Top This! is certainly not breaking any new ground, but it does a great job all the same. The pizza theme it uses as its background and base is perfect for the medium in which it is played. While the game won't be winning any prestigious awards for complex and deep game play, it is sure to deliver fun and light entertainment.
What do you get when you combine chemical elements with word play? No, not the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything (that's "42", silly). What you do get is a unique word game that will challenge players to make the shortest words as possible using the symbols (abbreviations) of the elements. In fact, the name of the game, TIN, is derived from the symbols of Titanium (Ti) and Nitrogen (N)! Understand the origins of the game's name and you already know how to play.
My children (5 and 7-years-old) clamored to play Spinnengift und Krötenschleim over and over. They were especially tickled to talk about the stinky mushroom and the mouse droppings (also known as rat poo). If certain items were discovered to be close to my side of the table, they would tell me delightedly that I must have been eating these disgusting condiments.
The Kingdom was at peace, both within its borders and with the neighboring lands. Prosperity and opportunity was in abundance and many claimed it was a new golden age. But within the castle, the prince of the now old King looked out upon the land and felt nothing but hate in his heart. He saw a land full of lazy, fat people who would be easy to rule. All he needed was power and he was willing to do whatever it took to claim it.
Dragons, trolls, undead skeleton warriors, goblins, and orcs muster outside the walls of the castle. From the parapets, the commanders and a handful of Heroes look down at the massing Legions of Darkness. The walls of the castle are thick and old, well seasons by the elements and war. The castle has stood against time and against countless foes, but the army that is approaching is bigger than any warrior can remember.
I really enjoyed Word Wars I.II.III. I found it to be terribly frustrating and rewarding, leaving me giddy when I was able to make three simple words. Only three! And yet, it felt like an incredible feat of intelligence. This is especially true when you score points. It really is a challenge of intellect and seeing words in a cloud of limited possibilities is a great puzzle to solve.