Video Game Review: Hanging with Friends

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun version of hangman

Cons: Addicting

The Bottom Line: 

Pick a tricky word

See if it will send your friend

Into the lava

Hang with Friends Over Lava as You Play Hangman

A couple weeks ago, I was playing Words with Friends when my sister-in-law sent me a message on that game.  "Have you started playing Hanging with Friends?" she asked.  I hadn't been that interested in it, but I immediately went and downloaded it.  Now, I am hooked on this fun version of hangman for iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

If you know how to play hangman, you know the basics of this game.  You and a friend will take turns creating words from 4 to 8 letters long for each other to guess.  The number of wrong guesses you get varies based on how long the word is, starting at 8 wrong guesses for a 4 letter word and moving down to 4 wrong guesses for an 8 letter word.  And, to help you out, the last vowel of the word is filled in for free.

Since this game is from the same company that created Words with Friends, parts of that platform come across.  You can use the same log in, for example.  The letters you use to create your words look like the letters from the other game (including the point values).  And you can take your turn and your opponent will know to take their turn.  You can play with someone in the same room by sharing the devise, or you can play with friends and family from around the world.  There's even an option for the game to find a random opponent for you to play.

So, how do the games work?  Each game consists of multiple rounds.  For each round, you solve a word and create a word for your opponent.  When you go to create a word, you'll find 12 tiles to choose from.  These tiles can be placed in any order for any length word you want in a little tray.  Once you have picked a word that is sure to stump your opponent, hit play and the software does the rest.  Next time your friend logs into the game, they'll have a notification waiting for them to take their turn.  And then when you log in again, you can either watch them solve the word (see what letters they guessed in which sequence) or skip right to the final outcome of their turn.

When it comes your turn to guess the word, you'll find blank ties on your screen to represent each letter in the world.  There's also a small bar that shows how many wrong guesses you have left.  As I mentioned already, the last vowel in the word is filled in for you (and any other occurrences of that vowel in the word).  There's also an area with all the letters in the alphabet.  Just tap the letter you want to guess, and you'll find out if it's in the word or not.  Keep guessing until you get the word or run out of wrong guesses.

If you get completely stumped, there are some helps along the way.  You can use one per round.  The first help per game is free, but after that, they cost 20 coins.  (I'll get to those coins in a minute.)  You can have the game pick three wrong letters and one correct letter, eliminate four wrong letters for you, or have the game give you one extra wrong guess.  I usually use the first and find it helps me quite a bit when I get stumped.

As I said, the letters are on the same tiles from Words with Friends, including the point values.  Each time you go to create a word, one of the spaces will be highlighted with a double or triple letter or double or triple word symbol.  If you play a letter on that space, you get the point bonus.  Either way, you get points for the letters you play.  Every time you get 200 points, you earn 20 gold coins.  Those coins can then be used in any game to get the help I just talked about.

A game consists of multiple rounds.  When you first log in, you get to select a little animated guy to represent you.  At the start of a game, you and your friend are hanging by five balloons in front of a volcano.  Each time you miss a word, you lose a balloon and slowly sink toward the lava below.  If you are bad, it can be over in five rounds.  But it's actually pretty easy to hang on at the end if you have a run of luck.  I find that some days I can't solve the simplest word to save my life, but the next I figure out all the words easy or hard with plenty of guesses to spare.

Those little guys are actually quite fun.  As you guess letters, your guy smiles or looks worried depending on whether you are right or wrong.  Your opponent, meanwhile can get quite a grin on his or her face if you get several wrong in a row, but immediately looks upset when you start guessing correct letters.

The graphics look pretty good for an iPhone app.  They don't hold up to more sophisticated video games, of course, but for this platform they are actually very nice.

There is sound with this game as well.  There's a little chime that sounds with every letter guessed.  For wrong guesses, it sounds ominous, while with correct guesses, things sound much happier.  And when you guess the word right, there's a nice fanfare.  Again, these sounds are very basic, but they add a nice touch to the game.

The game only works if you are connected to the internet.  On an iPhone or iPad, that isn't an issue.  Since I have an iPod Touch, I have to be connected to wifi to take my turn.  That's a minor issues.

There are two versions of the game.  For the free version, you have to put up with an ad after every time you chose a word for your opponent.  After about a week of that, they put the paid version on sale for 99 cents, so I jumped on that.  It's wonderful to play with no ads at all.  They often put their games on sale, so if you can put up with the ads, you'll be able to pick this one up fairly cheaply.

And it is well worth the money spent.  It's been years since I played hangman, and I wasn't sure I'd like this app.  But I find it highly addicting.  So far, all my games have come down to the last turn or two.  And if one is a runaway, often the next game is a runaway in the opposite direction.  It amazes me that the playing field can be so level.

So if you want a new, addicting game to play with friends from around the world, check out Hanging with Friends.  Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go see if I have any turns to take yet.

(And if you want to play me, my user name is Carstairs38.  Shocking, I know.)