Letterpress (video game): Difference between revisions
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Whitehead was the first [[Software release life cycle|beta tester]] and helped to refine the game's rules. In the first version of ''Letterpress'', players could indiscriminately create long words, as tiles would only turn into the player's color.<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> He incorporated a feature that gave players [[Score (game)|bonus points]] for surrounding tiles.<ref name="LorenBrichter_VideoInterview" /> However, Brichter realized that players would avoid remaining tiles; to fix this, he made surrounding tiles unclaimable.<ref name="LorenBrichter_VideoInterview" /> For the [[graphics]] and [[user interface]], he took inspiration from the [[Windows Phone]].<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> The game was written in [[OpenGL]], and [[Game Center]] handled the multiplayer [[Matchmaking (video games)|matchmaking]] service.<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> He developed the [[sound effects]] by spitting in his microphone and determined the name based on what the player did: pressing letters.<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> |
Whitehead was the first [[Software release life cycle|beta tester]] and helped to refine the game's rules. In the first version of ''Letterpress'', players could indiscriminately create long words, as tiles would only turn into the player's color.<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> He incorporated a feature that gave players [[Score (game)|bonus points]] for surrounding tiles.<ref name="LorenBrichter_VideoInterview" /> However, Brichter realized that players would avoid remaining tiles; to fix this, he made surrounding tiles unclaimable.<ref name="LorenBrichter_VideoInterview" /> For the [[graphics]] and [[user interface]], he took inspiration from the [[Windows Phone]].<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> The game was written in [[OpenGL]], and [[Game Center]] handled the multiplayer [[Matchmaking (video games)|matchmaking]] service.<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> He developed the [[sound effects]] by spitting in his microphone and determined the name based on what the player did: pressing letters.<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> |
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Brichter marketed the game as [[freemium]] and chose screenshots of ''Letterpress'' to promote it on the [[App Store (Apple)|App Store]].<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> The game was released for iOS on October 24, 2012,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wehner |first=Mike |date=October 24, 2012 |title=atebits releases ''Letterpress'' for iPhone |work=[[Engadget]] |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012-10-24-atebits-releases-letterpress-for-iphone.html |access-date=November 28, 2023 |archive-date=November 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130063104/https://www.engadget.com/2012-10-24-atebits-releases-letterpress-for-iphone.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and on that day, the game was downloaded about 60,000 times.<ref name="NYT_NotedRelease" /> |
Brichter marketed the game as [[freemium]] and chose screenshots of ''Letterpress'' to promote it on the [[App Store (Apple)|App Store]].<ref name="LorenBrichter_TextInterview" /> The game was released for iOS on October 24, 2012,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wehner |first=Mike |date=October 24, 2012 |title=atebits releases ''Letterpress'' for iPhone |work=[[Engadget]] |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012-10-24-atebits-releases-letterpress-for-iphone.html |access-date=November 28, 2023 |archive-date=November 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130063104/https://www.engadget.com/2012-10-24-atebits-releases-letterpress-for-iphone.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and on that day, the game was downloaded about 60,000 times.<ref name="NYT_NotedRelease" /> In the free version, players could only compete in two games at once.