[iPhone] Create words to knockout your opponent in WordBoxer

It might be bold to say, but I might have just found the next great turn-by-turn word game on the iPhone. That game, WordBoxer, takes a head-to-head word game and fully encapsulates it symbolically into a world class boxing match. That’s right! Go 12 rounds with your opponent and wait for the decision or take care of things early with powerful knockout.

What is it and what does it do

Main Functionality

While playing the game, your goal is to creatively spell words that either earns you points or takes them away from your opponent, similarly how a punch would take something away from a boxing opponent.

Pros

Extremely clever premise
Well-designed interface
Can play multiple games versus computer, friends, or a random player
Three different skill levels
In-game chat
Notifications sent to you when it is your turn

Cons

Well-placed ad

Discussion

WordBoxer is a clever multiplayer word game presented as a boxing match. The developers created this concept where players go head-to-head in a boggle-like word creation match, with the goal to be either ahead after 12 rounds or decrease your opponent’s total points to zero. So symbolically, every word you make is a punch that weakens your opponent, who will ultimately suffer a KO (knockout) if they take too much punishment (i.e. zero points). I have to hand it to the developer for coming up with such a well thought out concept.

The user interface is quite appealing to the eye with all screen elements boxed off and symmetrical. The actual letter board is 6 by 6 and all letter tiles have the same values as they do in Scrabble. The letters are randomly spread around in the board with goal being to create the best word from consecutive adjacent letters, like you do in Boggle or Scramble with Friends. And when I mean best word, I mean the word that gets the most points. Whenever a valid word is created, a green boxing glove will light up to send your move, which symbolizes throwing a punch.

WordBoxer contains several colored tiles that act as the triple letter, double word, and triple word pieces. Using any letters of this color will increase the point level greatly and cause more damage to your opponent (i.e. subtract from their score). It is worth noting, though, that there is one exception to doing damage to an opponent. If you use any purple colored tile, instead of decreasing your opponent’s score, you will add to your own. So, in a sense, it is the equivalent of getting a rest and recovering some of your damage.

WordBoxer includes all the typical turn-by-turn features like in-game chat and turn notifications and is pretty much the complete package. You can even invite people from Facebook to play. I will say that I didn’t like the fact that an ad pops ups exactly where the user would press the boxing send button, right after it is hit. So if you leave your finger there too long, you will end up hitting the ad.

Conclusion and download link

WordBoxer is a boxing-inspired word game that allows you play an opponent in a turn-by-turn environment. From the looks of it and the game play, this could be quite a popular app in the coming months. Give it a try!

Price: Free

Version reviewed: V1.0.5