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'Letterpress' Combines Boggle and Go in One Simple Word Game

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Loren Brichter, the creator of the Tweetie client for Twitter that eventually became the official iOS Twitter app, has created a new word game for iOS that combines tactics from a number of different classic games -- but creates something new at the same time.

Letterpress combines the word-finding skills of Boggle with the ability to steal positions and block your opponent that's straight out of the classic board game Go. It seems to have captured the attention of much of the technology press today, and for good reason.

unscrambling.jpg
TouchArcade:
I think it might be the core design of Words With Friends that rubs me the wrong way. I don't like having point values assigned to each letter. Rather than finding the most interesting word out of your allotment of letters, you're stuck playing a trial-and-error game of what word will land you the most points while trying to take advantage of the bonuses on the board. Somebody described their experience with Words With Friends to me as "tedious", and that totally nails it for me as well.

This is where Letterpress differentiates itself. It gives you a 5x5 grid of letters to choose from. Each letter used is worth just one point, which obviously makes bigger words worth a bigger score. But Letterpress isn't just about who can rack up the highest total score, it's much more about trying to outmaneuver your opponent and playing the board itself so that you wind up having the most points by the game's end.
Click to expand...
John Gruber:
It's the first game that's made my iPhone's first home screen in years. It's a cross between a word game like Scrabble or Boggle and a real estate strategy game like Risk or Go. It's addictive. (Letterpress is to Game Center what The Magazine is to Newsstand -- my first reason to use it.)
Click to expand...
The game is free to download and users can purchase the ability to play more than two games at once and to see previously played words with a $0.99 in-app purchase.

Letterpress is a free download on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: 'Letterpress' Combines Boggle and Go in One Simple Word Game
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/10/24/letterpress-combines-boggle-and-go-in-one-simple-word-game/
the8thark

the8thark

macrumors 601
Apr 18, 2011
4,628
1,735
Letterpress.
One word. That can have many different meanings. Lets take 2 examples. one good and one bad.


The good.
A simply stunning way to make greeting cards.

apple-letterpress-card1.jpg


The bad.
Actually having an article written about this. *shakes head in dismay*

unscrambling.jpg
 
R

-Ryan-

macrumors 68000
Jan 28, 2009
1,648
222
It's great to see a new take on a word game without a steep learning curve. I'm not really that fussed on the Metro-inspired aesthetic, but it does seem like a lot of fun.
 
C

conigs

macrumors newbie
Sep 12, 2006
27
21
the8thark said:
Letterpress.
One word. That can have many different meanings. Lets take 2 examples. one good and one bad.


The good.
A simply stunning way to make greeting cards.

Image

The bad.
Actually having an article written about this. *shakes head in dismay*

Image
Click to expand...

Lighten up. It's a fun game.
 
O

opq

macrumors member
Dec 20, 2004
89
10
Since it's turn based, a maximum of 2 simultaneous games unless you pay to upgrade is pretty annoying.
 
N

Nothlit

macrumors regular
Sep 14, 2009
242
18
opq said:
Since it's turn based, a maximum of 2 simultaneous games unless you pay to upgrade is pretty annoying.
Click to expand...

I happily paid the $0.99 even though I don't have any desire to play tons of games at once. It's just worth it to me to support an indie developer.
 
V

valkraider

macrumors 6502
Apr 22, 2004
352
234
the8thark said:
Letterpress.
One word. That can have many different meanings. Lets take 2 examples. one good and one bad.


The good.
A simply stunning way to make greeting cards.

The bad.
Actually having an article written about this. *shakes head in dismay*
Click to expand...

Douche.
One word. That can have many different meanings.
 
inscrewtable

inscrewtable

macrumors 68000
Oct 9, 2010
1,656
402
Sounds like they should have called it Gobble.

Was the reference to the classic board game Go referring to the Chinese/Japanese game of Go?
 
R

rman726

macrumors 6502
Oct 15, 2007
415
0
the8thark said:
Letterpress.
One word. That can have many different meanings. Lets take 2 examples. one good and one bad.


The good.
A simply stunning way to make greeting cards.


The bad.
Actually having an article written about this. *shakes head in dismay*
Click to expand...

