Jangle formerly “Squabble”, an Online Multi-Player Crossover Word Game from iOS
by Toni McQuilken
Jun 3, 2011 11:38 AM –
Install
Jangle formerly “Squabble”. Jangle is a fast paced multi-player word game for iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Android. Log in and challenge yourself against other Janglers from around the world!
Price: Free
Tested on: MyTouch 3G Slide
Content Rating: Low Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Fun word game you can play online or with a friend
- Great graphics
- Smooth gameplay
Cons
- Not a fan of the rushed feeling of the game, plus there is no option to play un-timed.
Features:
Please note, in the middle of this review, the developers released a new version of this app, changing the name from “Squabble” to “Jangle”. Right now, the two are the same app, however, going forward the developers will be updating Jangle, and not Squabble. So if you’re here reading this for Squabble, go get Jangle!
Jangle is a cross-platform word scramble game where you have a set period of time to make the best word possible. Both you and your opponent have the same set of letters and the same time to make words out of them, and after several rounds, the person with the highest score wins.
You only have a short period of time to make your word, and I didn’t like that, even if you have a word on the board when time runs out, if you haven’t hit the button to submit it, you don’t get the points. This, combined with the click of the buzzer, makes the game feel very rushed and almost stressful at times.
There is a large dictionary built into the game, which is nice, and which will allow you to define any words you don’t know. It won’t auto-suggest words or tell you if you got a word right or wrong until the end of the round when you either get points or you don’t. Because of the time crunch for the round, I actually found that I had misspelled a word by a letter quite a bit and lost all the points for the round, which was incredibly frustrating at times. Again, it comes back to the concept of being timed, for me at least, detracting from the overall ability to enjoy the game.
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Squabble Main
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Squabble Round 1
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Squabble Game Play
Fun Factor:
This is a twist on the traditional word game with friends as instead of putting words on a board, you and your opponent both have the same letters, and race to create the highest scoring word. I have to be honest that I, personally, don’t like the rushed feeling of the game, but I know a lot of people will. I wish there was a way to choose if you want to play a timed or relaxed game – or even have the choice to have a longer time to look at the letters than the default. To me, this is more stressful than fun, but if this type of pressure appeals to you, then you’ll enjoy this game.
Addictive:
Because you can play online or with a friend in the room, there is a lot of playability to keep you coming back.
Graphics:
The graphics are nice and vibrant, with a clean UI that is easy to figure out. The letters are drag-and-drop, and you can even see how many letters your opponent is playing with (although you don’t see their word until the round is over).
Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound:
The tick of the buzzer adds to the overall feel of being rushed, but it does add to the feel the developers were going for, so it hits the mark.