Word Attack

Word Attack is a suite of word-based games, with options for both quick play and slower games that reward thought and planning. It includes nine games: Battle-Board, Codeword, Decipher, Pairs, Slide, Unscramble, Word Escape, Word Hunt and Wordsearch.

Word games

In Battle-Board, you place lines of letters to form words and score according to the letters used and where you place them. Boards can include bonuses and score traps, and can be rectangular, non-rectangular, 3D or cylindrical. You can set rules for which directions words can run, how blank or wildcard tiles score, and which tile sets to use; tiles can contain one or multiple characters. You can also create tile sets and design boards, including 2D collages and 3D shapes.

Battle-Board supports multiplayer against other people, either in parallel or in turns. In parallel play, everyone uses the same tiles, and the best-scoring play remains on the board while all players receive its score. The lobby leader can choose computer players, the board, tiles, rules and how and when the game starts. While waiting, players can play an anagram game and chat. You can also play against computer players with different styles and vocabularies, play alone in Patience mode, or set a clock using a round limit or an overall active-time limit. Some modes let players vote to attack for double scores or defend against them; in parallel play, everyone gets the score boost if it happens. The interface layout is adjustable.

In Codeword, numbers stand for letters, and you work out which letter each number represents to solve procedurally selected coded words. Decipher asks you to reveal a hidden word by dragging letters onto blank tiles. Correctly placed letters turn green, letters that belong in the word but are in the wrong position turn blue, and letters not in the word turn red. In both games, you can choose a word list or computer personality, set word-length limits and play with or without a clock. Codeword also lets you set how many tiles appear; asking the game to solve numbers for you lowers your score, and valid words are marked off.

Pairs is a memory game in which you turn over tiles to match words, images or words with their definitions. You can choose the word list or computer personality and word-length limits, and clearing boards unlocks larger ones. Unscramble gives you jumbled words to solve. You can choose a word list or computer personality, set word-length limits and decide whether answers must match the chosen word exactly or can be any valid word. Both games can be played with or without a clock.

In Slide, you move letter tiles around a grid to make and highlight words. Larger words score more, and pushing highlighted tiles together can form new words and earn bonuses. Ending a turn with multiple words highlighted earns larger bonuses. New tiles can be brought onto the board at a small score penalty, and used tiles are replaced when you bank your score. Tiles that drop off are not automatically replaced, and their movement depends on how many tiles must be pushed. A button can briefly stop this movement. Playing boards unlocks others, and you can play with or without a clock.

Word Escape is a sliding-block puzzle in which you help WORD escape by clearing a path to the exit. Blocks move only along their primary axis. The four block sizes are 1×1 Static Blocks, 2×1 Gates, 3×1 Guards and 4×1 Wardens; 2×1 rotator Gates can turn into four positions. Boards can vary in size and exit location, and solving them unlocks more boards.

Find words on boards

Word Hunt combines elements of Battleships, wordsearch and Minesweeper. Find procedurally hidden words on the board; you can set word lists or computer personalities and word-length limits. Words may run horizontally, vertically or diagonally, forwards or backwards, and around corners. Boards can be 3D or cylindrical, and you can design 3D boards using Cube or Basalt voxels. When you choose a cell without a letter, the game can show how many adjacent letters it has. You can mark cells you think are empty to avoid exposing them, with your score based on how many tiles you expose. Games can be resumed, and end when you find every word in the list.

Wordsearch hides words in procedurally generated letter boards. You can choose a word list or computer personality and set word-length limits. Find words horizontally, vertically or diagonally, forwards or backwards, and around corners; select the first and last tiles of each word to mark it off. Boards can be 3D or cylindrical, and you can design 3D boards using Cube or Basalt voxels. Games can be resumed and are completed by finding all the listed words.

Design boards and tiles

The suite includes tools for making custom boards and game pieces:

• Voxel designer: build 3D shapes from Cube voxels, with six square faces, or Basalt voxels, with hexagonal top and bottom faces and square sides. You can use an optional base board, mirror shapes along three axes and fill gaps between mirrored voxels. Shapes can be used in Wordsearch and Word Hunt, or as the basis for Battle-Board designs.
• Background designer: make montages from multiple images and use masks to change their shapes. Backgrounds can serve as the basis for Battle-Board designs.
• Board designer: define cell types, including their scoring, icon overlays, colours and wording, then draw where cells appear. An optional brush can ensure cells around a placed cell are active.
• Shape modifier: add background images or textures to 3D shapes made in the Voxel designer, and adjust which part of an image appears on each cell.
• Tile designer: create tile sets, set the number and score of each tile, and allow multi-character tiles or tiles that can only be used through wildcards. You can also set the sizes of the letter and score text.