Boggle Plus

Is Boggle a puzzle game? Well Moby Games says it is, and I'm inclined to agree. When I first saw Boggle on the list I didn't quite believe it myself, but if Wordtris is than this is as well. Boggle Plus is not just Boggle, its also Plus.

There are five game modes playable, each with options for single player or two player pass and play, with four CPU's, meaning a total of 6 possible players. The rules of Boggle are simple, you have a 4x4 grid of dice that you shake with a lid on. Each die has a few letters on it, and whatever letters are facing up are what you can play with. You have three minutes to make as many words of three or more letters as you can, and the dice have to be touching. Also, no repeat letters, didn't know that while I was playing. Higher words get you more points, highest score wins. I think in multiplayer boggle plays off the same board at the same time, but in two-player pass and play here the board is shuffled between each player.

Boggle is, naturally, the original game. Big Boggle plays with a 5x5 grid, with more variance in letters. I quite like the 'Qu' piece, opens up a lot of possibilities. Anagram gives you a word jumbled up, and you have to answer in the right order. Categories gives you a board with words baked in, and you have to find them based on a category (famous rivers, ranks in the army, etc.) Use All is the last mode, it involves using every tile on the board to make words, and doing your best to leave none behind.

A feature I really like in this game is that when you play a word the game doesn't know, it'll ask you to accept or reject it for points. It didn't catch words like Weans and Stim, but let me play them as valid. The manual tells you to be on your honor, but if you're playing single player... This is most, uh, handy in Use all mode, where you may have dug yourself into a hole.

What do you mean Guemniria isn't a word? That was my grandmothers name? Much like Monopoly on the Game Boy (which isn't a puzzle game and therefore will never appear on this list, good adaptation tho) you pick your computer opponents from a list of portraits. I went up against myself as 'FOX,' Sarah the nice old auntie, Rebecca the girl who likes 3-and-4 letter words, Irving the dweeb who gives up too easily, and Hilary the librarian. These characters all have descriptions in the games manual, fun! Anyway Hilary wiped the floor with me, with BUNNY and FOX put together I still got hosed.

This is a good version of Boggle, great for long car trips if you're the type to enjoy word puzzles, and just generally fun! It's the best word game so far, and I reckon it'll stay there for some time.