Wordsnake creeps onto DS

We've already had ebooks, sudoku, and the New York Times Crossword on DS – sometimes it's enough worthy learning to make you say 'the heck with this video games stuff,' to go outside and play with a hoop and stick or something.

Okay, of course not. But for the now-greying generation who were forced outside in their short trousers and summer frocks to play hopscotch or footie with a golf ball, here comes another DS game to help them keep their brains in gear (if counting the daily increase of the price of their houses isn't enough mental stimulation).

A cross between Scrabble and dominos, Wordsnake will get you reaching for your dictionary, as you have to build words of between three to eight letters from the random selection provided on your tile rack, and reach a target score before time runs out.

Each new word created must either start or end with an existing letter that's on the board, creating the snake-like structures that give the game its name. However, tiles disappear after a set time, keeping you on your toes.

Features include the ability to randomly shuffle letters and move them to a second tile rack to help with word construction. Special tiles provide extra lives, and decrease or increase the remaining time. And as you progess through the game, not only will the target score increase and the allowed time decrease, but you'll have to deal with walls that restrict the playable area too.

Wordsnake currently doesn't have a release date, but we reckon it will be available in a month containing the letters 'U', 'R' or 'T'.