Each day brings a new set of nine letters for you to focus on
Price: $3 / £3
Version: 1.11
Size: 182 MB
Seller: Rose Design and Education Services
Platform: iPhone & iPad
Wordsmyth is an iOS and iPadOS app that puts a mindful spin on Boggle, the classic word game. Each day, the app offers up a selection of nine letters for you to focus on, with the aim of creating as many words from the selection as possible.
Word-smiths will undoubtedly love this game – and playing it couldn’t be simpler or more relaxing. When you launch Wordsmyth, you’re presented with a selection of nine random letters and are tasked with creating words. You can build up a word by tapping on individual letters – when you’ve constructed a word you’d like to add to your word bank, simply tap it.
Constructing a word.
In the top-right of the screen, you’ll see the total number of available words, along with a figure representing how many you’ve found. You can also tap an arrow at the bottom of the screen to see a breakdown the words you’ve captured (and those which you’ve yet to discover). Usefully, these are organized by letter-count.
Wordsmyth situates its puzzles against a relaxing, mindful background – this might be a calming cove, a peaceful lake, or a moonlit forest. The app also features soundscapes, like the rush of waves or the sound of wildlife, which adds a real level of immersion and helps you focus in on the puzzle at hand. The overall effect is so relaxing, we were tempted to use Wordsmyth while wearing a pair of earphones or headphones.
Using a hint.
To help you work through each puzzle, Wordsmyth also includes helpful hints. These are made available when you tap an on-screen question mark, and reveal a partially completed word (with some missing letters). You can then use this clue to craft up a missing word. An unlimited number of hints are available, meaning you can use them at your leisure.
While the app is available for iOS and iPadOS, it’s slightly disappointing to see that your progress doesn’t sync between devices. This means that if you start a word puzzle on your iPhone, you won’t be able to finish it on your iPad. A “shuffle” button for letter-tiles would also be a nice addition, and might help players see hidden words.
Checking your progress.
The overall feel of Wordsmyth is calming and relaxing. While some word-based games might leave you feeling stressed or disappointed, Wordsmyth is soothing and supportive, and offers a great space for you to unwind. There are no timers, levels, or distracting adverts – just a daily puzzle for you to work through either in one go, or over the course of the day.
Wordsmyth may be the perfect tonic for these busy and stressful times. It’s not going to win any awards for complexity, but if you’re searching for something to help you relax while also engaging your brain, look no further.