Game: WordSpot

Thread: Re: So which version should I keep?

unixrevolution — 2008-09-04T15:28:05+00:00

I only have the circular tiles version (thrift find) but I'd go with the wood box version.

Scratch that. Keep the circular tiles version, give the wood box version to me

Thread: Re: So which version should I keep?

Peter Loop — 2008-09-04T00:25:53+00:00

The main difference is the card size and the fonts. I find the fonts on the wood box version easier to read - your mileage may vary.
This is an OK 2 player game.

Thread: So which version should I keep?

pmboos — 2008-09-03T23:42:40+00:00

I have this version:

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Which still has the square clear tiles and a smaller box...

And this version:

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Which has the circular glass tiles in a bag...

Both were Thrift finds but are in a Like New state. The square tiles are still sealed and I sort of like the smaller box format and the aesthetics on that version more.

I like the bag and round tiles, but the bigger box isn't as cool and I am uncertain on the tiles.

I was curious what others think. The other one I don't pick will go up for trade and/or sale. Let me know y'alls thoughts...

Cheers!
Paul

Thread: The Bargain-Biased Review

erak — 2008-02-25T22:42:21+00:00

I recently picked up WordSpot for $6 during Barnes and Noble's 75% off sale. A few days later, the price dropped to $1, so I picked up three more for friends and family. I've included notes for how my bargain buy affects my opinion of the game.

Components
This is my first Front Porch Games experience and I must admit, the components are simply beautiful. The tiles are made of real wood and makes the pleasant sound of poker chips when played or shuffled in the velvet bag. The plastic tokens could use some sanding down on the edges, but otherwise fit on the board great and show the letters underneath well enough. The wooden game box is also gorgeous with its mahagony stain.

I only have two real gripes. First, it can be tricky to keep the tokens in their place, especially when playing more next to them. Also, the wooden box top has no locking mechanism and is rather loose fitting, so it can't be stored sideways unless you save the outer cardboard box that is much larger than the game.

Bargain - You couldn't get something much nicer than this for $6. It looks like a game you'd see on one of those hoity-toity stores in the AirMall catalog. A beaut in every sense.

Gameplay
The rules couldn't be more straight forward and they fit on the underside of the lid. Basically, take 16 of the tiles and lay them on the board. Player one starts with 26 tokens, 25 for player 2. Each turn, a player searches for a word on the board and places tokens over the word they see. Words can be forwards, backwards, up, down and diagonal, but the letters must be in a straight line (no Boggling here). If you play a word that spans across 3 tiles (remember, don't confuse "tiles" with "letters") take a tile from the reserve. If you can't play any words, instead draw a tile and two tokens, thus putting your victory 2 letters further away.

Earning tiles is the key to winning. You can place them adjacent to any other tile, so you can play a big surprise word. However, I feel this just doesn't happen enough. In the games I've played, we never got more than 3 new tiles on the board before game end. In fact, at no point did either of us have to draw new tokens and a tile--there was always a 3-letter word somewhere on the board. This, of course, can be rectified by having the players start with more tokens, or starting with a smaller board.

Bargain - At only 10-15 minutes a game, it makes a terrific, liesurely filler game in the word genre. I can imagine breaking this out when I don't have the time or the desire to expend brain power on Scrabble. Even spending 5 minutes on solo play is a viable option.

Competitiveness
This is about the least tense game I've ever played. Players can gripe about having their spot stolen, but that's about it. Plus, since words over 5 letters are rare, a big vocabulary isn't necessary. This is the game's greatest weakness...

Bargain - ...and greatest strength. Here is one of the few games a kid could learn to play in a minute and be on the same level as adults. It's more about the powers of observation than words. When I picked up my extra sets for a buck each, I already planned to send one to my Scrabble freak brother because here's one he can play with his kids (all under 11) and not have to let up on them. The only other game I've seen with this sort of all-ages anyone-can-win spirit is Set.

Conclusion
In all honesty, I can't recommend this game at the MSRP of $24.99 or even the B&N regular price of $14.99 for players looking for a deep word game. It's just not there. However, at $15, I can see families snagging a copy and enjoying it on a level that really connects the kids with the grown-ups. Though it's only a 2-player game, games are short enough that a round robin can keep all interested. Plus, there are enough tokens that a third player could be squeezed in with a slight modification to the starting token rules.

