Common Sense Media Review
By Liz Panarelli
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Strategic word game builds vocab; optional open chat.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
W.E.L.D.E.R.
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
W.E.L.D.E.R is like a challenging version of Boggle crossed with a little Bejeweled. On an eight-by-eight tile board of jumbled letters, players swap tiles to form at least a 4-letter word of connected letters (the Boggle part). When they make a word, those letters disappear, making the tiles above fill in and new ones to appear at the top (the Bejeweled part). Some tiles have special characteristics, like they can’t be swapped or are double the points, giving the game an element of strategy.
Is It Any Good?
W.E.L.D.E.R. has a lot to offer teens. While there are elements of sharing and potential privacy risks in 2-player mode, it can be played as a self-contained, 1-player game. The game can get a little monotonous, but the variety of tiles and achievements helps mitigate this. The different types of tiles and swaps make this game very strategic, similar to Befuddled. Stylistically, the game is reminiscent of Spellsquares, with tiles locking into place. What sets W.E.L.D.E.R. apart from most word game apps is the dictionary feature, making it a great way to learn the meaning of obscure words (instead of just using them to frustrate your Words with Friends competitors). Of course, the exposure to mature content in the definitions, as well as the social network sharing and open chat, make this best for teens.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Draw your kids' attention to the dictionary feature in W.E.L.D.E.R.; it's easy to miss and can add a bit of vocabulary learning to their gameplay.
Choose to play a fun word game like Scrabble or Balderdash for your next family night. Your kids can show off their vocabulary and learn from you, too.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire
- Subjects : Language & Reading : vocabulary
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : solving puzzles , strategy
- Pricing structure :
- Release date : August 1, 2012
- Genre : Word Games
- Publisher : Ayopa Games LLC
- Version : 2.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 3.1 or later; Android 2.3.3 and up
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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