumulated and compiled through the Papaya Mobile social gaming network, so you can compete with friends online and see how you stack up on your word building skills against the competition.
Dropwords is a pretty absorbing and compelling game which includes six different game modes depending on whether you’re looking for a casual round or feeling up for a challenge. It includes three different dictionaries, and word validity gaps are low. All-in-all, and engaging game, which is sure to provide hours of word finding enjoyment for people of all ages.
Angry Words
You can’t go wrong when you Angry to the name of a game now, can you? Jokes apart, Angry Words is one of the most compelling multi-player Scrabble clone, currently available on Android. It works pretty much the same way as Words wit Friends or WordFeud, but seems to have a lot more active players, making it easy as snap to get into an online game with a random opponent.
The interface is clean, intuitive and smooth. And you can play against friends or random opponents. Game animations make the experience even better by letting you see your opponents recent moves giving you a better insight towards his strategy, and letting you counter it with your own.
The free version is ad-supported, and there is also a paid ad-free version.
Word Search Little Books
With the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 a couple of months ago, S-Pen optimized apps are quickly finding their way to more and more categories, and word games is no different, and we thought this particular game deserves a special mention in our round-up.
Word Search Little Books is a word puzzle game, and perhaps the first one at that to be optimized for the S-Pen. Of course, the pen support would only work on a Samsung Galaxy Note device with a S-Pen stylus, but regular touch support should work fine on other devices.
The game includes hundreds of word search puzzles for you enjoyment, and you can even choose from different word search puzzle book topics. It auto saves your progress, and lets you pick off from where you left the game midway. With new puzzles getting added regularly, you will always find something new to stimulate those gray cells, and the game works great with phones as well as tablets.
And if you happen to own a Galaxy Note device, nothing like some S-Pen flourish to get heads turning your way!
Like any other game genre on Android, we’re sure that different people may have different favorites, and we’ve tried to list the most popular word games out there. It obviously couldn’t be an exhaustive list, as that would be endless. But if you think there are other popular games out there, do let everyone know in comments below so we can get a taste of some more cracking word games on Android.
