Boggle options for Mac
Boggle consistently comes out as one of the most popular freeware games listed at thriftmac. Unfortunately, that makes me feel guilty.
The reason is that the only free option for playing Boggle on the Mac is a game that is several years old and has a bare minimum of features. Basically, all it does is present some random letters in a five-by-five grid and give you three minutes to find as many words as you can.
But how do you keep track of those words? Well, you have to use a pencil and paper. It’s not exactly cutting edge — so I decided to look for alternatives.
One of them is Boogle. Yes, you read that right — a deliberate misspelling of Boggle. It, too, is getting long in the tooth, but you can at least keep track of your words within the game, and get a ruling on whether the words are valid. It’s a step up, but on the other hand, only one person can play at a time.
And there is a tricky part. Technically, Boogle is $10 shareware, but in reality it appears to be abandonware. There is no way of paying for it, and the occasional nags can easily be dismissed.
So, yes, Boogle is an improvement — but not much. To get the Boggle experience you truly deserve on a Mac, you’ll have to go with a version published in 2009 by iWin. The game, at a cost of $19.95, offers nice graphics and all the features you’d expect. It’s actually licensed by Hasbro, so you know you’re getting the real deal.
In my heart of hearts, though, I’m still hoping there is well-done free word game out there that at least comes close to Boggle. If you know of one, please share it in the comments.
Posted Tuesday, April 6, 2010 in Playtime
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