Windows Phone Game Review: Buzzwords

Buzzwords Lead

I'm a sucker for word games; board games similar Scrabble and Bungle are mainstays in my household. Naturally my obsession with spelling extends to videogames, with PopCap'southward Bookworm games numbering among my favorites. But PopCap has yet to bring the iOS version of Bookworm to Windows Phone. Indie developer M80 Games – the folks behind the puzzler Pirate'southward Mind – has risen to the occasion with their latest title, Buzzwords. This bee-based spelling game should tide Windows Telephone gamers over quite nicely until Bookworm comes effectually - if ever.

Spelling bee

Buzzwords Title

The playing field in Buzzwords consists of a honeycomb suspended over a vat of honey. Each hexagon on the honeycomb contains a random letter. Your goal is to spell as many words equally possible until the timer runs out. To practise this, merely tap each letter in sequence and and then tap the last letter in the series when yous're ready to spell a word. The dearest from the messages y'all used drops into the pot and your score increases. The honey itself adds to your score or timer, depending on the mode.

Buzzwords really differentiates itself from similar games with its combo system. Once the role player has created his or her first give-and-take and emptied its love, the letters stay on screen for several seconds. During this time, the next word must exist congenital using one of the previous word'due south letters. If yous're able to practice so, yous'll get some extra points; if not, y'all merely lose a few seconds waiting for new letters to replace the old ones. Make the next match really quickly and the messages even take hold of on burn down.

The philharmonic organisation certainly rewards fast thinking, but it doesn't perfectly mix with the template from which Buzzwords is built. Instead of scanning the entire field to brand the most interesting lucifer, the actor is often forced to but build brusk words from the clump of letters attached to the initial discussion. For me, the best part of Bookworm is trying to brand long-ass words, not brusk ones.

A similar issue involves blue beetles. Just as Bookworm had flaming messages that needed to be used earlier they reached the bottom of the screen, the blue beetles here will end the game if they brand information technology to the honey pot unhindered. Only as I already mentioned, the thespian is oft tethered to an existing bunch of letters, making information technology a chore to go later on furthermost beetles. You can allow the letters you're working with disappear in guild to start building a word wherever a beetle lies, but the mechanics there sort of clash.

Stars and Boosters

Buzzwords Boosters

As you play Buzzwords, yous'll earn stars in improver to points. The stars tin can then exist spent at the offset of a new game on various boosters. These have benign effects like extending play time, reducing the number of beetles that spawn, and more than. Boosters are only good for one game, so you have to keep earning stars if you desire to use them. They don't actually make a huge difference to the gameplay, but a petty customization is always squeamish.

Game modes

Buzzwords has two game modes: BuzzMode and Marathon. BuzzMode lasts for three minutes, and honey collected provides bonus points. Marathon starts at three minutes, just dearest collected adds boosted time. Games in either manner can end much sooner if you lot allow a beetle attain the honey pot.

While Marathon games can outlast BuzzMode games by several minutes, they still feel a bit also brusque. Yeah, you lot proceeds more time every bit you lot notice words. But it takes time to browse for words, particularly since y'all're almost always tethered to the give-and-take that started the most recent combo. In practice, it might take thirty seconds to find a discussion (when stumped) only to gain a 10 2nd timer bonus.

That's my primary complaint about Buzzwords: time limits constrain the fun of finding words. I want to scan for words at my leisure, building the longest possible words. But the combo timer and especially the primary timer are always working against that way of play. The philharmonic timer alone wouldn't be so bad since information technology's just rewarding a piddling pep in your step. But Buzzwords actually needs an unlimited time way. The developer would need to balance the difficulty accordingly, making sure the threat of beetles keeps the game challenging, just the payoff would be worth it. I hear M80 will do just that very before long.

Birds and the bees

Buzzwords 30

Like Pirate's Mind before it, Buzzwords looks quite sharp for an indie title. The chief game screen'due south letter-filled honeycomb, surrounded by foliage on the sides and a honey put below, cleverly combines the concept of discussion finding with the bee theme. Some sharp animations and cute bee and protrude artwork instill actress personality.

Buzzwords' sound effects add a lot to the game likewise. I love that each additional letter makes a college chime as you spell out a give-and-take. A high-pitched voice warns when time'south about to be up, too. The only aspect of the sound that falls flat is the music. The single boisterous tune gets old super-quickly. Naturally information technology can exist turned off, and the Options screen even reminds players that they can play their own tunes from the Windows Phone Music Hub.

Long-term goals

Many indie puzzle games tend to circumduct effectually earning points and nada else. Buzzwords is no exception, only it does at least rail a few player stats such equally the number of words institute and longest combo. Information technology would exist cool to come across boosted data added, such as displaying the player's longest words.

Online leaderboards (using the Mogade system) for each game way could potentially add to the replay value, provided they were well-implemented. Unfortunately for now, only the day'south top scores are tracked. Daily leaderboards are by no means a bad affair, but they don't mean much in the absence of all-time leaderboards. Thankfully the developer plans to add long-term leaderboards in a future update.

Overall impression

Buzzwords is a fine sophomoric Windows Telephone endeavour from the folks at M80 Games. They've conspicuously put plenty of care into the UI and art blueprint. The game just needs a few more features like an unlimited fourth dimension mode and proper online leaderboards to become a standout championship... And the developers have promised to add together those shortly. For only a cadet, fans of give-and-take-finding games can't become wrong with Buzzwords.

Buzzwords costs 99 cents and there is a complimentary trial. To add it to your honey pot, get hither on the Market place.

QR: Buzzwords

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