Wordsweeper by POWGI review for PS Vita, PS4, Switch

As I?ve said at some point while reviewing one of the dozen or so Lightwood games I?ve reviewed here at Gaming Age, I can divide releases from that publisher into two categories: those that I finish because I can?t get enough of them (see Fifty Words), and those that I finish more out of obligation/addiction than anything else (see One Word or Fill-A-Pix).

Wordsweeper by POWGI, unfortunately, falls more into the latter category.

As with those other games I didn?t enjoy quite so much, it?s not because Wordsweeper is built around a bad idea. Indeed, it?s actually kind of interesting, imagining what would happen if you injected a bit of Minesweeper into crossword puzzles. The black boxes are filled with the letters they touch all around them, and you have to decide which letters go in which white squares, with the end result being words in every direction as part of a completed crossword.

The problem is that it?s an idea that exhausts itself kind of quickly. The difference between the easiest puzzles and the hardest isn?t that substantial, and the letters and words are easy enough to figure out, either because you?ve got a decent-sized vocabulary or because the game makes it pretty obvious when you?ve made a mistake. Consequently, you?ll find yourself flying through what feel like the same puzzles over and over again, with little in the way of challenge.

To be sure, I?m still going to play it obsessively until I?ve finished every one of the 120 puzzles. It won?t take that long, and I?m a sucker for word games. That?s no reason for me to recommend it to anyone else, though. It?s a fun concept for a little while, but if you?re looking for a fun word game that doesn?t wear out its welcome, you?re better off with one of Lightwood?s other offerings.

Lightwood Games provided us with a Wordsweeper by POWGI PS Vita code for review purposes.