While I’ve enjoyed several of Lightwood Games prior releases, Just a Phrase by POWGI is pretty disappointing. A very brief game with almost no challenge, it’s left me wanting more. Much more.

Billed as “A hangman-style word game with a twist”, the biggest twist might be that there’s no punishment for wrong letters. As such, you can easily tap a button to select one of four letters, and you’ll eventually solve every puzzle. Having a homophone in each phrase doesn’t add very much.

While 120 puzzles sound like a lot, few will take longer than a minute. This release is simply too easy! Beating it in just a couple hours will probably make you feel sour about the $7.99 launch price. The included content can’t match up.

  • Just a Phrase by POWGI
  • Just a Phrase by POWGI
  • Just a Phrase by POWGI

 

This is such a bland looking game too. Admittedly, none of the POWGI games are going to turn heads graphically, but is asking for a touch of color reasonable? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, please don’t neglect the presentation. Even the music tracks are recycled.

Just a Phrase by POWGI is a no-frills game that would’ve worked much better as part of a collection than a standalone release. It misses the mark in several key ways. I expected better than a quick game beaten with minimal effort. Fans of Lightwood Games might wait for a sale. Otherwise, take a pass.