Spellstrife

I found this to be a really fun game. There are 26 different monsters, so the longer you play the better you get for sure. Just being able to make long words isn't enough - you also have to use strategy by knowing what all the characters do. I really like the spells feature, too. It gives you little advantages that can make a big difference on some boards. Overall a great game!

I downloaded this game on a whim, as I like word games and this looked like an interesting twist from other word games I've played in the past. The strategy doesn't always involve making the longest words, which makes this more than just animated scrabble. The first couple times we played it we had to keep looking at what the monsters do, but after a few rounds it becomes more intuitive. I could see this being a lot of fun as a mobile game (hint, hint). My kids liked it too.

Battle scrabble! This spelling roguelike is strategically deep, well presented, and a blast to play! The art and music are quite good, and the 26 unique monsters offer a lot of playstyle variety, It can be difficult to decide whether to try and force your synergies or tactically summon the correct monster making the game quite challenging on the higher difficulties, you might even learn a word or two while playing! Cons - -The UI on the route selection screen could be a little cleaner(a progress button rather than clicking on the node in the route perhaps? Or a blinking indicator on the node to click maybe?). -Decision paralysis leaves me doing nothing for long periods of time trying to think of words. A timer as an option or mandatory on higher difficulties may alleviate this. -Kind of anticlimactic end, a unique boss enemy or some sort of effect for the final stage or some more buildup would make a run more satisfying. Overall very fun game! I believe it has local multiplayer at the moment but I would like to see the return of online! Well worth the price point and hard to call it wasted time since it'll force you to use your brain differently than most games.

This has been a brilliant co-op game with my partner. Between the spells, class features, and enchanted tiles that allow you to mitigate the randomness of the letter draws, no run has felt the same. An excellent brain-tickler that will provide exultant feelings of victory when you execute the perfect plan.

This game rules, its a nice and compact word puzzle game with just enough complexity to keep it really replayable. The difficulty levels are tuned pretty well, and the "missed words" feature is super good for improving at the game without having to read a dictionary. Honestly a must buy for word game fans, especially at the low price, it even has local co op! I'll definitely come back to it for a long time!

Played this one on stream today for a short run out. Game got stuck on the first attempt, which was a shaky start, but seemed to work fine after that. The game I've played that resembles it most closely is Word Realms, though this adds different elements with the lanes and terrain which is neat enough. However after giving it a couple of runs, it seems like there are balance issues, a lack of real options, and the gameplay loop itself doesn't really hold your attention. It's not a terrible game, but it doesn't do much to mitigate against the issues of any word creation type games, leaving you relying too much on luck, or being able to identify the right extremely obscure word to be able to play anything, while some of the words it denies seem a bit arbitrary. Unfortunately I can't say I really enjoyed it, but I do see how it might grab the attention of some people, so I'd not outright say don't buy it either. I didn't play the demo first, so maybe give that a go, and see if it works for you.

A great brain game. While spelling the longest word is important, you also have to use some strategy so you monster doesn't get pulled down a hole or can never make it to the end of the row because it's not flying. Different "classes" make each run different. I haven't played it too much yet but I definitely will be playing more!

This is a true hidden gem. I regularly play games that overlap in genre with this one, so I'm surprised to find that Steam never recommended it to me for almost 2 years after its release. Honestly, I don't get it. It makes me lose a little faith in this platform. It's outrageous that there are only 12 reviews. + Graphics are expressive, distinctive, and highly legible. + The music is excellent, getting the rare honor that I didn't mute it because I never got sick of it. ~ UI is good but has a few QOL gaps that can be annoying. + I encountered very few bugs, none of them gamebreaking. + Runs are a bit short, but meta-unlocks are well-paced. Enough to keep you coming back for new variety without wasting your time with a grind. + Gameplay itself shines. I've rarely seen a word game genre crossover that blends its elements this well. There is an element of chance with tile draw, which is offset by spells you can collect. ~ In true rogue fashion there are occasions where you are choosing between least-worst options, most of which can be avoided through proper strategy. I wouldn't call balance perfect here, and would say it leans toward hard, but that's better than too easy.

Honestly a p fun game

A brilliant little game! A must-try for Bookworm Adventures lovers: prepare for some word powered tactics :)