Word games provide an unrivaled style of entertainment that presents an educational challenge which enriches word power.
Everyone loves a good word game and that’s why games like crosswords and Scrabble have been around for ages, providing children and adults alike with countless hours of fun.
But if you’re looking for the next evolution in word games and not your classic grandma kind, then you might want to give Baikoh a chance. Developed by the indie studio Mum Not Pride, the game shows you word games can get a lot more creative and…ironic.
How do you play Baikoh?
Simple, download the app from the Google Play Store, it’s free. Then install it on your Android (it’s also available on iOS). Launch the application and check out the short tutorial before diving in.
Impressions
Created with Unity, Baikoh boasts a minimalist, yet beautiful interface that will instantly draw you in. The matte colors are very pleasing and the subtle backgrounds ensure your eyes won’t get tired as you immerse yourself in gameplay.
Like the majority of word games out there, Baikoh has a few different ways for you to play. There’s Solo Campaign which is divided into Solo and Zen, and Versus. Versus is just like Solo although you will use weapons against other humans. Basically, it’s the game’s multiplayer mode.
Solo and Zen are almost identical too, but the former mode does not allow players to use badges, traps, or bet baikoins.
But regardless of the mode you choose, gameplay is similar. You have to spell out words using the tiles on the screen. And you have to do it fast. Because tiles keep falling down from the top of the screen and creating stacks. Think of it as Tetris meets Scrabble.
The end goal? Don’t let the tiles reach the top of the screen. Keep spelling words as fast as you can. While shorter words are best for being quick, you will get more points if you create larger ones. Ah, and you need to be careful not to misspell words. Three misspells and you’re out.
If that’s not enough, the game is riddled with various obstacles or traps. There are giant face stones which take up the space of several letters, frozen tiles, bombs and much more. More traps are unlocked as you level up.
The game adjusts its difficulty based on your level, so the better you get, the harder the game will be.
As you progress, you will start earning baikoins, in-game currency, which can be traded for badges. These power-ups, if used wisely, can greatly prolong your game by doing things like destroying the tallest stack of letters.
Baikoh also includes a series of challenge rounds like Dictation, Word List or No Repeat. For example, in the former, you have to type the words that are dictated to you, as fast as you can.
Baikoh comes with some in-app purchases, in case you feel you need more baikoins or badges. But luckily, the game can be thoroughly enjoyed without having to spend money.
Like most mobile games, Baikoh does contain some ads. Watch an ad and you can get an extra life which allows you to jump back in the game after you’ve been eliminated. Ads also pop up at the end of the game, but fortunately, they don’t interfere with gameplay. So that’s a good thing.
For me, the game proved very challenging to play and I loved that. I did get frustrated a lot, but at myself, not the game. I often found myself in a situation where I just couldn’t zero in on the letter I needed to complete the word. And it drove me nuts. I definitely need to improve my observation skills.
The developers say Baikoh is a game about love and suffering, and I guess that sums it up right. It can get intense and hard pretty quick, but nevertheless and the end of your gaming session you’ll be left craving more.
