Parents' Guide to Bookworm

Game Nintendo DSi 2009
Bookworm Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Christopher Healy By Christopher Healy , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 9+

Well-made and fun word-search game.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 9+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Bookworm Game: Screenshot #1
  • Bookworm Game: Screenshot #2

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age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

 

 

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What's It About?

BOOKWORM is a downloadable wordsearch puzzle game for the Nintendo DSi. Players need to look over a board of letter tiles and connect adjacent ones to spell out words. When those chosen tiles disappear, new ones fall in to take their places. As play goes on, special tiles come into play: bonus tiles that will multiply the number of points for a word, and fire tiles that must be used before they reach the bottom of the screen (or else the game will be lost). The titular worm, who stands at the side of the gameboard, often defines words the player has just spelled.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

Bookworm is a fantastically fun word game. While the gameplay is simple and doesn't offer much variety, it is a great example of the kind of quick-and-easy casual gameplay that can be wildly addictive without loads of bells and whistles. If word games are what you're into, the five-dollar price tag on Bookworm makes it an incredible bargain. It's also great that you can stop your game at any moment and come back to it exactly where you left off. This potentially allows one single game to go on for days, weeks, or longer, but eliminates any need for cries of "But I can't turn it off now, Mom, I just need to finish this level so I can save!"

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • The game can lead to the discovery of many new vocabulary words, any of which can be a topic of discussion for families. Parents can ask children what words they were able to create in a round of play, and what new words they might have learned. Why is it important to expand your vocabulary? What advantages are there for someone who is a good speller?

Game Details

  • Platform : Nintendo DSi
  • Pricing structure :
  • Available online? : Not available online
  • Publisher : PopCap Games
  • Release date : December 8, 2009
  • Genre : Puzzle
  • ESRB rating : E for (No Descriptors)
  • Last updated : August 31, 2016

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