Top 22 best word games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)

Blackbar is a gut-wrenchingly effective (and oh-so-relevant) interactive story all about censorship, with a simple word-identification title woven into its fabric.

Blackbar is absolutely brilliant if you're into uniquely crafted games that aim to give you some unique perspective into what censorship and text-based gameplay can do when used together. We even have some Blackbar tips to help you out along the way!

Download Blackbar

A sharp spruce up of a true classic, SpellTower's crisp presentation and elegant block-busting gameplay ensure that it hasn't aged a bit.

It's essentially Tetris with terms, and we can only agree that it's one of the best of the genre. Is it still one of the best word games on iOS, even in 2024? We think so, but you should give it a try and let us know if you agree with us or not!

Download SpellTower+

Word games don't have to be dry, solitary pursuits. Letterpress is a brilliant title of verbal chess that has you duelling with your opponent over a tight grid of jumbled letters.

It might not be as exciting as some of the other titles on this list, but it's still one of the few titles that stays true to the classical word game approach we've known for years, and if you want something simple and clean-looking, this is a great one to get started.

Download Letterpress

More of a text adventure than an outright puzzler, Device 6 nonetheless plays with terms in a uniquely ingenious, mobile-focused way.

Even though the DEVICE 6 was released years ago, it still feels as fresh as ever. The cleverly created levels with the text-based mechanics and (not so) random pictures make it appealing in more than one way, to both word and puzzle game enthusiasts.

Download DEVICE 6

Another great title from the maker of SpellTower, TypeShift is a concise and stylish blend of anagrams, word searches, and crosswords.

You can read more about it in our TypeShift review, or you can simply dive into it and enjoy some challenging phrase puzzles. They are meant to give you a sweet taste of what this unique grid game is.

Download TypeShift

Bonza Word Puzzle is a puzzle game for iPhone that is instantly addictive. This is a classic crossword title for the IOS platform. In front of you is a playing field, on which pieces of terms and letters are scattered and you need to make a crossword puzzle into a single whole. This or that section of letters can be placed anywhere, you just have to be rational and attentive.

Download Bonza Word Puzzle

PicWords is a word puzzler that manages to feel genuinely fresh, taking a basic image and asking the player to discover three terms that could be considered representatives of said image.

You have several letters that you can use and reuse (up to a certain point), and if you're in need, ask for hints. PicWords has quite literally hundreds of levels available, so there's always something new and exciting to look forward to.

Download PicWords

Proving the diverse potential of word games, Spellspire is actually an action RPG where your attacks are powered by your vocabulary - if that's not something novel, then I don't know what is. It brings a whole new meaning to the term 'spellcasting'.

If you want something more than a simple word game, this is as good as it gets. It's a truly fun and exciting title that will make you want to spell as best as you can.

Download Spellspire

Are you looking for a relaxing word game with interesting searching tasks? Wordscapes is a great puzzler where you have to solve crosswords and anagrams.

You will find more than 6000 levels, so it might take quite a while for you to complete all of them. Even though the Wordscapes seems to be simple at the beginning, it becomes more complex fast enough. In other words (no pun intended), it is a perfect contest to test your vocabulary skills.

Download Wordscapes

The humble crossword meets the word jumble in this inspired supergroup. Add some super-clean presentation and an intuitive control system, and you're L-A-U-G-H-I-N-G.

We have a Crossgrams review, so if you're eager to learn how we found it during our playthrough, make sure to check it out. We strongly recommend it especially if you like simple-looking titles with a lot of essence because Crossgrams is exactly that.

Download Crossgrams

A very clever game that isn't afraid to challenge the player to create their very own story. This experimental title is full of twists and turns every step of the way. It's brilliant, with an emphasis on creativity and fun, but it also has a very simple animation to lure you right in and make you ask all the right questions.

If that sounds ambiguous, that's because you'll only get to truly understand the plot once you're in it. It's one of the best word games for iPhone out there if you can look past its dark appearance.

Did you know we have an Ord. review?

Download Ord.

