Bookworm - PC

U P D A T E...:As fans of "BOOKWORM" and "LET'S MAKE A DEAL" may or may not know, the word "ZONK" is recognized and accepted on "BOOKWORM". NO 'zonks' in BOOKWORM, that's for surw! : )ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZO R I G I N A L.....R E V I E WBOOKWORM, the computer software game being reviewed here, used to be called "Bespelled". Instead of "Lex The Bookworm" greeting the player, a small, wise-looking, grey-haired little wizard greeted one, and the upper levels of achievement included levels of "Wizard", "Mega-Wizard", etc., instead of "Bookworm"."Mega-Bookworm", etc. I suspectthat the anti-Harry Potter forces were here more successful, and so "Bespelled" is, sadly, no more, as the "old" version is incompatible with newer computer systems, starting with Windows Vista. A pity, really -- I did like looking at that little guy, (who, unlike Lex the bookworm, WAS human, after all).The board, (or at least the section inhabited by the Wizard), was a bit better drawn, too -- but why quibble? Just about everything else about this game -- including the voice of "Lex The Bookworm", (which is the same as the little Wizard's voice), is totally the same. And it's always a challenge and a lot of fun!Basically, in starting the game, one sees letters lined up like brickson the screen. The player has to connect those letters that touch each other -- left to right, up to down, down to up, right to left, (or a combination of any of these), to to make words. The main thing is that the letters TOUCH each other. The longer the word the better! After finishing making the word, click on the lastletter or press "Enter". The cumulative "value" of the letters, is added to your score, ("real" will obviously get less points than "onyx", etc.), letters magically disappear, new letters will magically appear to take their place. And so the player has to make more words, and enter them, and see their cumulative points added onto one's total....Each letter has an assigned value. (On "Bespelled", if I remember correctly, NUMBERS, like "1", "2", or "3" were written on the various tiles, ("N" getting a "1", "X" getting a "3", etc.) Now, one, two orthree DOTS, placed on the lower right hand corner of each tile do the job.It's important to make words of at least four letters. If one makes too many three letter words, one RED tile, (or more than one!0, will appear. These tiles aren't just red.....they are ANIMATED, in that they seem to have a little yellow FIRE burning at their bottoms, and the rest of the red tile is also in semi-movement. Any letter can come as a red tile. Should just one of these red tiles reach the bottom....the game is OVER! (Just before the end, the expression of Lex -- just like that of the Little Wizard before him -- changes from one of benign and hopeful waiting, to one of extreme anxiety! One can, of course, click on "Lex" himself, thereby "scrambling" the letters, (and getting many new ones) -- but doing this also brings on an incereasing number of red letters, each time the letters arescrambled.Every "level" of the game has a certain number of points. When the requisite number of points is reached, a new level, (complete with a picture of the level reached), is shown, along with the best words -- longest word, and word with the greatest number of points -- you have made, is shown, along with the time it took you to be in this level, and the total time you have spent on the game.To pause the game, so extra time answering the door or telephone, etc., is not included in your total time, just press the space bar. and a "Game Paused / Press Here To Continue" banner will show up. To continue the game, just click the banner....Other nice things can also happen in this game, too. If you make a particularly good word, a GREEN tile, (or tile), will appear, and using these tiles will give extra points. Makea REALLY good and/or long word, (usually 6 letters or more), and a YELLOW tile will appear....along with Lex's cute little voice, (the same cute little voice as the Little Wizard had), saying things like, "very good", or "excellent", The yellow tiles give even more extra points, andhave a nice slow, animated pulsation. But for the absolute most BEAUTIFUL tile on the board, finad a really diffiult word, (a highly unusual word, or one with eight or more letters on the board, or a really difficult word -- and a shining BLUE tile will appear. This blue tile -- though not the most valuable, (there is a similar, though totally WHITE tile that comes when you can combine two WHITE tiles, or spell a totally long and stupendous word, such as "bookkeeppers"), is to me the most beautiful, as -- unlike with the white tile, one can SEE the contrast between the pretty blue animation, pulsating throughout most of the tile, and the whitish-silvery stars in continual, animated motion throughout these special tiles. They really are spectacular, jewel-like affairs, with corners slightly cut, so that they are not square, but octabon in shape, (as are the more-points gathering, glowing white tiles). When a blue tile appears, Lex the Bookworm says something like, "Unbelievable", or "Astonishing", When a pulsating White tile appears, the words "Astounding", or "Unbelievable" are said. And when a blue or white tile is finally used, it goes out in a "blaze of glory", as little stars appear and disappear in their wakes.I've noticed, as I play, that some very common words are just not (yet?) accepted on "Bookworm". Some may be due to the rule in Scrabble, that proper Names, are NOT accepted, and some may not be accepted due to today's "political correctness" -- but others are truly baffling to me, as to why they are not accepted. Herewith is list of words I tried to use, but which would not add up to ANY points, at least, not the last time I tried them:BonerFreonLatinBarbMaoriMungDiemSatanSveltWiccaVeltVarmitYorkieDixieHowever, many words which I did NOT expect to be accepted, WERE accepted! Many of these are "foreign" words -- and a good number of these are Yiddish words. I guess I'm lucky in that I grew up amongst parents, aunts and uncles who spoke a bit of Yiddish, but my American sense of "fair-play" simply won't let me write this review without mentioning this -- or the fact some Spanish words, which have become more and more commonly used in English, (at least, American English),have not been accepted -- words such as "hola". Herewith a list of words that ARE accepted, which I think should not be accepted...at least in the English version of "Bookworm":Tref - (means "not knosher")Moil - (a person who performs religious circumcison)Gelt - (money given to children on Chanuka),Gonif - (a thief)Daven - (praying)Golem - (legendary man of clay, created by a rabbi, who saved a Jewish community in Europe)Parev - (a food which can be eaten either with milk, or with meat products -- like tea, or fish)Shul - (a synagogue)Goy - (literally means "stranger", a word perjoratively used to describe non-Jews, and never a compliment, to say the least!)Another word which is accepted is: "sended". This is merely badEnglish -- but it doesn't belong in 'Bookworm', either. I'm sure there are other words in both categories I haven't mentioned, as I have not yet come across them.It's possible, of course, that putting all these Yiddish expressions in "Bookworm" was a way of the creators of the game to inject what isoften called an "Easter Egg" into this software.....a little specialgift, for those who know how to use it. I think "Easter Eggs" in software are really wonderful surprises : ) -- but not in competitive games, (some of which, like Bookworm, can be played for cash!), where the advantage is ONLY to those cognizant of some words in one foreign language! : (In sum, BOOKWORM is fun! It's also educational, (some word meanings are briefly shown -- others have sent me to online dictionaries to find their meanings). And for older people, who fear, (often unnecessarily), that their mental facilities may be fading, a daily "workout" with "Bookworm" can be not only fun and rewarding -- but re-assuring, as well. The fact is, most older people DON'T grow senile, (Churchill, Eisenhower, Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt and Millicent Fenwick....even the Queen Mother! -- amongst many, many, MANY others, never did!). Like other silly and dangerous ideas in the "common wisdom" of today, (such as the idea that all adult children who live in their parents homes unless and until they marry are somehow unable to think and live by themselves if they chose to ....an idea given the "Big Lie", by famous people -- like Athina Onassis, and Alex Trebeck....who CHOSE to live with their parents until they got married, though they didn't have to -- the idea thatone will PROBABLY get senile as one gets older is ITSELF "senile"....and dangerous and worrying to a lot of seniors for whom this idea couldn't be farther from the truth! Lest we forget, younger people ALSO get Alzheimer's and other diseases of senility!And a fully-functioning Human Being -- of whatever age -- will,aided by their physicians, FIGHT any ailment, physical or mental -- that MIGHT come their way! Being positive about oneself and one'sabilities, is the first step to defeating or post-poning the ravages of ANY ailment. And -- for increasing one's mental abilities, in the most enjoyable and challenging of ways -- games such as 'BOOKWORM' areabsolutely wonderful!

