Spellspire

Spellspire is simple, unique, and will make you feel like your English skills are on par with a 10-year old. The fun blend of word puzzle and fantasy adventure is enough to flesh out hours of content, and the snappy interface makes it easy to jump in for a few floors of spellbinding action. Longer play sessions wear a bit thin due to the need to grind, and the inconsistent difficulty makes progression feel less satisfying than it really should. It's not out to impress with its story or visuals, but if you want something quick and easy to play in handheld mode then it's a pretty solid choice. At its current price we'd only really recommend it to players who enjoy word games in general, and maybe keep a dictionary close to hand...

Spellspire isn’t a bad game, it is simply let down by the fact that it hasn’t been adapted fully for consoles. It is still a mobile game at heart, just now without any in-app purchases. To me, that is what is most infuriating because I would recommend this game to most people if it meant you didn’t have to go back to each level multiple times and grind until you are strong enough to finally progress. For this reason, it’s hard to recommend to people unless you truly love word games of this ilk, because if you do, regardless of whether you care about doing the same levels over and over, you’re still going to have fun playing.

The flaws of the free, mobile version have been carried over to the Nintendo Switch port, and as such, destroy what little fun could be had by this word-scramble title, the reason being that, rather than the ability to craft words, Spellspire is all about grinding.

"Scribblenauts needs more challengers."

Spellspire is a game that knows what it is, and doesn't aim for the stars. It's a more than enjoyable experience worth the price tag. Those looking for a fun little game to play during downtime, or even something to distract the kids, can't go far wrong here.

Spellspire may not be the most common game out there, as there aren't many games based on typing, but this production gets it right. Thanks to its addictive progression system, players will be constantly motivated to advance and to come up with more elaborate words to vanquish the enemy monsters.

10tons' spelling RPG-lite is good fun in short bursts, but the grind will grate after a while. While I wouldn't recommend Spellspire to the majority of Nintendo Switch owners, if you are a fan of mental puzzle games then you will find something to enjoy here.

On its own, Spellspire is an enjoyable word RPG, somewhat in the same vein as a Puzzle Quest. The replayable nature makes it a nice game to have on hand as a complement to the Switch's other games. It's a focused and fun twist on a known formula, well worth checking out if you need a break from Mario.

Overall, Spellspire is a nice game to knock around casually while you’re either in-between things or possibly doing something else like watch TV. It is challenging, will keep your brain firing to figure out all of the possible words your set of letters has to offer, and provides you with some opportunities for strategy as well. While lefties and the vocabulary or spelling-challenged may want to think twice about it 10 Tons has brought over yet another quality casual title to fill out the Switch line-up.

In the end, Spellspire is a fun game that's best played in short sessions. The focus on speed is exciting, and the RPG elements make it so that you're forced to put some thought into each of your fights. It can feel rather repetitive since you're always stuck with 10 letters and the monster roster per stage doesn't change. Having said that, it's perfect for the Vita and is a complementary title for those who've already played Letter Quest Remastered.