Titles in this genre are interesting enough when they bring something unique to players, but when they take essential day-to-day words and ask you to find opposites that's something else. It's fun, challenging, and sometimes a little difficult.

Antitype is one of the best iPhone word games out there, and if you're up for the task, it can take you on some rather exciting journeys. Who knew finding some 8-letter words and their opposites could be so hard?

Download Antitype

If you're familiar with Philipp Stollenmayer's creations, this is another one to behold. Sticky Terms basically asks you to pull term jumbles apart by tapping the screen and reconnecting them in order to create actual words. Oh, and let's not forget that all of the terms are foreign too.

It's challenging and fun and has a tad bit of educational purpose too. It's a unique title in that sense since no other offers such a hands-on approach.

Download Sticky Terms

Supertype is another one from Philipp Stollenmayer, so you can probably tell it's going to be a great one. It's basically a word game where you have to put each term in the right place.

Sounds simple enough, but in reality, it's a relaxing game with words that feels better and better the more you play it. It's fantastic - we even have a supertype review!

Download supertype

Oh...Sir! The Hollywood Roast is probably one of the very few ones that are not at all what you might expect. It is a word game, but one where you need to roast the opponent. That's right, you need to use the right terms in order to come up with some of the most ingenious cuss words out there.

Oh...Sir! The Hollywood Roast is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and if you're looking for something like that, then you've found the most suitable one.

Download Oh...Sir! The Hollywood Roast

AI Dungeon is, simply put, a title where you can do anything that you might put your mind to. You are in charge of the storyline, action and pretty much anything you might think of through sheer words. That gives players a lot of freedom, so if that is something up your alley, chances are you'll love AI Dungeon.

Download AI Dungeon

4 Pics 1 Word is an interesting quiz game that is great for both kids and adults. In 4 Pics 1 Word, you will have to guess the term by looking at four images. Some levels will be pretty easy to solve, while others will definitely make you think.

On each level, you can collect coins. You can use those coins to unlock the daily puzzle, or if you get stuck, you can buy a piece of advice on how to solve it.

Download 4 Pics 1 Word

You're probably familiar with classical Solitaire, and if you are a fan of it too, you'll probably love Words Out. It applies the normal rules from Solitaire, except it's a term game, which automatically means fewer numbers.

You have to deal out your letter cards to put together four rows of words, score high points all throughout and enjoy a casual experience. It's super engaging!

Download Words Out

Lineweight is a very good-looking title that feels more like interactive fiction than anything else. It doesn't have a whole lot going on in the gameplay department, but boy is it beautiful.

You can read our Lineweight review, where we mentioned a thing or two about the gameplay as well as what you can expect from this stunning iOS word game. It might be for you, or it might not - read it and decide for yourself!

Download Lineweight

Words With Friends is pretty much the most Scrabble-like title you've probably heard of - you play it, your friends play it, and probably your mother plays it too. It's engaging, exciting, and extremely fun when it comes to letter-mashing.

You can play it in solo mode or against your friends, and as you might well know, titles where you get to beat your friends with knowledge, are that much more fun. Words With Friends is one of the finest iPhone word games, especially since you can show your friends who the real GM is.

Download Words With Friends

Deadword is a title that doesn't resemble anything else we've listed thus far. It's the one where you have to avoid zombies by spelling the right words and overall putting your brain to use instead of handing it to the zombies on a golden platter.

It's brilliant and you will find it extremely easy to get sucked right into this post-apocalyptic world filled with brain-eating green baddies. We also love its pixelated graphics, so if you've been looking for a word game with 8-bit graphics, you've found it.

Download Deadword

Letters & Sodas is a fun and fizzy little title revolving around letters and phrases that involve tactile block-sliding mechanics. It's one of the best-looking, delicious, and fun word games on this list, and on iOS.

To top it all off, Words Out has a very beautiful and calming pastel colour scheme which gives it a modern, simple and beautiful approach - it's a title that you really want to try, especially if iPhone word games are your bread and butter!

Download Letters & Sodas