Loren Brichter, the creator of the Tweetie client for Twitter that eventually became the official iOS Twitter app, has created a new word game for iOS that combines tactics from a number of different classic games -- but creates something new at the same time.

Letterpress combines the word-finding skills of Boggle with the ability to steal positions and block your opponent that's straight out of the classic board game Go. It seems to have captured the attention of much of the technology press today, and for good reason.

Unscrambling
TouchArcade:

I think it might be the core design of Words With Friends that rubs me the wrong way. I don't like having point values assigned to each letter. Rather than finding the most interesting word out of your allotment of letters, you're stuck playing a trial-and-error game of what word will land you the most points while trying to take advantage of the bonuses on the board. Somebody described their experience with Words With Friends to me as "tedious", and that totally nails it for me as well.

This is where Letterpress differentiates itself. It gives you a 5x5 grid of letters to choose from. Each letter used is worth just one point, which obviously makes bigger words worth a bigger score. But Letterpress isn't just about who can rack up the highest total score, it's much more about trying to outmaneuver your opponent and playing the board itself so that you wind up having the most points by the game's end.

John Gruber:

It’s the first game that’s made my iPhone’s first home screen in years. It’s a cross between a word game like Scrabble or Boggle and a real estate strategy game like Risk or Go. It’s addictive. (Letterpress is to Game Center what The Magazine is to Newsstand — my first reason to use it.)

The game is free to download and users can purchase the ability to play more than two games at once and to see previously played words with a $0.99 in-app purchase.

Letterpress is a free download on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

valkraider Avatar
162 months ago
Letterpress.
One word. That can have many different meanings. Lets take 2 examples. one good and one bad.


The good.
A simply stunning way to make greeting cards.

The bad.
Actually having an article written about this. *shakes head in dismay*


Douche.
One word. That can have many different meanings.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
conigs Avatar
162 months ago
Letterpress.
One word. That can have many different meanings. Lets take 2 examples. one good and one bad.


The good.
A simply stunning way to make greeting cards.

Image (http://papercrave.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/apple-letterpress-card1.jpg)

The bad.
Actually having an article written about this. *shakes head in dismay*

Image (https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2012/10/unscrambling.jpg)

Lighten up. It's a fun game.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nothlit Avatar
162 months ago
Since it's turn based, a maximum of 2 simultaneous games unless you pay to upgrade is pretty annoying.

I happily paid the $0.99 even though I don't have any desire to play tons of games at once. It's just worth it to me to support an indie developer.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rockyroad55 Avatar
162 months ago
Paid for the $0.99 upgrade to support the developer. Very very fun game.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rman726 Avatar
162 months ago
Letterpress.
One word. That can have many different meanings. Lets take 2 examples. one good and one bad.


The good.
A simply stunning way to make greeting cards.


The bad.
Actually having an article written about this. *shakes head in dismay*

I wouldn't have heard about this, but it's a really fun game. It's a side article so I don't see a problem. It's a great little game. I already paid the $.99 upgrade fee to play multiple games at once, and get a different themes. Is it really worth it? Probably not, but I'm supporting a great indie developer by paying less than it would cost to get a value fries.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Compile 'em all Avatar
162 months ago
Fair warning: I am by no means a gamer, but this is incredibly addicting.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Visa and American Express Vying to Win Apple Card Deal in 'Fierce' Fight

Tuesday April 1, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Visa wants to pay Apple approximately $100 million to be the new payment network for the Apple Card, reports The Wall Street Journal. As of right now, the Apple Card is on the Mastercard payment network, but that is set to change because Apple is ending its partnership with Goldman Sachs. Both American Express and Visa are vying to replace Mastercard as Apple's card services provider, while...