Love them or loathe them, you can't argue that word games don't fit brilliantly onto mobile devices. Done right they can be exactly the sort of jump-in-jump-out puzzlers that work so well when you're on the go.
So we thought it was high time that we had a good long look at the very best word games that you can pick up on the App Store right now. We've picked five that we think really represent the cream of the crop, the sort of games that are going to make you learn without you even knowing it.
If you've got your own suggestions then feel free to chuck them in the comments at the bottom of the article, but for now let's drop all this preamble and dive straight into the most vocabulary-heavy list you might have ever read.
SpellTower - download for iOS
Developed by the ever reliable Zach Gage, SpellTower is a super smart word game that plays fast and doesn't hold back. You draw out your words like connecting the dots, making the longest ones you can. But it's not just about length, the difficulty of the letters you're using can mean shorter words score just as well.
Letterpress - download for iOS
If you're looking for a multiplayer word game, but Words With Friends is a bit too shallow for you, then you should definitely be looking at Letterpress. Essentially it's a mix between a word-search and a territory-claiming strategy game, all presented in gorgeous, minimalist art. And that mixture makes for the sort of gameplay that isn't just going to appeal to dictionary nerds. Who probably exist.
TypeShift - download for iOS
Another Zach Gage game, this one is even more pared back than SpellTower. You've got a grid of letters that you can slide about, and you need to create words along the centre row. It's a big squishing together of some of the most famous and long-lasting concepts in word gaming, and it works so well you'll wonder why no one ever did it before.
Spellspire - download for iOS
Where the other games on the list have opted for a more pastel-y art style, Spellspire goes in a different direction, throwing the word template into a cartoony RPG. You've got a bunch of letters along the bottom of the screen, and turning them into words lets your little wizard fire out attacks. Imagine Puzzle and Dragons for bibliophiles and you're halfway there.
Alphabear - download for iOS
Another game that doesn't take itself too seriously, but offers up a lovely challenge all the same. This one is all about making enormous bears. And you make them by spelling words. Also the game has a cheeky sense of humour that often leads to some pretty hilarious moments. And because it's from Spry Fox, you know it looks amazing.
