Parents' Guide to Word Stacks

Players get to work their way through increasingly more challenging word puzzles as they advance through this fun, simple-to-use app. In Word Stacks, you solve parts of a puzzle just like you might solve a crossword: by identifying surrounding words or noticing what will be a correct answer once the blocks shift and a different letter is in place. Clever, somewhat indirect themes -- such as things that have buttons -- help make the answers players are looking for -- pants, remote, shirt, and elevator, for example -- less obvious. Word Stacks also offers three types of letter and word reorganization clues, which should help players figure out which format works best for them.

They'll need a fair amount of cash on hand to get a hint, though. Shuffling letter tiles is the least expensive option, but it still may be more than some players can afford, if they're only getting coins through playing. As a result, they might feel pressured to buy the coin and coin-and-clue-combo packages the app offers, which, at $5.99 to $99.99, parents may not be thrilled about. Giving players more free clues over time, and removing or at least reducing the number of ads they have to sit through, unless they pay to eliminate them, would allow players to move through rounds faster and make the app a more enjoyable experience. Without free hints, continuing to play Word Stacks may turn out to be too frustrating -- or expensive -- if gamers get confused.