I wouldn't have heard about this, but it's a really fun game. It's a side article so I don't see a problem. It's a great little game. I already paid the $.99 upgrade fee to play multiple games at once, and get a different themes. Is it really worth it? Probably not, but I'm supporting a great indie developer by paying less than it would cost to get a value fries.
 
mrgraff

mrgraff

macrumors 65816
Apr 18, 2010
1,089
837
Albuquerque
iMacFarlane said:
Article mentions nothing about single player options or content. Not all of us are plugged into the Matrix 24/7/365.25.

Anyone?
Click to expand...

It's two-player only. I wish there was a basic chat built-in so that you could let your friend (or auto-matched stranger) know that there may be a delay between turns, or if there was some kind of visual clue that your opponent was currently playing.

As far as content, you can pay $0.99 to unlock six other themes that change the solid background color and the two colors that indicate each player. You will also be able to play more than two games at the same time.

To me, the themes aren't that much different from the stock color and should have been free, I wouldn't have minded paying for the ability to access a color picker to select three themed colors of my choice.
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
Thought about downloading this but now I think I'll for sure give it a try.
 
chenks

chenks

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,187
489
UK
played it twice, bored of it already.
wonder how long it will take for "atebits" to sell this app as well and then watch it get mothballed.
 
deannnnn

deannnnn

macrumors 68020
Jun 4, 2007
2,090
625
New York City & South Florida
I like this game but every round always comes down to both players avoiding the last three or four letters because those letters can't form a word on their own but as soon as you use one of them, you know the other player is going to get the last word and win. It's annoying.
 
M

mattraehl

macrumors 6502
Feb 26, 2005
384
1
Excellent game. Very addicting, interesting strategy, and it's all housed in a very polished app.

I guess someone is always going to complain about having to pay for something. The core app is free and no ads. Basically you pay if you will use it a lot. Seems like the perfect way to monetize an app like this. I was happy to pay the $.99 for the full version.

----------
deannnnn said:
I like this game but every round always comes down to both players avoiding the last three or four letters because those letters can't form a word on their own but as soon as you use one of them, you know the other player is going to get the last word and win. It's annoying.
Click to expand...

Interesting that you found it annoying, to me the end-game strategy is one of the most intruiging parts of the game.
 
mrgraff

mrgraff

macrumors 65816
Apr 18, 2010
1,089
837
Albuquerque
deannnnn said:
I like this game but every round always comes down to both players avoiding the last three or four letters because those letters can't form a word on their own but as soon as you use one of them, you know the other player is going to get the last word and win. It's annoying.
Click to expand...

I don't mind the fact that it's obvious who's going to win, but I have been annoyed when the other person has a low score and is taking their sweet time making their next move, so I have to sit and wait before I can go ahead and finish it. The only option is to forfeit and then I lose.

There needs to be a reasonable time limit between moves; either set by the game or the player who gets to go first. Or, maybe as a difficulty level with a few different time limits and "easy" being no limit.
 
iMacFarlane

iMacFarlane

macrumors 65816
Apr 5, 2012
1,123
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Adrift in a sea of possibilities
mrgraff said:
It's two-player only. I wish there was a basic chat built-in so that you could let your friend (or auto-matched stranger) know that there may be a delay between turns, or if there was some kind of visual clue that your opponent was currently playing.

As far as content, you can pay $0.99 to unlock six other themes that change the solid background color and the two colors that indicate each player. You will also be able to play more than two games at the same time.

To me, the themes aren't that much different from the stock color and should have been free, I wouldn't have minded paying for the ability to access a color picker to select three themed colors of my choice.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all that. I'm sure it's great, but I've never been one to do the whole multiplayer thing. Played Starcraft for 10 years before my first multiplayer game. Brutalized. So bad I stopped playing Starcraft.

Pass.
 
F

farleysmaster

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2008
814
184
London, UK
mrgraff said:
There needs to be a reasonable time limit between moves; either set by the game or the player who gets to go first. Or, maybe as a difficulty level with a few different time limits and "easy" being no limit.
Click to expand...


What if you're in different countries and one of you has to go to work or sleep?

P.s. this game is ace.
 
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