Bookworm is a must for anyone to get who loves word games. Whether you are into Scrabble, Word Feud, Words With Friends and any other games where you have to come up with words to win this is one game that is fun, challenging and addictive. The game is also kind of deceiving. It starts out simple enough making you think it isn't so hard to play but as you get into the game you start to get these flaming tiles that you have to use in a word before they reach the bottom of the board. If one of these flaming tiles does reach the bottom of the board you lose. At first when they appear you get one at a time. No problem, easy enough to handle. Then before you know it you have two or three or even more of these flaming tiles and the heat is on, pun intended, to use these tiles on words before they get to the bottom. This is a game great for any age to play. For kids this is a great way to learn words and how to spell them and for older people to refresh their memory and keep their word skills up to date. This is definitely a computer game I recommend to play.

This game is fun if you like playing games with a dictionary close at hand. In order to gain the most points possible, you have to make the largest words you can possibly think of, (or not, that's what the dictionary is for). It does not take acronyms or proper names, but it will accept any other words. Again, unless your a brainchild then your going to find this game difficult if your going for the largest words possible. As for us 'normal' people, it's not a bad game, very challenging if you like word games.

New computer, replace Bookworm. I had to live without it for too long. I love to play it everyday and it is the ONLY game I play on my computer. I am wondering why there are certain words that pop up that are sexual in nature such as "fem" "ped" "tits" "boys" "cock" "lez" "latent" "pees peed or peeny" and so on and on. They refer to Gay lifestyle which I have no problem with...but it makes me wonder why the theme exists in this simple little game? I guess who ever made the game had a fun time throwing those in and usually in the upper right hand corner. Anyone else notice this? After playing this game for years I decided to say something about it. There are only so many words on the game that are used over and over so I couldn't help but notice that going on. So having explained that, I'm curious to know if anyone else is annoyed by that? I still love Bookworm.

Fun game. Exercises my mind. I try to figure out the longest words I can. It's a little like throwing all your scrabble tiles on the table face up and then leaving them where they lay, when you find words in the chaos those tiles are removed and the rest of the tiles would funnel down so that you can keep finding words. sometimes a tiles catches fire and you need to use it before burns the tiles below it and reaches the bottom, cuz when it does all of the tiles go up in smoke and game over. It is a challenge but not frustrating, I like it.

I came across this game years ago, got hooked, and had to purchase it for the unheard of price back then of $20. When my computer crashed and I couldn't find the order number, I was crushed! I still have the many emails I sent to Popcap trying to get access to my game again. I think they finally gave in and hunted it down just to shut me up LOL They found the number and I not only saved the email, I am still finding places I put the number so I would never lose it again. I was disappointed they gave it up and it was only available online through Pogo. I tried to buy through them, but no luck. When I saw this on Amazon, I was amazed. Since I've had so much trouble with my not-so-new-now computer and Windows 8.1, it took a week before I got my nerve up to install the game. It works perfectly! I'm very pleased with this purchase.

I like that I was able to find it since the android and ios systems didn't have it available for purchase have any longer. My favorite game, has always been a great unwind on mute while I listen to good audio.

VERY SERIOUS SELLER. PRODUCT OF QUALITY. I RECOMMANDE HIM 100%.

Just couldn't do without this game.

great game, interesting and challenging.