WordStory-Word Search Puzzles & Brain Games

4.6
Where to Buy

WordStory-Word Search Puzzles & Brain Games App Review

App Info

Price: Free In-App Purchases

Overview

WordStory-Word Search Puzzles & Brain Games is a series of word puzzles that begin on a 3 x 3 grid of letters. Players are challenged to connect the letters to make two words suggested by the number of letters in each word. The letter boards provided can easily make many combinations, but only one is correct.  Hints are available, as is a sharing system to get help from friends. The puzzles increase in difficulty as the app progresses.

Features include:

  • Increasing challenges
  • Over 500 puzzles
  • Simple interface
  • Free hints available

Quality

WordStory is a high quality app that is easy to use and could be quite addictive to users. Developers included a handy tutorial to explain the game, but players would benefit from being told that not every word having the correct number of letters will be the correct answer to the puzzle. The words must be the same specific words that were chosen by the app.

Education

This app is quite educational, helping students to improve spelling and vocabulary, as well as letter sequence and spatial skills.  Game play is more similar to the commercial game of Boggle, in that letters can be connected horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.  The words become more difficult and unusual at the higher levels, continuing the challenge.  Hints can be earned by completing levels (and by watching advertisements or making an in-app purchase), which place letters into the answer boxes, starting with the initial letter of each of the words.

Entertainment

The puzzles in WordStory are challenging, especially after the first few levels. Each level contains 10 puzzles, and there are currently 30 levels showing, with the promise of additional levels being added.  The app can be used in a competitive manner if you wish, by having each player see how far they can get solving puzzles.  Puzzles begin with a 2 x 2 letter grid that makes a single four-letter word. By the third level, the letter grid grows to 3 x 3, and two words are hidden. Higher levels continue to increase the puzzles’ complexity and size.  Players who are easily frustrated may be distressed at the scarcity of hints-completing each level rewards 2 hints, and there is an option to watch an advertising video to earn an additional hint every 20 minutes or so.  There is also an in-app purchase system that offers hint packages if desired, or the app will reward follows on social media platforms with extra hints as well.

Value

This app is free on the App Store, which makes it a great value.  However, it may not be appropriate for the youngest players because of the advertising and unprotected in-app purchases being offered.

Child Friendliness

This app is not particularly child friendly. There are unprotected links to the internet, outside advertisements, incentives to watch those ad videos, and connections to social media. In-app purchases of hints range from 99 cents to $20, and upper level purchases will turn off the ads for a period of time.

  • YES 3rd party advertising
  • YES unprotected in-app purchases
  • YES unprotected social media
  • YES frequent prompts for ratings
WordStory-Word Search Puzzles & Brain Games
WordStory
WordStory-Word Search Puzzles & Brain Games is a fun, free app that will challenge older students and adults with word-building fun. Connect letters horizontally, vertically, and diagonally to uncover the hidden words that match the answers chosen by the app.
Quality
Education
Entertainment
Value
Child Friendly
4.6
Where to Buy