Mr. Mustachio: Word Search

The game was designed to be a different take on the typical word search, although it tends to actually be more of a reading challenge, though that can be confusing. In Mr. Mustachio: Word Search, kids are asked to find a short words, such as "see," for example, in any row of a puzzle. If they miss the fact, that means they can't click on the word if it's listed in one of the puzzle's vertical columns, so they'll be told their guess is incorrect.

The game's functionality is fairly simple -- kids can swipe across the whole word, which may appear backwards, vertically, or horizontally, or just tap a letter to select it. The words are generally short and not hard to find, and there isn't a huge emphasis on buying things. Kids can pay to remove ads, but the boosters that will help them solve puzzles can be purchased using the in-app currency they earn by playing. The attempt to create a unique type of word search game is admirable -- but the only difficulty really involves paying close attention to the instructions and trying to read the words when an unusual font is used. The odd fonts can significantly impede readability, but that feels more like a trick than a way to truly test your word-finding skills. Some instructions hinge on memory. If kids found the word "rat," for instance, they may next be asked to locate the same word with a different last letter, such as "rap." Provided they read things carefully, kids should be able to ace many of the puzzles. As a result, after playing a few rounds, the game may not feel very challenging -- and kids may not be too interested in playing Mr. Mustachio: Word Search for long.