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SpellTower

Mindprint Rating

Tags

ELA: Writing ^21st Century Skills All Ages iOS App

Skills

Flexible Thinking Working Memory Visual Discrimination

Mindprint Expert Review

Pros

  • Multiple play modes enable students to pick an appropriate fit challenge.
  • The tutorial provides a good introduction to each game.

Considerations

  • There are no hints or help available in any of the modes.
  • The game may include too much scanning for students with visual weaknesses.
  • The simple board and lettering may not appeal to younger students.

Mindprint Expert Review

Spell Tower is a creative game that is a cross between Boggle(R) and Tetris(R). Players are presented with letter tiles arranged in a grid. They must create words by swiping a finger across letters. Words can be spelled in any direction as long as the letters are next to each other and swiped in the order in which they appear in the word. There are four different play modes, each with different features and levels of difficulty, which makes this app appropriate for many age and comfort levels. In the most challenging level, rows of letters are added and players must find words before rows of letters reach the top of the screen. More relaxed modes do not add rows and have no time element, and will be appropriate for children with anxiety or slower processing skills who need more time to think. Overall, this is an engaging word game for players of all ages and skill levels.

Academic Benefits

Improves academic skills

  • Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
  • Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
  • Presents educational concepts accurately
  • Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
  • Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
  • Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
  • Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

Fun

Engaging for the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
  • Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
  • Visually appealing to children in the target age range
  • Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
  • Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
  • Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
  • Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

Easy to Use

Understandable for children in the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Has a free or trial version
  • Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
  • Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
  • Student should be able to use independently after first use
  • Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
  • Multiple users can save a profile
  • Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
  • Can play without sound and not distract others
  • Students can save work between sessions
  • Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
  • Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
  • Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
  • Overall - Easy to use

Cognitive Concerns

May not be advisable for students with the following cognitive needs

  • Spatial Perception
    • Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
  • Visual Discrimination
    • Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
  • Working Memory
    • Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps

Manufacturer Description

- Originally written about in The New York Times, featured in Apple Stores, heard about on NPR, and played by millions, SpellTower is back and better than ever! -

- - - -  WORDS + STRATEGY = AWESOME

Pick your words wisely! As you work, more tiles rise from the bottom of the screen, and it'll take all of your lexicological wits, and tactical know-how to keep them down. If any of the letters make it to the top row, it's game over.

SIX AMAZING MODES

- TOWER MODE : No pressure here. Try and get the highest score possible out of 140 tiles, eliminating small words to set up 7- and 8-letter blockbusters!

- DAILY TOWER MODE : Stack up against other players on identical towers that change daily!

- PUZZLE MODE : Every word you make adds a new row of letters! Strategic word finding at its best.

- EXTREME PUZZLE MODE : Puzzle mode with the minimum word length cranked up. Experts only!

- ZEN MODE : Puzzle mode without any length requirements.

- RUSH MODE : Rows of letters build up over time. Find words as fast as you can, but be careful you don't back yourself into a corner!

- [Bonus!] SUPER TOWER MODE : (iPad Pro only) Try and get the highest score possible out of 432 tiles, eliminating small words to set up 7- and 8-letter blockbusters!

GAME CENTER leader boards and achievements, for each mode, and highest scoring word!

- - - - WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Best Word Game! - 148Apps' 2011 Best App Ever Awards
- Touch Arcade's Favorite Puzzle game of 2011 -

Ranked #2 in Mashable's Top 10 iPhone Word Games

"Simple, stylish and furiously addictive. Far and away the best ‘pure’ word game on iOS." 5/5 stars - Tap! Magazine

"I'm obsessed, I'm ignoring my family!" - John Moe, NPR Marketplace

"guaranteed to entertain" - IGN

"by far one of the best [word puzzle games] in recent years" - 4.5/5 Stars - Editors Choice - 148Apps

"SpellTower is an extraordinary word game that deserves a place among the best of the genre." - 4/4 - SlideToPlay

"The Boggle Tetris That We Needed” - Kotaku's Gaming App of The Day

"A must-buy for word fiends, SpellTower is an uncommonly attractive and thoughtfully designed puzzler" - 9/10 - Gold Award - Pocket Gamer

"Nervy, humbling, and strangely energizing. If you can handle the stress, SpellTower is magnificent" - EDGE Magazine

"A superb word game... for anyone in your household who loves a good word teaser, even the most technologically-challenged. Grab it and start spelling!" - JayIsGames

"It's Boggle on crack... only costs 2$, and your life." - Weekend Confirmed

"The best word game you haven't played", "A brain-picking puzzler" - Pitchfork / KillScreen Magazine

"I’m already convinced SpellTower is a significantly better game [than PopCap’s Bookworm]." - playontap.com