Originally an indie title in the Windows Phone store, Wordament made the jump to Xbox Live last summer. It's a real time multiplayer game, where you play a two minute round to score as many points as possible. That score allows you to be ranked with everyone else who is playing the same grid of letters at the same time.
Since its launch, Wordament has expanded out, and you are not required to sign into Xbox Live to play, you have a guest option, or can sign on through Facebook. it is also available for iOS and Android as well as Windows Phone.
The game play is still as compelling as it was when we reviewed it last year, but the polish at the edges has made the title even stronger:
...Wordament is a portmanteau of 'Word Tournament'. When you start your two minute game with the sixteen squares... everyone in the world who is playing Wordament will have exactly the same grid and the same two minute time-frame to find more words, and score more points, than you.
Once the two minutes are up, you get your score, and then you see the global score table for the grid you have just played. It's a wonderful feeling to know that all these people (I've seen up to 1500 players after some games) have been on the same grid... and then you see where you rank next to them. The focus here is on the percentage, as that's something you can take from game to game as a comparative "score". Right now I've managed one 96% round finishing in 30th place.
It's this simple addition to the game, taking it from a simple word search to something that challenges the player to be measured against everyone else in the world. It's a simple concept, but it's been implemented almost flawlessly, with just the right balance of personal challenge and global envy to keep you coming back for more.
Wordament is a free download (the title is ad-supported) and you can find it via the AAWP App Directory.