App Profile: Upwords

Signora Italiana

Rating: 5/5

I am enjoying this app so much. It’s challenging and different each time. I play the computer opponent and the different levels keep it challenging or easy. It’s a fair app as you aren’t forced to buy purchases to use it or get further in the game. It’s a personal choice to purchase hints, etc, but not a necessity. The upgrade without ads was the only purchase I made and well worth it. As an older adult, it’s bringing me enjoyment and keeping my mind sharp. I had the board game 35 years ago and played it with my stepdaughter. To this day she attributes Upwards for her stellar spelling ability as well as limitless vocabulary that’s helped immensely as an adult w/her career and also throughout her school years. How important this game shaped her little mind at the time wasn’t even a thought but these fun word games do have that impact. But all that aside, it’s great fun! And I love not having to add the points! It’s all automatic. No cheating, no dictionaries to see if it’s spelled right or if it’s a real word, it automatically does it for you. Love it, it’s my favorite word game!

maphead

Rating: 1/5

This developer has the rights to what is a very fun board game in person. Best part about playing in person is you can use a real dictionary that real humans might employ. A real dictionary that would have words like bling. Or fart. The dictionary is made by somebody like an apostolic evangelical sharia word freak who doesn't use American English. It's been brought to the developers' attention on repeated occasions that it is a stunted word list. Gameplay is OK. Design is severely lacking. The interface is dead boring. But as long as this dev holds the development rights to the board game it's what we've got for this particular gameplay. Again you will play normal regular words that will be rejected by this word list. And we're not even talking extreme slang. Just try it. You will be disappointed. But if you like the game well enough you'll learn to work with the weak interpretation of what is a fun board game. Oh ads? Super ridiculous redundant terrible interruptive and really really awful constant annoying ads Did I mention that it's super weak? Yep: but it is worth bringing to your attention again and again how dead boring the design is and how truly truly bad the word list is.

Off10cr8tive

Rating: 5/5

Fun game to play with people who live at a distance or, for example, during a pandemic when you can’t go to your neighbor’s house for the real game. You can play up to 4 in person, just pass the iPad (it didn’t show up well on my iPhone 6) or invite one person remotely to play. Virtually playing worked well because I could pair up and easily work with another person if the other “one player” were in a different house or state. I really, really, really appreciate the option of paying for the app and not suffering through the commercials but others can choose to watch the commercials. Thanks!