Growing up, I was never expelled from school. In fact, it was not until I was well beyond high school that I ended up getting xSpelled. Ok, let me be clear. xSpelled is a word puzzle game that calls to mind Scrabble and Boggle. If you those types of casual board games, then you will appreciate this one.
xSpelled overview
The premise is not all that difficult in that you are given seven letters and 60 seconds to create or find as many words you can. Every time you get a word wrong, you get a strike. Enter a word you have already used and you will get a strike. Additionally, each round will have a required word you must find. Fail to do so and you will get a strike.  If you get three strikes, you are xSpelled! The gameplay is not overly complicated: play until you are xSpelled.
Players tap on letters to spell a word whereupon the tiles turn green. At this point you can confirm the word and add it to your board. If the tiles are not green, and you hit confirm, you will receive a strike.
Uncovering select words results in unlocking apples. Said fruit can be spent on items that can help you obtain a better score. You can also use stars for certain items, but it wasn’t very clear if you can obtain these in-game, or through in-app purchasing only. To make in-app purchases, you can click on the shopping cart, from the main menu, to select what items you want. The price of these items will range from 99 cents to $2.99, depending on the type and quantity.
xSpelled gameplay
The graphics of this game are smooth, but not top notch, 3D quality stuff as in other games you may have played. The background is designed to look like a chalk board, and the pictures can best be described as cartoonish, so you should feel like you’re right back in school. You have basic buttons that will allow you to easily navigate through the game, make in-app purchases, check your scores, and even post to Facebook. Players are automatically signed into Google Play games upon opening the app. This will help you track your achievements and see how you’re doing compared others.
To start a game, all you have to do is select solo mode, then press the start button. However, the game does not provide any sort of clear objective or instructions to guide upon the first time(s) playing, nor does it tell you what each of the items can do for you. When you first start, I recommend pressing the question mark, to the right of the chalkboard. This will pause the timer and allow you to touch each of the other items and learn what they can do.
To play vs mode, select vs, from the main menu, and then start. You will then be paired with someone online. The gameplay will be the same as solo. Once the round has ended, your scores will be compared and the winner pronounced.
What we liked
- Gets players thinking; it’s not a mindless game
- Boosters and items increase odds of winning
- Potentially endless gameplay
What could be better
- Introductory tutorial would have helped getting started
- More clarification on stars
xSpelled summaryÂ
This is a great game for anyone who loves word puzzles. You will be challenged and you will be entertained. Just be quick or you’ll end up xSpelled!
 
 
 
[pb-app-box pname=’com.robco.xspelled’ name=’xSpelled’ theme=’discover’ lang=’en’]
