Thanks to tech, a lot of our favourite word games are now available online. There’s endless scrabble boards, crosswords and word searches contained in our singular devices. There are also so many clever variations of these classic games to try out! And then there are word game apps that build on familiar concepts to create something entirely new and unique. I’ve tried every single game recommended here (which means I was playing games on my phone in the name of research for about a week!). Every last one of them was quite fun and possibly improved my brain function. So I’m not complaining. I hope you like them too!
The best word game apps: 2022
2. Scrabble Go (Android, iOS)
As the name suggests, this is really just Scrabble on-the-go. It’s super fun with the additional layers of customization and rewards that tech can bring. You can compete against your friends, strangers on the internet or the AI. Something I particularly enjoyed was being able to play multiple games at the same time. Don’t want to patiently wait for the other person to type in their word? I don’t want to, either! I think my personal sweet spot is competing with three individual players at once. Having three separate boards to compete on kept me thoroughly engaged the entire time I was playing. There’s a few reasons why this word game’s hype hasn’t died down yet. The simplicity of the game makes it easy for anyone to understand how to play it. The one-word-a-day strategy ensures that people don’t get bored of it. And, trying to guess the same word on a given day with millions of people creates a sense of community. Considering its popularity, The New York Times bought Wordle for a seven figure amount. As of now, the app is still free. There are also a lot of similar apps that let you play Wordle in different languages. Scrabble Go follows the Collins Official Scrabble Dictionary. It’s free with in-app purchases. Also check out ‘Can You Play The Word Fart In Scrabble?‘ to gain insights into the history of the Scrabble dictionary.
3. USA Today Crossword (Android, iOS, Browser)
Here’s what a fellow Contributor Isabelle Popp has to say about this word game: “We are truly living in a golden age of crossword puzzles. This daily crossword, available via apps in the Apple App Store or Google Play, as well as playable on the USA Today website and in the paper itself, is the best in the biz. With truly fresh entries and clever cluing, people who’ve avoided crosswords for fear of fusty language and arcane trivia will find lots to love. “Editor Erik Agard has made huge strides in diversifying not only the content of the puzzles but the constructors themselves. Women and people of color construct the majority of puzzles appearing in the USA Today now. If you’re ad-tolerant, play for free, otherwise subscribe for that extra smooth solving experience.”
6. SpellTower (Android, iOS)
8. Word Search Puzzle (Android, iOS)
If you liked this list of the best word game apps 2022, also check out 18 of the Best Word Game Apps in 2021, 12 Great Games for Word Nerds, 10 of the best manga reader apps and sites, and 5 book apps for people who love reading. This word game is built by the creator of SpellTower and shows up repeatedly in lists of Word game apps that keep the brain sharp. It is free with in-app purchases. It has two puzzle packs that are free along with the daily puzzle. The rest can be accessed through in-app purchases.
