Word Zero

Word Zero is a crossword board game in the style of others you may have seen. Two players take turns placing tiles on a board to form words. Tiles have different point values, and some board spaces have bonuses (like double-word score), and so on.

What makes this game different is the absence of ... annoyances.

• Zero interruptions: We have no ads during game play.

• Zero distractions: We don't have gems, rewards, stickers, or achievements.

• Zero deception: We do offer computer players (Bots), but they never pretend to be real people.

• Zero manipulation: We don't send you notifications nagging you to play a game.

• Zero cheats: We don't have in-game assistance or power-ups.

Instead, Word Zero has a simple model of requiring one "token" for each game you play.

• Each new user gets a batch of free game tokens to start. More free tokens are provided periodically and as resources allow.

• Users who want to play more often can purchase additional tokens through In-App Purchases.

• Game tokens do not expire and can be used at whatever pace you like.

Highlights:

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• Games are "correspondence" style. Each player has up to 3 days for their turn, but it is considered good form to play as quickly as possible. If a player does not make a turn within that time period, a pass is automatically assumed and it becomes the other player's turn. If a player "auto-passes" twice in a row, and if their opponent makes a turn in between, the game is declared a forfeit and the opponent wins. Note that it is considered bad form to abandon a game.

• Languages currently supported for game play include English and Spanish

• For games in English, we use the NASPA Word List, which is the official word reference for SCRABBLE play in the United States and Canada.

• Push notifications to let you know when it is your turn

• Players who use this app are expected to play without outside assistance. Using dictionaries, word lists, or other helps during a game is considered cheating. All players are on the honor system.

• An Elo rating system is used to give an approximate indication of the strength of each player.

• Although the primary focus of Word Zero is to facilitate games between people, the ability to play against computer players ("Bots") is provided as well. The Bot-related features are intentionally kept separated from other areas of the app, so there can be no confusion about whether you are playing a Bot or a real person.