Letter Lattice

Created to keep the developer occupied during his subway commute, this inventive word game's instructions can be confusing at first -- but its design ultimately makes playing pretty easy. In Letter Lattice, kids pull letters from words that are provided to form new words. In a three-letter-word puzzle, they'd need, for instance, to reuse the letter they took from the lower word in subsequent lines -- but couldn't use the letter from the top word that they left out. For example, starting with the words "ARM" and "LEG," if kids enter the word "GAM" in the first line of the puzzle, they'll need to again use the "G" taken from "LEG" -- but not include "R," the letter they didn't use from "ARM." Basically, each line ends up being a variation of the previous line with a different letter, and each puzzle can involve various solutions.

In addition to the basic version of the game, the app also offers an Arcade mode, where kids try to solve as many puzzles as possible in the allotted amount of time. Kids can also play a version that provides clues for the words in each line. The basic mode, though, also highlights which letters kids can or can't use at the bottom of the screen, which is helpful even if some of the gameplay aspects aren't clear. Kids will see some ads as they play, but they're introduced with an apologetic message explaining that you're about to view one. A paid version of the app that removes ads is also available and doesn't cost too much. Kids can play the three versions of the game without paying a cent, though -- and the developer has vowed to keep the hints they can access in puzzles permanently free. It also offers some incentives for kids to keep playing, such as completing daily puzzles to unlock achievements and earn different background color palettes -- which, along with the variety of playing options, makes Letter Lattice an enjoyable and potentially educational way for kids to spend some of their free time.