I am completely addicted to a new IOS game called Letterpress. The concept is simple: you are presented with a 5x5 grid of randomized letters and you and your opponent take turns making words out of the available letters. The letters don't need to be contiguous to form a word and the game ends when the last unused letter is claimed -- or when both players have passed their turn due to lack of any remaining words. The winner is the one with the score of 13 or more.

How you score is the game's best feature. When you use a letter to form a word, it is marked by your color and gets added to your score. Your opponent can always "steal back" letters that you haven't managed to surround (above, below, and to the sides -- diagonals are ignored) with your own color. So in addition to just making up words, you need to think strategically and make words that help you control territory on the board.

In the image below, note the dark and pale colored squares. All the pale colored squares can be claimed by the opponent on their next turn, but the darker colored squares are protected. Opponents can still use them to make words, but they will not be added to their point totals.



This is a player vs. player game and uses Apple's Game Center to coordinate games between players. The free version of the game lets you play one game at a time. Paying $.99 let's you have an unlimited number of games going at a time. I'm always looking for fresh blood, and you can find me in Game Center as pmbuko. I look forward to wiping the floor with you soon.

I keep pictureing you playing Sheldon as per the Sheldon vs. Stephen Hawking episode of Big Bang Theory.

Blue squares and red squares give me post-election flashbacks and trauma. I'm going to sue you for emotional distress for posting that.

I'm still addicted, and I've found a perfect nemesis in a friend from Seattle (who is not named Tom).

Which one are you? I figure the one on the left.

Actually no, but I guess you're on the right track. Here's a snapshot of our current game. My avatar is on the right. Can you guess the characters?

I immediately recognized Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham. I had to do some digging to find out what they called Dr. Doom in that comic series.

So, well played, Ducktor Doom.