Free samples.

In talking to people about what apps they buy, the number one response is, "I don't buy any apps, I just download the free ones!" Especially if they don't know what the app is all about.

Well, we've got a free version out now.  We're hoping that some of you like it well enough that eventually you'll buy it. Lucky for us, making a free version was easy.  The game is shorter, than the full version and it doesn't generate random words at the start of the game. Other than that, you've got The Word Chase for free. We hope enough of you like it well enough to get the full version. We're hoping it will be our best form of advertising.

Play for fun, play to brag.

By now, I've been playing The Word Chase since the summer of 2009. It was released to the App Store on October 20, 2009 and had one update since then.  The update fixed a couple bugs that most people never saw and changed the scoring to enable your scores to go much, much higher.

My best scoreTHE HIGH SCORE GAME.
Here's my best score so far. No I didn't photoshop it in. I play the game quite a bit ("Honest honey, it's R&D for work.) and I've developed a strategy for getting a high score. As you can see, 91.37% of my score is from the Bonus. So, let's talk about building up your bonus points…

• Playing a 3 letter word adds 50 bonus points, a four letter word adds 250 points and a 5 letter word adds a whopping 1000 points. Play your 5 letter words often!
• Clicking the "Draw" button will cut your bonus in half. Use the "Hint" or "Wild" before losing that bonus.
• I have found that having one 3, one 4 and one 5 letter word on the game board helps me use all the letters without "Drawing". Since the bonus is only added when I clear the queue of all seven letters, it's important I do that.  As my brain cells get stronger, I'll probably start playing a 3-5-5 or a 4-5-5 game. Perhaps even a 5-5-5 game someday.
• This is not a timed game. Take a minute each time you get new letters and plan out how to get rid of your tougher letters first. Then play your hand.

THE CASUAL, FUN GAME.

Don't care about the high score? Just playing for fun and leisure until the bus comes? Here's a couple hints to keep the game going for all seven levels.

• Use the "Draw" and "Hint" button as often as you wish. It deducts from the bonus points, but adds to your playing time. Start every on Easy setting. (See the FAQ for an explanation of how the Easy, Med, and Hard settings are determined.)
• Play with somebody you love sitting next to you.  Two heads are better than one, and funner too!

It's educational too!

My wife and I like to play word games. We've found that a good dictionary keeps the game going and the marriage healthy. A few years ago I received a great big Webster's New World College Dictionary as a gift, which is the official dictionary for settling any discussion on the verity of a word. Of course, if any doubt lingers, the word will be checked to make sure it's not a proper noun, a foreign word or an abbreviation.
The Word Chase uses the Tournament Word List to verify all words being played. You can read more about it on Wikipedia.
After weeks and weeks of playing all the beta versions, I've learned a few words that I've never heard of before. For the time being, version one does not give you any definitions, a feature we're considering adding in the future. Until then, here are a few words I've learned really are words, but have never looked up until now. I don't think I'll ever use them in conversation, but they sure do keep the game moving.

First are the double-e words, as I've come to call them.  This is not all of them, just a few of the obscure ones.

• JEE  Used as a mild expletive or exclamation, as of surprise, enthusiasm, or sympathy.  I always thought "gee" was the only way to spell this.
• LEE the side or part that is sheltered or turned away from the wind: We erected our huts under the lee of the mountain. I think I knew this one already, now that I look it up. I don't camp much, so I haven't had much use for it.
• ZEE the letter Z or z. If Z's could speak would they say, "My name is Zee, but you can call me Z."?
• TUN a measure of liquid capacity, usually equivalent to 252 wine gallons. Be sure to speak clearly when using this word, so no one thinks you were talking about a ton of wine.
• SPATE a sudden, almost overwhelming, outpouring. A flood or inundation. How many spates in a tsunami?
• NENE The state bird of Hawaii. A barred, gray-brown goose. Don't embarrass yourself by calling it a "neen", say "ney-ney" or the much easier "Hawaiian goose".
• SWARE An archaic spelling of "swear". Jee, another word with an alternate spelling.
• KEN knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception: an idea beyond one's ken. I wonder if Ken knows this? Seems like he should.
• SOLON A wise lawgiver. There's just too many jokes about why we don't hear of this word more often.
• MERL a blackbird. I'm glad Poe decided against "Quoth the merl, nevermore."

Screen Shot

I'm still not revealing the particulars about the rules of the game, but I am willing to show off a screen shot of The Word Chase. We uploaded this screen shot yesterday to Apple to be used on the AppStore as one of the four pictures we can use to show off the game.

A few words about what it is not. This is not a word scramble of any sort. It's not a word search (like Boggle). It's not a hangman or Wheel of Fortune word game either.

It is very easy to learn how to play. You can play it for any amount of time, come back later and pick right up where you left off. Scrabble players will probably do rather well at this game with their knowledge of obscure words with limited letters. The Hint button keeps the game moving when you're completely stumped (and increases your Scrabble-vocabulary.) Read more about the words used in the FAQ on this page.

I promise more details at the release day grows near. Until then I welcome your comments. Beta-testers (aka friends and family) please don't spill the beans for me—thanks!