The best word puzzle games for 2023
From Scrabble to Wordle, word puzzle games have always been popular with gamers around the world as they exercise the mind and provide the feeling of pure joy as you perfect your vocabulary mastery. Whether you just love a good brain teaser or have fun adding new words to your vocabulary, these are some of the best word puzzle games we could find in 2023!
All 10 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 all appears on this list: Wordle. Since you have to guess a new word every day, you’ll always be presented with a new challenge each time you play, and you can then share your results (successful or not) 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 something sticks!
This simple game has popularized a whole range of games like Wordle that you can play on the internet, including the more challenging Quordle.
Wordscapes
Arguably one of the most productive puzzle game apps, Wordscapes allows you to solve countless levels of crossword puzzles. Make as many letter combinations as possible and earn extra in-game currency for every additional word you find that isn’t included in the crossword puzzle itself. With peaceful music and wallpapers, this is a nice game to relax after a stressful day.
4 pictures 1 word
For those who need a little more visual help, this game features 4 picture tiles, each serving as different clues for a specific word. Guess the word from the pictures and you will move on to the next level. This is an excellent game to play and discuss with friends or family, as they may notice visual cues that you can’t quite see. 4 Pictures 1 Word is an excellent mix of words and pictures to get your brain going.
Baba is you
A far less conventional “word game”, but still one based on the use of vocabulary to determine how things interact in the game. Play as a cute sprite who moves through the level and moves individual words to change the rules of the game and achieve the goal. Baba is you, but what if Baba became Win or Key? Find out when you play this puzzle.
context
A completely unique browser-based word game where you guess a new word every day, similar to Wordle, but instead of the correct letters, an algorithm gives you contextual information about how close/similar your word is to the secret word. Since the secret word is #1, the number you get after each of your unlimited guesses will tell you whether you’re getting warmer or colder. Have fun with Contexto and don’t tear your hair out!
Words with friends
In this legendary word game, you compete against friends and strangers in a word battle by placing words on the board and earning points for each letter you place. Get a higher score than your opponent to come out on top and climb the rankings. But don’t panic, you can still play Words With Friends alone if competition isn’t your style.
Scrabble GO
Scrabble is one of the best classic board games of all time and now the original word game is available on the go. Scrabble Go lets you play games against your social media friends and family with the unique and classic Scrabble aesthetic. Unlock in-game chests to unlock custom tokens, customize your gameplay and show them off to your opponents!
Alpha Bear
Alphabear is a Scrabble-like experience with a twist. Using tiles unlocks other adjacent tiles. However, if you don’t use tiles for several turns, they will eventually turn into stone blocks that can no longer be used. Don’t let the cute bear aesthetic fool you, it’s a tricky puzzle game that requires you to plan future steps to have the best chance of success.
Magic Tower
SpellTower is a fusion of Tetris and Boggle where you have to form words from adjacent letter tiles to clear the screen, with new letters frequently falling in from above. Do you enjoy the idea of a time-pressed word game? Then SpellTower could be just the right experience for you!
Type shift
Typeshift, like other titles on this list, gives you a padlock-style rotating letter combination that you can rotate and reshuffle to find out what the word of the day is. Although similar in style to various other word puzzle games, the thematic touch of Padlock will capture the hearts of detectives and escape room fans around the world!
Looking for more mobile games? Check out our list of the most popular iPhone games and Android games available now.
Sam Heaney is a freelance writer at IGN. He studied acting and performance throughout his education and his love for video games continued from a young age. After joining IGN as a freelance writer in the Guides section, Sam dedicated himself heavily to writing articles and helping to create walkthroughs for many of the biggest titles of the past few years, from Sifu and Elden Ring to Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.