One Hungry Invertebrate

We've all seen it. When it starts to rain, those little squirmy earthworms erupt from the earth, keen to take on the world with renewed vigor. Little did we know that they are even more enthusiastic when it starts to rain letters, as is the case with the interverbrate found in Bookworm. With an absolutely insatiable appetite, this limbless librarian chomps on words with a big smile on his face, and it's your task to find those words for him from the game grid.

There are several tiles, of varying value, on the screen. You must link together as long a string as possible, creating lengthier and lengthier words for this hungry bookworm. Don't go and feed him an's, I's, and of's, as the smallest bite he's willing to take is one that is three letters long. Of course, the longer the word the better.

Literatis Unite!

The more vast your vocabulary, the better you will perform in this offering, but that's not to say that people who don't read the dictionary on a daily basis will not find enjoyment in this title. Quite the contrary, because this experience is not only fun, but also educational! Make use of your scanning, searching, and finding skills as you look for key letters, making use of your quick wit to create the next word.

The graphics are fresh and colorful, while not being intrusive on your game playing experience. The tiles are large and easy to read, especially when you make use of the "full screen" option (which is the default) in the setup menu. Like an obedient (and very hungry) pet, the bookworm will very quickly become your best friend, one that you will not be able to walk away from for hours on end.

Put Out the Fire

There are several bonus tiles. When you integrate green or gold letters into your selected words, there are many extra points to be enjoyed. This also fills up the word meter faster, helping you move on to the next level in a shorter amount of time.

There is a flip side, naturally, to these "positive" tiles. Eventually, you will encounter letters that appear to be on fire. With each word created, they burn one level lower toward the bottom of the layout. When it reaches the bottom of the screen, the game ends, and you must start again from the beginning. As such, it is absolutely paramount that when a fiery tile is on the screen, you must focus on clearing it (by including it in a word).

Another helpful hint. After a small handful of stages, you are granted one extra (and useful) ability. If you accidentally select an incorrect string of letters, simply click your right mouse button to de-select them all instead of tracing back your steps. While there is no time limit, per se, in Bookworm, I think that you enjoy making valid words rather than cancelling invalid ones.

A Frantic (and Relaxing) Word Finding Adventure

Boasting a simple, straight-forward interface and rich backgrounds, Bookworm is an excellent choice for word game enthusiasts. You will not be disappointed... so long as you keep feeding that squiggly animal in the corner.