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AlphaPit (Free) by Shane McCafferty is a new word game with a twist. If you love word games but are tired of the usual fare, then AlphaPit is one you should consider. It’s from the same developer as Word Forward, which was a popular game from two years ago.

Since I’m a writer, one of my favorite puzzle genres are word games. But this should surprise no one, right? Even though I don’t think of myself as the best when it comes to the genre, though, I still have a lot of fun playing these games because they make me think, and we all need some mental stimulation to keep our minds sharp (otherwise, it’s just a waste). I’ve gone through dozens of word games in the past several years, but from what I’ve noticed, a lot of them seem the same, just with different skins or a few changes in rules. So when I saw the news of AlphaPit hit my inbox a while back, I was intrigued by what the game was bringing to the table. It’s not just another Scrabble or Boggle type of word game, and it’s much more challenging.

In terms of visuals, AlphaPit looks sharp for a word game. Players are greeted with a minimalistic aesthetic that works well. While the graphics look flat like most games nowadays, there’s a bit more depth to it due to the ability to change the letter tiles, which can appear to be depressed the further it is from the original state. The pinstripe gray background helps make the colored letter tiles stand out nicely, which also “pop” out with the shadows and slight 3-D appearance. It’s easy to tell when letters are selected due to the colored outlines, and the typeface used in the game is easy-to-read. The animations are smooth and fluid despite the subtlety, and things are made interesting with a techno EDM soundtrack. It’s refreshing to see this, especially in the word game category.

Like typical puzzle games, AlphaPit features levels that one must solve before moving on to the next. At the moment, the initial free game download includes 200 puzzles, which is a ton of content for nothing. And since it takes some serious wordsmith skill and time to solve, it’s not surprising that AlphaPit will keep you busy for a long time. One of things that caught me off-guard with AlphaPit is the fact that while it’s a free game, there are no in-app purchases. You can replenish your supply of power-up items to solve puzzles by watching ads, but there is no way to get rid of the ads (they only show up voluntarily) or even buy more power-ups through in-app purchases. It’s nice to see this, though, so it requires skill and patience to complete the game.

So what exactly is AlphaPit, and what makes it stand out from other word games on the market? The App Store description talks about depth and loneliness, and that’s true, though you shouldn’t get all philosophical about it (unless you want to). The objective of each puzzle is to clear out the board of letter tiles by spelling out words that consist of at least three letters. However, when you spell out words, the tiles have to be connected to each other (horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and even backwards). All tiles must be removed from the board for the puzzle to be complete. While it sounds simple enough, things get pretty tricky and you’ll have to use your noggin’ to get rid of all tiles.

To spell out a word, just tap-and-drag along the letters you want to use. If the word is accepted, the tiles vanish — otherwise, they’ll remain on the board or tell you if you’re under the three-letter requirement. If you’re unable to spell out words with the current tiles, there are a few things you can do.

The first thing is to tap (forward) or hold down (reverse) a letter, as this allows you to cycle through the previous or next three letters in the alphabet, depending on how far the tile is sticking out.

Secondly, the game also gives you two tiles in your “hand,” which are shown in the bottom left corner. These tiles can be swapped out with any tile that is currently on the board, which can be handy when you just can’t think of any words to spell out.

The last option you have are the three power-ups that are available at your disposal. The power-ups are: Undo, Shuffle, and Bomb. The Undo one is pretty self-explanatory, as it lets you undo your previous move. Shuffle is great when you can’t make any more words in the current setup, so it will shuffle the letters around, but the tiles remain in the same spots. Bomb lets you eliminate any individual tile, which is great when you just have one or two lonely tiles remaining on the board.

In regards to the power-up items, everyone will start out with three of each with the initial download. However, if you run out and need more, you can obtain three more by watching a video ad. As I mentioned earlier, there are no in-app purchases in the game, so if you need more power-ups, you’ll have to endure the ads. At least people can’t cheat by buying a ton of power-ups and not actually solving the puzzles, so there’s a plus.

My favorite part of AlphaPit, though, is the fact that you can play the game at your own pace. There are no points to score or time limits to worry about, so you can just focus on finding words to spell or figuring out new words with the tools you have. Just sit back, relax, and spell.

