from the world of print. SpellTower is
a word search crossed with a well-
based puzzle game, and Really Bad
Chess subverts the chess puzzles
you sometimes still find lurking in
newspapers. TypeShift is in similar
territory, only this game has hurled all
the component bits of crosswords up
into the air to see what would happen.
What you end up with is a grid
of letters that you manipulate by
dragging columns up and down. If
a word is found in the centre row,
its tiles are coloured in. The aim is
to use every tile on the board – and
as quickly as possible, if you’re
inclined towards bragging about your
brainpower online.
There are set packs of puzzles
and a daily entry that toughens as
the week goes on. The star of the
show, though, is the clue puzzle,
which doesn’t allow you to find any
old words. Instead, you get a list of
obtuse clues, and must find a word
associated with each. The end result
is a game that really does feel like a
perfect combination of old and new.
For free, you get a small selection
of puzzles to try (and the daily
challenge); extra packs are available
via in-app purchases.
50.