Knotwords is the newest game by Zach Gage and Jack Schlesinger. While it is one of the most unique word puzzles it feels familiar to anyone who has ever picked up a newspaper.

Easy to learn. Hard to master

Knotwords is a wicked combination of sudoku and a crossword puzzle. Each puzzle appears similar to a crossword grid where words are put in to solve that puzzle. However, the twist on it is that the grid is made of smaller units that are limited to a couple of letters.

Letters not in the unit can not be reused, and every continuous set of letters must form a word. This is made easier as the game will tell you if a word doesn’t exist, as it will appear with a red scratch through it.

Beyond that, the game doesn’t hold your hand when it comes to making it easier. This is a tough puzzle game, and when you get to the later stages the puzzles can take up to an hour to finish. The game is intimidating to me at times.

A solid amount of content

Each month you have a new set of 30 regular puzzles to finish by the end of the month. When the month ends you have no chance to go back. However, you have an additional 30 twisted puzzles and a puzzle of the day.

This is about 8-10 hours of time to finish everything in my estimate. The early puzzles are quick to finish, but the end is quite difficult to complete. If you want more, you can go through the Knotwords daily archive and play previous days.

However, this is only if you have the paid version of the game. The free version only gives you 5 of the standard monthly puzzle, and your daily classic and mini puzzle. This is a good amount of content if you are playing it like Wordle.

Is it worth the full version price?

I played the game both free on my phone and paid on my computer. I think the paid version is worth the price. The content is really intriguing, and I felt good after solving some of the really complex puzzles. The free version doesn’t have that same vibe.

The free content of the game will gauge how much you would like the paid version. However, if you are on the fence about it I would say to just make the leap. This is one of the most thoughtfully designed mobile puzzle games I have played in a while.

In Conclusion

Simple minimalistic art styles are the perfect background for a complex word puzzle that has me enthralled for hours. One of the best mobile games from Zach Gage and Jack Schlesinger who are becoming auteurs of the platform.

7.7

A fantastic game that is worth at minimum playing the free version to test the waters. A must-buy for all puzzle fanatics.