Shuzzler: The Word Game

[b]dec 2022 edit:[/b] 35 new untimed levels (see below). still no universal timer toggle or pausing, plus more bugs and crashes. even less recommendable than before. [b]shuzzler[/b] is a card-based word game, originally on mobile. the in-game how to play section explains things, but I'll sum it up: [b]score points by creating words from a board of letters, matching the criteria on the cards[/b]. doing what the card says as many times as it's indicated on the bottom earns the card's point value. there's also a tooltip when the cursor is over one. a whole deck of cards is available, you can draw a new one anytime, or even redraw if the deck runs out. some levels draw 2 or 3 cards at the same time, have to claim the one on top to get to the others. tasks might include finding 3-letter words, sport words, months, fruits, etc. so-called [b]action cards[/b] add more tiles, shuffle the board, and so on. they can make life easier or more difficult, as their effect is instantaneous, can't store them for later, unless they have multiple dots, which means multiple uses via redeals. the 'add gems' card lets you score more points if you bring said gems down to the bottom by removing letters under them, like you would in numerous match-3 games. it's also mandatory on those levels for a win to drop at least one of them. it's not like word search, [b]letters don't have to be connected[/b], just click them anywhere, then the arrow to submit, right click clears every selected letter. that said, [b]using connected tiles is also allowed, encouraged even[/b], and releasing the mouse button submits the word, which is not only convenient, but also awards more points, and you can go back on your selection if you want to choose another letter. [b]used letters don't get replaced with new ones[/b], but gravity applies to ones that have nothing below them anymore, and modifiers appear on random letter tiles for extra points. [b]keyboard controls are available during levels and they work really well for the most part.[/b] just type the word, enter to submit, backspace to remove a letter (can't hold it), esc to clear every letter, space for next card. can't control which letter will be chosen if there are more than one, nor does mouse-like drag-selection work for obvious reasons, but the menu can be brought up by pressing tab, since esc has another function. [b]hints[/b] are collected from cards and can be used on any level, not just where you found them. the hotkey is '?', used to be shift+h because of keyboard support for typing but it got changed. they highlight letters for a valid word that matches the card, but you still have to figure out what the word is. no problem with that, but [b]highlighted letters are barely noticable because it's light yellow on white[/b] and I couldn't convince the developer to change this to something better. and while I prefer words to have a meaning, [b]I found the dictionary iffy and a bit too usa-centric[/b]. other countries make candy too, you know. I don't think accepting 'tie' or 'boot' as clothing would be sacrilege, nor is referring to 'white' as a color (managed to push this through), especially if [b]the game considers slugs insects and tomato a vegetable[/b]. I'd recommend reading card descriptions to see what certain categories mean according to the game/developer. [b]in-game definitions were a great post-release addition[/b] though, even if the dictionary doesn't recognize every word. the game shipped with [b]32 timed levels in solo play[/b] in various categories. the first level in each is unlocked, so no need to play geography to get to science, for instance. the rest become available by earning a certain number of point cards on the previous level (the counter on top turns green if you have enough). I don't like timed anything, but in this case a clock makes sense, though I still wouldn't mind a toggle. [b]level select navigation is a bit choppy[/b], whether it's by dragging or using the mouse wheel. [b]35 untimed 'casual' levels got added in november 2022[/b], instead of having a simple timer toggle to make all the content enjoyable regardless of preference. there are [b]marked letters here that all have to be removed just to unlock the next level:[/b] stars, matching locks and keys, also gems if they show their ugly face. casual my ass. I get that it's supposed to replace the time challenge, but [b]typing doesn't prioritize marked letters, so the whole thing is even more tedious[/b]. and even if you remove them all and are left with a few cards, if they only add more tiles, there might be no more words to make. bottom line, [b]untimed levels are not much fun either[/b]. [b]local multiplayer[/b] is also supported, as well as [b]playing against the computer[/b]. the timer is optional here, there's 1-2-3 card draw and 2 difficulties for the ai. it's pretty underwhelming though, you do your thing, then the post-game screen shows what the computer did in the background. the same screen appears in every game mode and also shows all the words you found for each card. the biggest issue is [b]bringing up the menu doesn't pause the game, there's no way to take a break on timed levels[/b]. it's to stop people from cheating, which they will still do if they want to (and of course it's very easy on untimed levels), so why punish regular folks? the clock only starts after the first card is drawn, you can assess the board before that, and there's a 'finish game' option, which is handy if you run out of words to make but don't want to wait for the time to run out. there's a single volume slider, enough for a game without music. a few resolution options and a [b]buggy windowed mode toggle[/b] are also available, but only in the main menu. restarting the game might be necessary after switching to windowed, otherwise it can't be moved, only resized. player id can only be 2 letters, which is a weird but non-critical limitation. it's a [b]fun concept and there's more content since the november 2022 update, but the price is still too high[/b]. you'll be done with the 30-odd timed levels in a couple hours, but I imagine untimed ones with their way too many restrictions will take longer. I didn't bother after the first few, it just wasn't fun and no new levels unless you perfect the current one in the category. after I spent an inordinate amount of time on testing, the developer fixed an insane amount of issues before release. it was one of the biggest messes I've ever seen, and average game quality isn't particularly high these days to begin with. however, even if it works mostly fine now (though again less so with more bugs and crashes introduced with the latest update), [b]I can't recommend an offline single-player game with a mandatory timer that can't be paused[/b].

A fun and challenging word game that I think fans of scrabble well love. Truly a great game to test you word knowledge across multiple subjects.

theres a strategic element to this game that i really enjoy that i have not found in other word games. I would describe the gameplay style as word search in a solitaire format with some light trivia. its relatively short but there is some good replay value in unlocking achievements and going for 100% completion. definitely would recommend if you are looking for a unique word game or if you enjoy playing Solitaire

This game is mind boggling. What I mean is a mixture of cards and looking for words and doing challenges is a fun way to go. Especially having the meanings of the different words available in your fingertips. I had the pleasure to have a chat with the developer as he developed this all by himself. With my amazing gaming skills. Just kidding i'm horrible in spelling the game is great for all ages from young teens and up. There is a timed and recently add a casual option. Which could mean many things. I ran into a bug when I try to compete with the ai. But the game itself runs smoothly so check it out. Challenge yourself with words and see for your self.

There is a lot to this game. If your interested in word finder games like Scrabble, this one offers some unique twists with its card based gameplay, there is nothing quite like it that I have seen, a truly original concept, so I give it props for that. I agree with the other review about using a keyboard makes it play way better than clicking each letter! The game is not a cakewalk, it is very hard actually so be ready for a challenge. There is also a ton of content, Each level can take a while. It could keep one busy for many hours. One thing to note it is like Solitaire in that you could end up in a situation where your doomed and cant progress and have to start over. I ran into some bugs, which is forgivable because its a small indie dev, but nothing that was a show stopper. I wasnt able to drag the window around. I hope that DC Creation Studios can polish this game up, and go on to be a successful long lasting studio that makes many games.

This game is definitely fun. It helps me to pass the time while test my knowledge. There are few levels where you can give an answer and it will register that its wrong but, aside from that it's fun to play. If you're a streamer you can use this as a way to engage with your chat more. Hope to see some more content in the future.

Once I figured out I could enter words with the keyboard, it became pretty satisfying to race the clock and try to beat levels.