Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Review | Tagged: android, ios, Mobile, Scopley, Scrabble GO

We Finally Sat Down & Reviewed Scrabble GO On An iPhone

Published Mon, 12 Oct 2020 06:40:24 -0500

A few months ago we got a chance to review Scrabble GO as their team sent us info on the game and VIP access. We've been playing the game off-and-on since receiving it, not because we didn't find it interesting, but because like has been getting in the way of actually being able to sit down and properly review an app that doesn't come off like others. We'll explain that in a bit, but after a few months of getting some games in and seeing how our rank went, we're finally able to tell you what we think of this one.

Getting to the first question many probably wonder about, yes, this is basically Words With Friends with better branding. While the two games are similar, Scrabble is the better-known IP in the world. But with that comes some expectations of how the game will play and whether or not a digital version will bring you the same competitive spirit and joy as playing with friends in real life. For the most part, it does capture that along with some animations. But it's the additions to the game that will make you either get into it or not. For example, throughout the game you earn gems (the in-game currency) which you can use for a myriad of things. There are options in the game that allow you to swap tiles, find the best placement for words, and even offer suggestions if you can't find anything with your own eyes and brain. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to fudge words or use anything inappropriate as the game's dictionary will tell you whether a word is allowed or not.

The main gameplay is fine, but there's more to the app to keep you busy as you can earn rankings based on how well you do. There are chests you can earn at every level and by doing different challenges that constant small pieces of custom tiles. Think of them as LEGO bits to having cute looking tiles like the dog and cat you see here. You can compete in Duels, where you have 40 seconds to make a word between you and another player with 5 turns each. You can compete in tournaments like Rush and Word Drop, offering variations of the game where you still have to come up with words in a short amount of time. You can compete for trophies and earn a League ranking that will give your profile bonuses. And there are a number of weekly and daily challenges to keep you busy and earning gems.

Because it is a mobile app, there are some downsides to it. First, you're going to be running into a lot of ads regardless of what you do. Second, there's a shop to buy gems, because they need to make money on the game somehow. And third, much like in Word With Friends, you'll have to contend with cheaters who use word-finding programs to win all the time. While those three things don't necessarily ruin the game, there are times where you'll be sitting there having to deal with the fact that you need gems, need better words to beat someone, or just don't want to look at the same ad every 5 minutes. Overall, Scrabble GO is a very awesome version of the original with a lot of stuff to keep you busy if you love this kind of title. There are some unsavory parts you'll have to deal with, but there's no pay-wall and no restrictions on what you can do.

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