The old proverb about the pen being mightier than the sword has never been truer than in Quarrel Deluxe, a word game about world domination. Taking a cue from Risk, Quarrel tasks players with overtaking a board, pitting you against one to three AI opponents, each with a set number of troops on different tiles. Territory is captured through a series of "quarrels," or word battles where you must form words out of eight letter anagrams with specific point values attributed to each letter. However many troops you have dictates how many letters you're allowed to use, and whoever forms the highest scoring word wins the battle.
Initially it can feel unfair when your meager two man unit faces a squad of eight, rendering your anagram skills useless. That's where the strategy comes into play, and figuring out how to divvy up your troops across the board becomes essential to success. When you've put a lot of stock into building up an eight man troop only to have them lose to a four letter word, the results can be heartbreaking. Of course, when you manage to deflect a larger squad with a three letter word like "gym," it keeps you determined to stick it out. The tide can turn quickly, and multiple times I've had my opponents on their knees before they retaliated and reclaimed the vast majority of the board.
The closest the game has to a campaign is Domination, where your battles are on a strict timer. Elsewhere you can hop into a randomized quick match, tackle daily challenges, or create your own game without a set timer. Be forewarned that in the event of a tie, it comes down to who thought of their word first -- so it's always at least somewhat time sensitive.
Curiously, there's no multiplayer as of yet, which feels like a missed opportunity. The A.I. opponents vary in skill level, and when they battle each other, you can partake vicariously to win points and eventually earn backup units; so you're never entirely sitting out. Still, these rounds are inherently less exciting and the game's at its best in the quicker one-on-one battles.
The bottom line. Aside from the lack of multiplayer for what all intents and purposes is a competitive game, Quarrel is a winning formula that marries the best features from tabletop strategy and word games. Forget sticks and stones: words can hurt you. Rarely have they hurt this good.
of 5
iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 4.0 or later
Even blend of wordplay and tactics. Cute presentation. Varied modes with and without time limits.
No multiplayer options. Too much time spend watching computer players battle.
