“I like good strong words that mean something…” – Louisa May Alcott
Overview
Anagrams is the first game by Hero Game Co LLC, creators of Prose and Codes, Poems and Codes, and The Case of the Worst Day Ever. The developers appear to have a love of word games and have carried this through all of their subsequent titles. In this, their earliest offering, players must complete match-two puzzles in order to solve a vast array of anagrams.
Developer: Hero Game Co LLC
Released: 31st December 2020
Price: £6.69
Gameplay
Anagrams is an enjoyable but uncomplicated game. Players must solve match-two tile puzzles in order to unlock and solve an anagram. The puzzles consist of tiles of half letters (the same ones used in the upcoming anagram) and can be solved by swapping adjacent tiles to make complete letters. Extra mechanics such as time-bomb tiles, power-ups, and locked tiles are added as the player progresses through each level.
Each level within the game covers a different category, such as herbs and spices, mammals, science, and countries, totalling 36 in total and containing over 900 anagrams for players to solve. As well as the default classic mode, there are also three additional game modes that can be unlocked using keys obtained in classic mode. They are zen, which is a peaceful stream of puzzles and anagrams, blitz, in which players must solve puzzles and anagrams against a clock, and free, which allows players to choose their preferred difficulty and play at their own pace. The keys are also required to unlock categories and progress in classic mode.
A few small bugs, such as achievements not being awarded and scores being calculated incorrectly, were a minor inconvenience but did not ruin the overall experience. Anagrams is loaded with content and could easily be enjoyed for a very long time if players are just dipping into it sporadically. A play style that would suit the game, as it can easily be played for just ten minutes; however, somewhat addictive puzzles mean it can also be enjoyed for longer play sessions.
Styling
Anagrams has a minimalist aesthetic with colourful elements atop a monochrome background, this a complimented by the clean UI, and makes for pleasing visuals and a game that is easy to navigate. The default background is white, but a dark mode is also available.
The music has a melodic and droning quality to it, residing mostly in the background, adding ambience without being distracting. There is no beat, and the soundtrack has an ever-so-slightly ethereal quality to it, which is quite calming and fits the gameplay well. Subtle clicks and bleeps also help to anchor the player to the game, aiding immersion.
Summary
Anagrams is a minimalistic but fun and relaxing experience that doesn’t try to add too many bells and whistles to simple word games, whilst still elevating things in subtle ways. It keeps the format and aesthetic clean, allowing players to sit back and enjoy the match-two puzzles and anagrams whilst also feeling a sense of progress and achievement through the level structure and categories, as well as the choice of game modes, and earning/spending keys. The various mechanics in the puzzle sections add variety, ensuring that the game remains fresh and interesting and also emphasise the sense of growth and achievement felt by the player. It is a great value for money, containing hours and hours of family-friendly entertainment, and much like Hero Game Co LLC’s later games, I would happily recommend this to fans of puzzle and word games.
If you like word games, you may also enjoy these reviews:
Unwording – Anagraphs – Letters: A Written Adventure – Grammarian Ltd
