Bubble Shuffle is a word game from Astraware.  It challenges your brain through four different games to see how many words you can construct with the bubble letters given.  I have to admit that this game was a big adventure for me.  My Scrabble skills consist of words like HAT, BAT, MAT, CAT or CHAT.  So, word games are not exactly my strong point.  I had to call in the support of my partner, super Scrabble player extraordinaire, “Iris”.  She’s one of those people that you see use a word you had no idea even existed.  I figured the only true way to test this game is to let a novice and an expert have a go at it.  See the exciting conclusions after the break.

Graphics and Music

I love the under the sea theme for Bubble Shuffle.  You have the ocean floor, your little fish friend (Wordswoth Smartygills), and all of the letters are inside bubbles.  The artwork is very clean, and you know exactly what you are looking at.  With that said, the background is the exact same for all games and every level.  I would have liked to see some difference between levels.  If I can make it to level 10, I want a giant group of dolphins doing back-flips.  As for the music, I find it very relaxing, and the perfect tune for helping you to concentrate.  It makes me think of one of those meditating music CDs,  except you get the sound of bubbles mixed in.

Game Play

Bubble Shuffle has two different styles of play, and each style has two modes.  The modes consist of one “race against the clock” mode, and one “at your own pace” mode.  Game 1 is called Shuffle Rush, and its non-timed brother is Shuffle Puzzle.  In order to advance to the next level, you need to create one word with all of the letters given.  You can choose to make extra words for more points.  You start off with 4 letters, and slowly add more letters to increase the level of difficulty. Game 2 is called Fast Finder with its non-time brother, Discovery.  With each level you need to create so many words in order to advance to the next level.  For example, if you can make a total of 20 words from a combination of 5 letters, then you might need to find 10 words to advance.  Each level requires a different number of works to be discovered.  You can always add extra words for more points.  What is nice is that there is a list to the left-hand side of the screen that lets you figure out how many 3-letter words, how many 4-letter words, etc.  Plus, if you do really well, you are rewarded with seahorse pets for Wordworth.

For this game, you most definitely need to use your stylus.  You need to drag the letters in the right order, and there are several buttons on the screen to tap.  I have small fingers, and I could not play without my stylus.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this article,  my skills in the word department are pretty non-existent.  So, I spent most of my time playing on the easy level.  I have to say that the game is definitely challenging.  My favorite game was Fast Finder.  I found as I played over and over again, that I was slowly getting better.  I still need lots of help, but this is a step in the right direction for yours truly.  The shuffle button that lets you re-shuffle the letters on the screen was a HUGE help.  I can’t tell you how many times I was stuck, and a few shuffles later I had a few more words.  For those wanting to develop your Scrabble skills, I would definitely recommend this game.  You will even discover new words.  When you advance, the game will fill-in all the words that you missed.  For example, I didn’t know ‘orcs’ was a real word.  I thought it was just a Lord of the Rings word.  You can also get clues by tapping on Wordsworth the goldfish.  I have to admit that Wordsworth gets a bit annoying.  Everytime you make a word that doesn’t exist, or you start a new level, he had something to add.  I just got tired of it after awhile, especially since the instructions were also at the top of the screen.

Iris had to play the game on the hard level, because easy was kind of boring for her.  There is a range of skill levels involved.  The easy level is great for kids, or those of us who are Scrabble challenged.  The hard and very hard are for the adults out there that can spell.   I know for me that I am going to keep playing until I can work my way up to the moderate level.  A girl has to have goals.  Bubble Shuffle is great for mental development, but its not the kind of game that will get you hooked for hours.  It can get a little stale after awhile.

Conclusions

Pros:  Good music, colorful graphics, challenging

Cons:  No changing graphics, annoying game side kick, play can get boring after long periods of time

The game is available for Palm OS, Windows Mobile, and the iPhone.

Prices:  Palm OS & WM = $9.95, iPhone = $4.99

The Palm and WM versions can be purchased from Astraware or from the JAMM Store.

iPhone version is available from the iTunes app store.

Related posts:

1. Press Release: Astraware Presents Bubble Shuffle
2. Review: Astraware Golden Skull on the iPhone
3. Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 28: Word Ace
4. Press Release: Astraware Brings Glyph To Your iPhone
5. Review: WordPop — Time To Dust Off Your Spelling Hat