Back To School Month 2018: 5 mobile games for English students
Best word games to get you ready for school
It's Back To School Month here on Pocket Gamer. After a seemingly interminable holiday, the kids are going back to school to start a new term.
We thought we'd mark the occasion with a series of features.
Whether you're a school returner looking to distract yourself from the misery of returning, or a parent celebrating the return of your free time, you'll be wanting a mobile game or three to help pass the time.
In this particular instance, we're looking at the games that might help English students get their words in order.
1
Alphabear 2
Alphabear 2 is the newest entry, and also the most charming by far. There's an immense warmth to this game, which makes it ideal for young 'uns, but underneath its saccharine exterior lies an intelligent word game.
Form words to expand your bear-shaped tiles, using up letters that appear on the grid as quickly as possible. Add in a bunch of rule-modifiers that really mix things up, and it's clear Spy Fox has chosen its words very carefully.
2
Blackbar
Blackbar works as both a clever word-identifying game and a gripping, gut-wrenching narrative adventure that deals with serious subjects like censorship and repression.
Supplied with the redacted correspondence from a fictional friend, you must fill in the blanks to flesh out a gripping story. This is pretty much an essential game for any thoughtful English student.
3
DEVICE 6
No game plays with language quite as extravagantly as Device 6. It's a text adventure that shakes off the stuffiness of the form in favour of a vibrant, hyper-kinetic approach.
The game's narrative is laid out like a map, with the words bending and contorting according to the environment they describe. It's an ingenious way to go about things, and it brings language to life in a way only games can do.
4
Letterpress
Games tend to be more fun when they're played socially, and that's also true of word games. That's what Letterpress seems to show, at least.
This word duelling game is closer to chess than to Scrabble, with your vocabulary used as your main strategic weapon. It's a great way to sharpen those linguistic skills.
5
TypeShift
TypeShift is a brilliantly conceived word game from one of the best mobile developers in the field. It deftly combines elements of anagrams, word searches, and crosswords in a concisely-designed puzzler.
Add in a beautifully judged minimalist aesthetic, a tactile control system, and an extra element of wordplay, and this is one of the freshest word games on the market.
