Anagraphs: Newly Released, Free Word-Game with a Twist

“I like good strong words that mean something…” – Louisa May Alcott

Overview

Anagraphs is a casual word game focused on finding anagrams. There is a literal twist, however, in that the game uses a specially designed font in which several letters are vertically symmetrical, meaning letters can be ‘twisted’ in order to create more letter options and therefore, more anagrams!

Gameplay

Over a generous number of levels, Anagraphs presents players with a series of letters with which to find anagrams, this is made trickier by the dual purpose, rotating letters. For example, if the letters offered were am, players can make ma, but also rotate the characters 180 degrees to create e and w meaning that we or me are also possible solutions.

There are stars to collect from completing each level, this needs to be done in as few moves as possible since the more efficiently the anagrams are solved, the more stars are awarded. There is a smooth difficulty progression which provides a nice level of challenge. However, for those getting stuck, stars can also be gained by signing up to the developer’s newsletter or checking out their other games, an addition that felt a bit tacky and broke what little immersion the game has to offer.

Narrative and Styling

As expected there is zero narrative element to Anagraphs but unfortunately the styling leaves little to write home about as well. The puzzles are presented cleanly in a crisp white font on a background that gradually transitions between pink and blue. While the visuals are easy to navigate the controls, on PC at least, are very unintuitive and it is very clear that the game was designed for mobile.

The total absence of any sound or music was very noticeable and quite jarring, to begin with. It is unusual to have a totally silent game and serves to give the experience a one dimensional and somewhat hollow feel.

Summary

Overall, Anagraphs is a nice word game to enjoy casually during a break but doesn’t have much to offer beyond what can be seen on the surface. The premise is interesting but only holds one’s attention for so long. If you like word games it may be worth a look, especially since it’s free, but I’d recommend playing on mobile over PC.

If you like word games you might also like to check out the following reviews:
Inkslinger: A Fantastic New Visual Novel and Typing Game – Haimrik – A Literacy-Based Adventure!

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