We’re just now in the process of implementing wild card letters, in preparation for the next release of our word game app. When the idea of wild card letters came up a couple months ago, we didn’t think it was too interesting. It didn’t particularly resonate with the simplicity and purity of the basic Swamp Talk game. But we’re changing our point of view. Two things seem really promising about wild cards.
First, they bring more words into the game. For example, in the current Swamp Talk B’s are fairly uncommon, so you’ll almost never play BUBBLE. But with a wild card, you could play BUB*LE, using a wild card for that third B. More words makes the game better.
Second, Swamp Talk is all about juggling different scenarios for where a cluster of words might go. If you’re looking at LIVE, you might be able to turn that into ALIVE, or LIVED, LIVER or OLIVE. Cool! But with a wild card in place of the L, there are even more possibilities that use the letters differently. Adding just one more letter, you could get anything from WAIVE or DRIVE to CIVET or SIEVE. The wild card amplifies that Swamp Talk experience of seeing a cluster of letters one way at one moment, and completely differently the next.
We’ll be test playing with wild cards next week. We’ll see if they live up to their promise! Wild cards also have a special role in our new multiplayer game…more on that later.
Would you like to see wild card letters in Swamp Talk? Share your thoughts with the development team in the comment box below.
