Words in Progress Apple Arcade - Tip, Walkthrough, Glitch

Our Site Score

88/100

Words in Progress is a masterclass in 'simple to learn, difficult to master.' As a word game enthusiast, I’ve played everything from Scrabble to Wordle, but this feels uniquely modern. The tension comes not just from finding a word, but from managing the 'physical' space of the board.

The aesthetic is incredibly calming—muted colors and snappy animations make every successful submission feel rewarding. It’s the perfect 'waiting for the bus' game, yet I often find myself losing an hour to it on the couch. It avoids the clutter of most mobile games and focuses purely on the joy of language.

Reviewed on: Tue Mar 19 2024

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. I’ve seen enough word games to last a lifetime, and Words in Progress doesn't try to offend. It’s clean, it’s quiet, and it works. The vertical conveyor mechanic adds a slight layer of pressure that keeps you from just idling, but at its core, it's just another way to spell 'S-A-T-I-S-F-A-C-T-O-R-Y'.

It lacks the grit or the deep hook of a truly great puzzle title, but for ten minutes in a waiting room, it serves its purpose. If you're looking for innovation, you won't find it here; you'll find a stable, predictable experience that respects your time but rarely rewards your intellect with anything more than a 'Good Job'.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Minimalist interface
Smooth touch controls
No intrusive ads

Repetitive gameplay
Lack of variety in modes
Limited late-game depth

Technical Report

Performance: Rock solid frame rate; no crashes observed on modern iOS devices.

Accessibility:

Clear typography
High contrast mode

Audience Fit

Buy if: You enjoy daily mental exercises and clean, distraction-free UIs.

Skip if: You want a puzzle game with a story or complex mechanical progression.

Similar Games:

Spelling Bee
Wordscapes

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old conservative gamer
Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
Playtime: 5 hours
Status: Played all modes

The Game

Available on: Mac, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, iPod

Author : Gamious B.V.

Pubish Date : Tue Dec 19 2023

Last Update Date : Tue Dec 17 2024

Support Languages : English, Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish

Genres :

Version 2022.1.5 (1.5.0)Tue Dec 17 2024

New Features
● We’ve got a shiny new icon! We hope it better reflects what our players would expect from a word game.
● We’ve also given the default theme a refresh: now it’s got that classic, tiled word game vibe.
● For all the fans of the old-school Words in Progress default theme, don’t worry! We’ve added it back as the 'Classic Red' theme. Enjoy!
Wordlist Changes
● All words requested by players have been reviewed and, if found to be suitable for all ages and valid, added to our word lists. Thank you to everyone who gave us feedback!
Quality of Life Improvements
● Added a highlight state to the drop box for keyboard and controller interaction for specific drop box states. This way the player has a better indication of where their interaction is in those states.
Bug Fixes
● Fixed an edge case bug where the drop box could get ‘stuck’ in a highlighted state when combining mouse with touch and keyboard or controller interaction methods.
● Fixed an issue with theme bars not coloring properly when changing the game language in the theme overlay.

Ratings & Reviews

4.6 out of 5 with 138 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 4+

Game Overview

Words in Progress is a sophisticated word puzzle game that blends strategy with vocabulary. Players are presented with vertical columns of letter tiles that constantly shift as words are cleared. The goal is to create the longest and highest-scoring words possible while preventing the letter stacks from reaching the top. Featuring a clean, minimalist aesthetic and a smooth learning curve, the game offers various modes including a global challenge and an endless mode for those who want to hone their skills without pressure.