From Scrabble to Wordle, word puzzle games have been a favorite amongst gamers around the world forever for their mind training capabilities and the sense of pure elation when you nail your lexicon mastery. Whether you simply love a good brain teaser, or enjoy adding new words to your vocabulary, these are some of the best word puzzle games we could find in 2023!
All 10 of the games on this list are available on your mobile device or via a web browser, you should be able to play them on the go or at home.
Wordle
It goes without saying that the most viral word game of them all debuts this list: Wordle. With a new word for you to guess each and every day, you’ll always be exposed to a new challenge whenever you play and you can then share your results (successful or otherwise) on your social media. Use logic and deduction and guess optimal words to make the most of your limited guesses, or throw letters at the wall and hope that something sticks!
This simple game popularized a whole string of games like Wordle that you can play across the web, including the more challenging, Quordle.
Wordscapes
Arguably one of the most prolific puzzle game apps, Wordscapes has you solving countless levels of crossword puzzles. Make as many combinations of a jumble of letters as you can, earning additional in-game currency for each additional word you find that’s not included within the crossword itself. With peaceful music and background imagery, this is a lovely game to relax with after a stressful day.
4 Pics 1 Word
For those that need a little more visual assistance, this game provides you with 4 image tiles, all of which act as different clues to denote a certain word. Guess the word based on the images and you’ll proceed to the next level. This is an excellent game to play and discuss with friends or family, as they might pick up on the visual cues that you can’t quite deduce. 4 Pics 1 Word is an excellent cross-over between words and pictures to get your brain moving.
Baba Is You
A far less conventional “word game”, but still one that hinges on the use of vocabulary to dictate how things within the game interact. Play as a cute sprite moving around the level, pushing individual words around to change the ruleset of the game, allowing you to reach the goal. Baba is You, but what if Baba became Win, or Key? Find out when you play this puzzler.
Contexto
A wholly unique browser-based word game, here you’ll be guessing a new word every day similar to Wordle, but instead of correct letters you’ll receive contextual information from an algorithm about how close/similar your word is to the secret word. With the secret word being #1, the number you’ll get after each of your unlimited guesses will tell you if you’re getting warmer or colder. Have fun with Contexto and don’t tear your hair out!
Words With Friends
This legendary word game has you competing against friends and strangers alike in a word battle, placing down words on the board whilst collecting points for each letter you place. Get a higher score than your opponent to come out on top, and rise the ranks of the leaderboard. Don’t panic though, you can still play solo Words With Friends if competition isn’t your style.
Scrabble GO
Scrabble is one of the best classic board games ever made and now the OG word game is available on the go. Scrabble Go and lets you play games against your social media friends and family with the unique and classic Scrabble aesthetic. Unlock chests in-game to unlock custom tiles and style your gameplay to your personal tastes, and show them off to your opponents!
Alphabear
Alphabear is a Scrabble-like experience with a twist. Using tiles unlocks other tiles adjacent to them, but if you don’t use tiles for multiple turns they will ultimately transform into stone blocks that can no longer be used. Don’t let the cute bear aesthetic fool you, this is a devious puzzler that you’ll need to plan future moves for to give you the best chances of success.
SpellTower
SpellTower is a fusion of Tetris and Boggle, where you’ll need to make words out of adjacent letter tiles to help clear the screen, with new letters frequently dropping in from above. Enjoy the idea of a word game under time pressure? Then SpellTower might just be the experience for you!
Typeshift
Typeshift, like other titles on this list, gives you a rotating padlock-style combination of letters that you can twist and reshuffle to try and deduce what the word of the day is. Whilst it is similar in fashion to various other word puzzle games, the thematic flavor of the padlock will play into the hearts of sleuths and escape room aficionados the world over!
Looking for more mobile games? Check out our list of the most popular iPhone games and Android games avaialable now.
Sam Heaney is a freelance writer at IGN. Studying Acting and Performance throughout his education, his love for video games has persisted from a young age. After coming aboard IGN as a freelance writer in the Guides section, Sam has dipped his toe into article writing and has helped create walkthroughs for many of the previous years’ biggest titles, from Sifu and Elden Ring to Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.