Word Collapse

Scrabble might be one of the most enduringly popular boardgames, but it’s also one of the least portable. The whole concept hinges on having a stationary, stable board that can contain the branching words without disruption.

It’s also a bit of a pig when you really fancy a game but no one else does.

Word Collapse isn’t quite a portable, solo Scrabble game, but it should appeal to those looking for one.

It’s actually a collection of three word games, each built around Scrabble’s scoring system. Spot a Word presents you with a six by eight board of random letters, each with their appropriate values listed alongside them. Your task here is to clear the board by tapping out words, which can be achieved against the clock or in your own sweet time.

Letterfall, meanwhile, drops letters in from the top like a match-three puzzler. You must prevent any of the rows from filling up, and reduce the field to nothing. Once again, you can choose to play against the clock or at your own pace.

Finally, Untwist presents the biggest departure from the ‘pick a word, any word’ system at Word Collapse’s heart. Here you’re whittling the same six by eight board down, but this time by solving a series of jumbled up words selected by the computer. It’s the most challenging mode by some way.

Indeed, Word Collapse would benefit from more Untwist-like, um, twists. The core system of tapping out words is very slickly handled and undeniably fun for word game fans, but it could do with a few more variants covering a greater range of tasks.

How about a mode that only allows you to form words if the letters are in a line, wordsearch style? Or certain random letters that afford you bonus points when included in a word? If you’re going to pinch one Scrabble system, might as well pinch a couple.