BookWorm Deluxe

First time I knew I had to check out BookWorm Deluxe I let out a sigh. Little did I know that this was made by the folks at PopCap and that it had quite the impressive history behind it. The version I am looking at today, BookWorm Deluxe is like the “full” version of what started life out as a simple web-based game.

Hi Lex

Ok, so there is not exactly a story that drives, BookWorm Deluxe. However, it does have some charm and that charm is because of Lex the Bookworm. Lex needs your help to make words and get a high score. That is basically all there is to the “premise” of the game, but to be fair it has more charm than most other word jumble style games that I have played on my computer or even my phone.

Mind “Boggle”ing

Do you know the classic board game Boggle? It is where you have to jumble around a series of letters and then you make words with those letters. Well that is basically what you are doing here with BookWorm Deluxe. It is a very simple premise and I know firsthand that it sounds like this is the kind of game you will get bored with instantly. However, it is also the kind of game that you just keep on playing.

You have a series of letters and you need to make words with them. When you make a word using letters, those letters will disappear and new letters for you to make words with will appear. As you would expect, the more letters you use in a word the higher the score you will get. So, you can just keep going for three- and four-letter words to go quickly, or you can be more methodical with the way that you play.

Two Modes Of Play

I was quite impressed that BookWorm Deluxe offered two modes of play. There is the Classic Mode which is probably what most people will stick with. This is the more laid-back kind of way to play and is a mode that I would say is very addictive. Here you can figure out words at your own pace, but you still have the danger of these red tiles which can burn letters and if the red tile gets all the way to the bottom it is game over.

There is also an Action Mode where things move at a much faster pace so you have to really be quick and come up with words fast or the game is over quickly. I really like both modes, but Classic is the one that I found most addictive.

Pros:

• Lex the bookworm is pretty cool
• It has a charming presentation
• It is very easy to start a game
• You have two modes of play
• The game is very addictive

Cons:

• There is no multiplayer!
• Not much to the game overall