<ref name="SlidetoPlay_Review">{{Cite news |last=Reed |first=Chris |date=October 26, 2012 |title=''Letterpress'' – Word Game Review |url=http://www.slidetoplay.com/review/letterpress-word-game-review/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626113818/http://www.slidetoplay.com/review/letterpress-word-game-review/ |archive-date=June 26, 2014 |access-date=November 26, 2023 |work=Slide to Play}}</ref> After Solebon LLC bought Atebits 2.0, ''Letterpress'' was released on the [[Mac App Store]] on July 20, 2016,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=Zac |date=July 20, 2016 |title=''Letterpress'' word game lands on the Mac as Skype drops support for older OS X versions |work=[[9to5Mac]] |url=https://9to5mac.com/2016/07/20/letterpress-word-game-mac-skype-legacy-os-x-support/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205144625/http://9to5mac.com/2016/07/20/letterpress-word-game-mac-skype-legacy-os-x-support/ |archive-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref> and on [[Google Play]] on August 25, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Letterpress'' – Word Game |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.solebon.letterpress&hl=en_US&gl=US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107055507/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.solebon.letterpress&hl=en_US&gl=US |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |access-date=November 30, 2023 |website=[[Google Play]]}}</ref> |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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Critics praised the design of ''Letterpress''. Nelson called the graphics "aesthetically pleasing",<ref name="TouchArcade_Review" /> and Dellinger said that the game had "zero clutter".<ref name="Gamezebo_Review" /> Nelson |
Critics praised the design of ''Letterpress''. Nelson called the graphics "aesthetically pleasing",<ref name="TouchArcade_Review" /> and Dellinger said that the game had "zero clutter".<ref name="Gamezebo_Review" /> Nelson cited the "smooth animation" of Clear, a productivity app, to praise the game's visuals.<ref name="TouchArcade_Review" /> Larsen complimented Brichter and stated that it had "pretty menus" and "smart aesthetic choices",<ref name="Paste_Review" /> and Friedman noticed and praised details, including the sound effects and user interface.<ref name="Macworld_Review" /> Ranking the game as a "must have", Chris Reed of ''Slide to Play'' said that ''Letterpress'' is a "gorgeous example of [[Minimalism|minimalist design]]".<ref name="SlidetoPlay_Review" /> [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] took inspiration from minimalistic apps, including ''Letterpress'', when designing [[iOS 7]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=October 9, 2013 |title=Taskmasters: how Israeli intelligence officers helped inspire the look of iOS 7 |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/9/4817146/taskmasters-how-israeli-intelligence-officers-helped-inspire-the-look-of-ios-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210071716/https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/9/4817146/taskmasters-how-israeli-intelligence-officers-helped-inspire-the-look-of-ios-7 |archive-date=February 10, 2015 |access-date=January 6, 2024 |work=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> |
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''Letterpress'' was featured in the App Store's Best of 2012 list, ranking second place as the game of the year for [[iPhone]].<ref name="Apple_Best2012">{{Cite news |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=December 13, 2012 |title=App Store names its 'Best of 2012' games for iPhone and iPad |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |url=https://www.polygon.com/2012/12/13/3765266/app-store-names-best-of-2012-games-for-iphone-and-ipad |access-date=October 8, 2023 |archive-date=October 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016084100/https://www.polygon.com/2012/12/13/3765266/app-store-names-best-of-2012-games-for-iphone-and-ipad |url-status=live}}</ref> It was nominated at the [[Worldwide Developers Conference]] and won the 2013 [[Apple Design Awards]].<ref name="WWDC">{{Cite web |title=This year's winners |url=https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/events/awards/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612144510/https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/events/awards/ |archive-date=June 12, 2013 |access-date=October 8, 2023 |website=[[Apple Inc.|Apple]]}}</ref><ref name="Apple Design Awards">{{Cite news |last=McElroy |first=Griffin |author-link=Griffin McElroy |date=June 12, 2013 |title=''Ridiculous Fishing'', ''Letterpress'' and more take home Apple Design Awards |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/12/4423292/ridiculous-fishing-letterpress-and-more-take-home-apple-design-awards |access-date=October 8, 2023 |archive-date=October 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021004521/https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/12/4423292/ridiculous-fishing-letterpress-and-more-take-home-apple-design-awards |url-status=live}}</ref> |
