Word games never get old. Whether it’s the 28,000th edition of the New York Times crossword or the latest Wordle spin-off, there’s always more fun to be had with letters.
The Linguist is the latest word game to land on our desks, and it’s an absolute doozy.
Developed by Player1Games, this is a word puzzler that focuses on the meditative benefits of gaming. That makes it a perfect casual game for our troubled times, giving us an opportunity to both exercise our grey matter and relax in a peaceful virtual garden.
Here’s how it works. The Linguist boasts multiple modes, including Fill In and Crossword. Fill In sees you unscrambling words to fill rows of boxes, each row corresponding with a gettable word.
Crossword, meanwhile, is closer to Wordscapes than the aforementioned NYT crossword. Once again it sees you making as many anagrams as possible out of a jumble of letters, this time with the benefit of intersecting words that provide clues.
Momentous Loquacity
Sounds simple, right? And it is. But The Linguist isn’t afraid to throw some obscure words at you.
If you want evidence, just look at the App Store description. Player1Games wants to know whether you’re a “lexicon flexer” or a “glossary vexer”. If so, it’s got a “cornucopia of cryptic conundrums” for you.
Blimey.
There are hundreds of stages to complete in The Linguist, as well as daily challenges and more. But that’s not the game’s USP.
What marks The Linguist out is its innovative Custom Zen Garden Builder feature. This allows you to plough your rewards into cultivating and maintaining a meditative, plant-filled space away from the hustle and bustle of life.
To drive the message well and truly home, The Linguist even offers guided breathing exercises, to ensure that you feel restored instead of drained at the end of every puzzle-solving session.
The Linguist is available for free on the App Store.