When you don’t wanna play Boggle anymore, and you can’t look at Alphabear without reminiscing about the early days of few ads and simple puzzles, maybe it’s time to move on to a more forgiving game or a game that combines word-puzzles with … role-playing?
Yes, that game exists, and it’s called Syllablade, an RPG with a word-game twist. Create words in a Boggle fashion (meaning the letters have to be near each other, you can’t skip over tiles, and you can’t reuse letter tiles you’ve already selected) to serve as the strength behind your attacks. Defeat all the monsters in a stage and move on to the next stage, utilizing items you buy from the shop or special attacks and defenses earned in battle.
I could spend paragraphs giving you tips on word game strategy, but they’re all the same, and you already know them:
- the higher the letter count, the higher the attack, and the higher amount of coins you’ll receive
- the game tells you what’s a word and what isn’t by highlighting the tiles green when the letters you’ve strung together are an actual word (great news: you can string together swear words, though I haven’t had the opportunity to try them all out yet)
- the “special” tiles that appear–such as an attack bonus or a healing potion–can be used at any point in a word; they serve as a blank tile that you only have to include in your word to get the benefits
- be mindful of the value of the letters, as you’ll want to use higher-valued letters more often than lower-value letters
- be on the lookout for pluralities or different suffixes because they’re longer words with higher points
Remember all the training you’ve amassed playing previous word games, and that aspect of the game should be fine. Now, here are a few more tips specific to Syllablade to help aid in the RPG side of the game.
Don’t waste time saving money
The coins you gain during battle go toward the upgrade items you buy for your character. The more expensive ones give you better stats. The appeal of the bigger, better item lurks, but don’t save your money. Spend it as soon as you can buy the next available item, because guess what?
The effects stack. You don’t even have to continue wearing the item to gain its stats. Just buy it and equip whatever you want, and you still have the increased vitality, strength, or luck.
So don’t waste your time waiting for the better item, because you’ll get it eventually.
Keep your stats even
It’s always a good idea to keep your stats even, as you learn in any RPG game. Though the appeal of being super strong at the start of the game works for the first few levels, as the game progresses and strategy starts to matter more, you’ll be glad to have a more equal repertoire of skills in your pocket (ha ha, get it? Because it’s a mobile game).
Of course, if you know your strengths and weaknesses as a player, certainly play to your own set of skills. If you are good at finding long words and aren’t afraid to take a hit every now and then, upgrade the stats that cater to your play style. This is just general advice for those who, like me, suddenly forget how to spell all words as soon as you have been tasked to spell, as your life literally depends on it.
Pay attention to the top of the screen
It’s easy to get distracted when you focus most of your talents on finding words to destroy the enemy. It’s how you win.
But don’t forget that Syllablade is more than a sum of its letters. There’s a battle going on at the top of your screen, and you need to pay attention to it as much as the tiles down below.
So when your strike is over and it’s the opponent’s turn to attack, stare at the top screen. See what falls during the course of battle. Collect whatever falls with your fingers.
True, when the items fall, you don’t have to swipe them with your finger in order to collect them, because after a while they’ll automatically add themselves to your inventory; however, it’s good to know what’s going on up top and what’s in your bag of tricks.
Another thing to pay attention to at the top of the screen is the your opponent’s remaining health. I know I’ve told you that the bigger the word, the better, but you get certain bonuses if you give an exact hit, so if the enemy has 2 HP left, try to get a word worth two points to earn the extra bonuses.
These are but some humble tips from a humble gamer who enjoys word games mixed with RPG mechanics. There are different strategies for different gaming styles, but for the humble beginner, hopefully this guide aids in your quest to finally leave Boggle behind.