''Letterpress'' was featured in the App Store's Best of 2012 list, ranking second place as the game of the year for [[iPhone]].<ref name="Apple_Best2012">{{Cite news |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=December 13, 2012 |title=App Store names its 'Best of 2012' games for iPhone and iPad |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |url=https://www.polygon.com/2012/12/13/3765266/app-store-names-best-of-2012-games-for-iphone-and-ipad |access-date=October 8, 2023 |archive-date=October 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016084100/https://www.polygon.com/2012/12/13/3765266/app-store-names-best-of-2012-games-for-iphone-and-ipad |url-status=live}}</ref> It was nominated at the [[Worldwide Developers Conference]] and won the 2013 [[Apple Design Awards]].<ref name="WWDC">{{Cite web |title=This year's winners |url=https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/events/awards/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612144510/https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/events/awards/ |archive-date=June 12, 2013 |access-date=October 8, 2023 |website=[[Apple Inc.|Apple]]}}</ref><ref name="Apple Design Awards">{{Cite news |last=McElroy |first=Griffin |author-link=Griffin McElroy |date=June 12, 2013 |title=''Ridiculous Fishing'', ''Letterpress'' and more take home Apple Design Awards |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/12/4423292/ridiculous-fishing-letterpress-and-more-take-home-apple-design-awards |access-date=October 8, 2023 |archive-date=October 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021004521/https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/12/4423292/ridiculous-fishing-letterpress-and-more-take-home-apple-design-awards |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 00:31, 15 January 2024
| Letterpress | |
|---|---|
 App icon | |
| Developer(s) | Loren Brichter |
| Publisher(s) | atebits, Solebon LLC[a] |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) | Loren Brichter |
| Artist(s) | Loren Brichter |
| Engine | OpenGL |
| Platform(s) | iOS, OS X, Android |
| Release | October 24, 2012
|
| Genre(s) | Word game, turn-based strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Letterpress is a 2012 turn-based word game developed by Loren Brichter and published by atebits. In the game, two players take turns creating words to cover the most territory. Brichter based the game design on Boggle, color wars, and SpellTower. The gameplay gradually evolved during beta testing; in the prototype, players would stall games by avoiding remaining tiles on the board.
Letterpress was released in October 2012 for iOS, under Solebon LLC in July 2016 for the Mac App Store, and in August 2017 for Google Play. While the game was praised for its design and strategic gameplay, it was criticized for not having a single-player mode. Letterpress was ranked second place in the App Store's Best of 2012 list and won the 2013 Apple Design Awards.
Gameplay
In Letterpress, two players compete to own the most tiles on a grid with 25 letters.[1] Players must assemble a valid word; they cannot reuse or create words from the same word family.[2][3] When a player finishes their turn, their selected letters change into their color.[1][2][4] If a player's tiles surround a letter, the opponent cannot claim it, and the surrounded tiles become a different shade.[5] Players may choose to pass a turn. Once every square is occupied, or if both players pass their turns in the same round, the player that owns the most tiles wins.[2][5]
Development and release
After leaving Twitter, Inc. in November 2011, Loren Brichter, the founder of Atebits 2.0,[b] began finishing side projects that he had little time to work on.[7][8] He had previously created Tweetie and the pull-to-refresh function.[8] After playing Zach Gage's iOS game SpellTower together, he and his wife, Jean Whitehead, were inspired to develop a multiplayer word game.[7][8][9] Focused on combining color and words,[8] Brichter cited Boggle and color wars as influences for the gameplay.[7]
Whitehead was the first beta tester and helped to refine the game's rules. In the first version of Letterpress, players could indiscriminately create long words, as tiles would only turn into the player's color.[9] He incorporated a feature that gave players bonus points for surrounding tiles.[7] However, Brichter realized that players would avoid remaining tiles; to fix this, he made surrounding tiles unclaimable.[7] For the graphics and user interface, he took inspiration from the Windows Phone.[9] The game was written in OpenGL, and Game Center handled the multiplayer matchmaking service.[9] He developed the sound effects by spitting in his microphone and determined the name based on what the player did: pressing letters.[9]
Brichter marketed the game as freemium and chose screenshots of Letterpress to promote it on the App Store.[9] The game was released for iOS on October 24, 2012,[10] and on that day, the game was downloaded about 60,000 times.[8] In the free version, players could only compete in two games at once.[11] After Solebon LLC bought Atebits 2.0, Letterpress was released on the Mac App Store on July 20, 2016,[12] and on Google Play on August 25, 2017.[13]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 89/100[14] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Gamezebo | 90/100[3] |
