lettermon review
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lettermon review

Our Review by Campbell Bird on September 26th, 2022
Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: GOTTA SPELL EM ALL
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This simple spelling game has a neat collection mechanic but you also get what you pay for.

Developer: Ethan Barbieri

Price: Free
Version: 1.0
App Reviewed on: iPhone SE

Graphics/Sound Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
User Interface Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar

There is no shortage of free-to-play word games on mobile. lettermon is certainly another to add to the pile, though there are no strings attached to its price. That's right, there are no ads, no microtransactions, or any other junk stopping you from picking up lettermon and having a good time with it. The only question you really have to ask yourself is if you still have the appetite for yet another word game on your phone.

BYOL

lettermon is a fairly straightforward game in that its levels give you a word and then asks you to spell as many words you can with those letters. It almost feels like the equivalent of rearranging the tiles on your Scrabble rack. You tap and drag down letters until you've formed a new word, hit submit, get score, and repeat.

The twist lettermon puts on this is by also having a collectible critter system attached to this simple level structure. On any level, you choose an additional letter to add to the mix from a roster of colorfully designed letter monsters you earn as you play. Each of these monsters also have some added abilities that can help you get though certain levels a bit more easily.

Monsters just chilling

This all sounds like a neat idea. Adding some light rpg and collection mechanics gives what is otherwise a pretty flat letter-rearranging game some teeth and provides some reasons to want to return to the game to level everyone up and get new monsters.

While all of this is true, the monster component of lettermon doesn't actually feel all that necessary to engage with. You can absolutely just find words with the letters you are given and they are more than enough to pass levels with a perfect rating. The monsters certainly can help by providing more spelling options, but they can just as easily be ignored if your spelling skills are on point.

Good for a spell

In a way, it's refreshing that lettermon kind of lets you play it however you want. It also does this without really asking anything of you. There are no ads or currencies to manage, nor is there any ask for players to come back for a daily challenge or pay for a more premium experience.

This breezy approach to game design is a double-edged sword, though. A lot of systems baked into free-to-play games may be annoying, but they also exist because they are effective at incentivizing you to keep playing a game that you might otherwise drop. lettermon doesn't really have any kind of gravitational pull baked into its design outside of hoping you appreciate the lack of free-to-play hooks.

The bottom line

If you're in the market for a new word game then it's hard to say no to lettermon. It serves up some breezy puzzling with an entertaining collecting system that you can engage with on your own terms. It does this all for free, but that might not be enough for anyone who already gets all they need out of Wordle or wants a word game with some more depth.

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