I’ve gone through a ton of word games since I’ve picked up my first iPhone, but AlphaPit is a real gem. The rule of having to use every tile on the board opens up a ton of possibilities that you may not have thought of, and being able to swap out letters keeps things fresh. Plus, the game looks good with minimalistic aesthetics, the music is soothing to listen to if you enjoy EDM, and controls are simple enough to understand. And tons of levels and no in-app purchases is the icing on the cake.

I highly recommend checking out AlphaPit if you’re a word game fan. You can get AlpahPit on the App Store as a universal download for free.

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MAJUSCULA ($0.99) by Vince Hegedus is a super challenging platformer that’s based on the wonderful world of typefaces. If you are the kind of person who loves a skill-based platformer and also enjoys learning about typography, then this is a match made in heaven.

As a kid, I grew up with the classic games like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic. These games were big parts of my childhood, and they also ignited the spark of love that I have for platformer games. They’re like the ultimate challenge at the time, so as I got older, I always love seeing new titles emerge that remind me of my glorious childhood. In recent years, I’ve done a lot of writing on my laptop and iPhone, but one thing that struck out to me about digitally writing was typography. In fact, it’s been a topic that has interested me greatly for the past few years, as I’ve grown fond of specific typefaces and deplore others. I am no expert in the field, but it’s something I find fascinating.

Naturally, when I heard about an upcoming game that combined both platformer with typography, I was enthralled. And now that it is on the App Store, I’m excited to have my hands on it. From my initial first impression though, let me warn you — this game is not for the faint of heart.

In terms of visuals, MAJUSCULA is beautiful with a minimalistic aesthetic. The game focuses on various hues of black, gray, and white, giving it that popular LIMBO feel. The only splash of color that you’ll see is the orange of the ball that you control, who is just trying to make it through the world of typography. The physics involved in the game are fairly realistic, so there’s no fake game mechanics here. Animations are buttery smooth and there is no lag in the frame rate, which is great since death is always around the corner in MAJUSCULA. The soundtrack by Essa is ambient and soothing, adding another layer of depth to the game.

Since MAJUSCULA is a game about typography, it has an interesting level concept. Each stage is in the form of a letter, and when you clear it, you’ll learn about a typeface that starts with that letter, such as who designed it, when it was created, and even how it looks (all data from Wikipedia). Now, since each level is a letter, and there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, there are only 26 levels in the game. While this may not seem like a lot (and it really isn’t), I’ll tell you now: the game can be incredibly difficult. So while there won’t be more than 26 stages, you’ll be spending a lot of time trying to survive flawlessly during those few levels because it’s easier said than done. You also can’t go back and replay levels either, as it is one streamlined journey. However, there is a reset button if you want to start over from “A.”

Controls in the game are simple enough — just tap the left half of the screen to go left, and the right to go right. You control a bouncing orange ball, which I’m assuming is the dot that is found in lowercase “i,” “j,” or maybe it’s just a period. The dot is automatically bouncing and you have no control of the bounce, which makes the game a bit more challenging than you’d originally think. Because of this, you’ll have to time your horizontal movements carefully, as there are dangerous hazards and obstacles like spikes, pools, rotating cogs, and more. As they always say, it’s easy to play, but hard to master — you need to muster up all of your skills in order to beat this platformer.

While the objective of each stage is to reach the end of the level (marked by a flag), the game also has a point system. I’m honestly not sure how the scoring is done, but it seems that you points based on how far you manage to get or how fast you complete the stage. The game is not clear on how the scoring is done, so I can’t be too certain. The point of the scoring system is for the Game Center leaderboards though, if you’re into that.

I have been waiting for MAJUSCULA for a few weeks now, and I’m not disappointed with the final result. The game is gorgeous with minimalistic graphics and the atmospheric soundtrack. The controls are intuitive and don’t take a lot of time to learn, but the timing is everything so it is still hard to master. The gameplay itself is rather difficult and challenging, though this may not appeal to casual gamers. But if you have any interest in typography, then this game is worth checking out. I just wish that there was some clarification on how the scoring system worked, because it’s pretty vague.

I recommend giving MAJUSCULA a try if you’re a fan of nail-biting platformers and like to learn about typography. You can find MAJUSCULA on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for just $0.99. There are no in-app purchases.

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