| Pocket Gamer | 4.5/5[15] |
| TouchArcade | 4.5/5[5] |
| Paste | 8.9/10[1] |
Letterpress has a "generally favorable" Metacritic rating based on eight critics.[14]
Reviewers found the strategic elements of Letterpress captivating. Although TouchArcade's Jared Nelson commented that the gameplay was challenging to explain, he explained that players would become addicted once they had mastered the rules.[5] Lex Friedman of Macworld and AJ Dellinger of Gamezebo shared similar views, writing that Letterpress is "alarmingly addictive"[2] and would fit with "word nerds and strategy-oriented thinkers" respectively.[3] Pocket Gamer's Harry Slater compared the gameplay to chess, praised the suspense of a player waiting for their opponent's next move, and wrote that Letterpress is "asynchronous gaming at its finest".[15] Some criticized the absence of a single-player mode.[3][5][11] While Luke Larsen of Paste magazine concluded that Letterpress is an "incredible achievement", he shared that Game Center may interfere with player statistics and matchmaking.[1]
Critics praised the design of Letterpress. Nelson called the graphics "aesthetically pleasing",[5] and Dellinger said that the game had "zero clutter".[3] Nelson cited the "smooth animation" of Clear, a productivity app, to praise the game's visuals.[5] Larsen complimented Brichter and stated that it had "pretty menus" and "smart aesthetic choices",[1] and Friedman noticed and praised details, including the sound effects and user interface.[2] Ranking the game as a "must have", Chris Reed of Slide to Play said that Letterpress is a "gorgeous example of minimalist design".[11] Apple took inspiration from minimalistic apps, including Letterpress, when designing iOS 7.[16]
Letterpress was featured in the App Store's Best of 2012 list, ranking second place as the game of the year for iPhone.[17] It was nominated at the Worldwide Developers Conference and won the 2013 Apple Design Awards.[4][18]
See also
Notes and references
Notes
- ^ Solebon published the Mac port in 2016.
- ^ The previous Atebits was acquired by Twitter, Inc. in 2010.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e Larsen, Luke (November 5, 2012). "Mobile Game of the Week: Letterpress (iOS)". Paste. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Friedman, Lex (October 24, 2012). "Review: Letterpress is an excellent iOS word game". Macworld. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Dellinger, AJ (October 29, 2012). "Letterpress Review". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ a b "This year's winners". Apple. Archived from the original on June 12, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Nelson, Jared (October 24, 2012). "Letterpress – Word Game Review – Simple And Awesome". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Miller, Claire Cain (April 9, 2010). "Twitter Acquires Atebits, Maker of Tweetie". Bits. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Brichter, Loren (October 24, 2012). "Loren Brichter talks Letterpress for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad". YouTube (Interview). Interviewed by Rene Ritchie. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Wortham, Jenna (October 25, 2012). "Letterpress, Game From the Creator of Tweetie, Lifts Off". Bits. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Brichter, Loren (October 24, 2012). "A Conversation With Loren Brichter". MacStories (Interview). Interviewed by Federico Viticci. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Wehner, Mike (October 24, 2012). "atebits releases Letterpress for iPhone". Engadget. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c Reed, Chris (October 26, 2012). "Letterpress – Word Game Review". Slide to Play. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Hall, Zac (July 20, 2016). "Letterpress word game lands on the Mac as Skype drops support for older OS X versions". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ "Letterpress – Word Game". Google Play. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "Letterpress – Word Game". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Slater, Harry (October 27, 2012). "Letterpress". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Newton, Casey (October 9, 2013). "Taskmasters: how Israeli intelligence officers helped inspire the look of iOS 7". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (December 13, 2012). "App Store names its 'Best of 2012' games for iPhone and iPad". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ McElroy, Griffin (June 12, 2013). "Ridiculous Fishing, Letterpress and more take home Apple Design Awards". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.