New Words with Friends Review

Words with Friends, believe it or not, turned five years old.  The original was one of the first mega hits for mobile games.  With its five-year anniversary upon us, an updated version called New Words with Friends was released. Does it rekindle the same magic? Let's find out, one word at a time.


The Good
New Words with Friends plays exactly the same as old Words with Friends, which shares similarities with Scrabble.  For those unfamiliar with Words with Friends or Scrabble, you objective is to use given letters that are each assigned a point value to form words.  You receive bonuses for using the double-letter tile or the double-word tile.  The game is turn based, so once you make your move, you have to wait for your friend to respond with his or her own word.  The person with the highest score wins.

Zynga added a couple of new features that will make finding matches easier.  You still have the option to login with your Facebook account and play with your friends or to request people individually, but now there is a matchmaking system.  You are given a profile that keeps track of your stats, and you can match-up with players with similar statistics.  If you are tired of beating all of your buddies, now you can play someone with a higher skill level.

For those who don't have any friends or feel like developing their skills, there is now a Solo Play mode.  This mode allows you to practice without a live opponent, and you can adjust the difficulty to your liking.  This was one of the most requested features that the community wanted, and Zynga most certainly delivered.

The Bad
New Words with Friends adds a lot of content that enhances the experience.  If you have been playing for the past five years, though, and have grown tired of playing the core experience, many of the changes and add-ons don't alter the formula.  If you jumped off the Words with Friends boat, New Words with Friends may get you back on for a little bit, but you may be back off again in quick fashion.

The Verdict
New Words with Friends is the same tried and true game.  This updated version has a lot of new features, including a single player mode, which might get people back into it.  On that note, for those who never played Words with Friends, it provides a fun experience that helps enhance your vocabulary and is a great way to connect with friends and new people alike.

4.5/5