Bargain - $1 through March 2, 2008? (Union Square B&N, NYC. As I understand it, not all locations have it at this price.) Seriously dude, what do you have to lose except 20 pieces of cheap gum with unfunny comics in them?

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smallville247 — 2008-01-04T04:40:24+00:00

Wordspot Discovery Edition Cover

Thread: Re: WordSpot: A winning word game

dogzard — 2007-12-18T16:38:04+00:00

I also had the addition with the clear, convex tokens. As well as making it hard to read the letters, they were just very difficult to pick up off the table.

Other than that, a very enjoyable game. My wife especially likes word searches, and so loved this game. She's a shark, and kicked my but three games in a row.

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thoia — 2007-11-13T23:27:53+00:00

Maryann wins.

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thoia — 2007-11-13T23:25:09+00:00

Game setup and ready to go.

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thoia — 2007-11-13T23:24:28+00:00

Small version's box contents.

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ColMustard — 2007-07-01T20:35:40+00:00

Game set-up.

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ColMustard — 2007-07-01T20:30:25+00:00

Close-up of a random tile.

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ColMustard — 2007-07-01T20:27:29+00:00

The plastic tokens for highlighting words.

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ColMustard — 2007-07-01T20:19:15+00:00

The game box contents.

Thread: Re: WordSpot: A winning word game

tyoda — 2007-03-30T19:57:54+00:00

Although WordSpot is suggested as a 2-player game, I played in 3-player games that worked just as well. For 3 players, however, I wish the game had come with more tokens.

I played on the cheaper edition, and it is difficult for players to discern what letters are on the board once they are covered by the tokens. The tokens are somewhat transparent, but the concave shape really only works when viewed from directly overhead. A flat token would have been better.

There is also no time limit suggestions given for players. Having a timer with the game would help move things along, although ultimately in the games I played it wasn't a big factor.

Overall, I enjoyed the game, which works largely like the old word search puzzles, much more than I first expected.

Ray

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Boomer — 2007-02-07T20:39:07+00:00

Closeup of Discovery edition tiles

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Boomer — 2007-02-07T20:38:38+00:00

Closeup of Bookshelf edition tiles

Thread: WordSpot: A winning word game

rrc1230 — 2006-08-12T23:10:25+00:00

Games from Front Porch Classics always look terrific in the store, but I’m rarely tempted to take one home. WordSpot was an exception, and I’m glad I took the chance.

The "Bookshelf Edition" comes in wooden box that stores the components. It consists of 32 wooden tiles (each containing four letters) and 64 clear plastic tokens inside a cloth bag. Like all Front Porch products, everything is nicely made. The tiles are designed to look like they come from a letterpress and the tokens are durable and tinted light brown. You can tell a lot of thought was put into the presentation.

As for how it plays? To begin, randomly place 16 tiles in four-by-four grid. Remaining tiles are stacked face down in the box. The starting player gets 26 tokens while the second player begins with 25. On a turn, a player finds a word within the tiles and highlights each letter with a token. If a word spans across three tiles, the player draws a tile from the stack, which he can use later in the game by adding it adjacent to the grid. If you can’t find a word on your turn, draw a tile and two tokens from the bag. The first player to get rid of all their tokens is the winner.

Word must be in a straight line, though they can go in any direction, including backward and diagonally. That separates the game from something like Boggle, in which you can zigzag between letters. In WordSpot, this results in most of the words usually containing no more than five letters: I recall my opponent finding “dents” and getting very excited. That may make the game slow-going for a heavy-duty wordsmith, but it’s a lot of fun so far. The play is light and straightforward, and the challenge of trying to discover words amid the jumble is quite enjoyable.

Obviously, if you’re looking for a brain-burning word game, this probably is not it. But it is a solid word search, and so far every game has been fun, not to mention surprisingly intense. With the number of tiles provided, I imagine the game stays fresh for a while. And the look and feel of the components adds to the positive experience. I'm very pleased with this purchase.