Item: Antitype
Rating: 8.0
Author: Christine Chan

Antitype ($1.99) by BorderLeap, LLC is another brain teaser word game that will be sure to make you think about opposites. If you enjoyed other unique word games such as TypeShift, BAIKOH, and Word², then you will love what Antitype brings to the genre.

As a writer, I think it’s safe to say that I love word games. I have come to realize that I am just much more of a word person than I am a numbers gal, but I’m completely fine with that. Throughout the past several years, I believe that I’ve gone through my fair share of word games, from the Scrabble and Boggle clones to more unique ones, such as Letterpress, BAIKOH, and SpellTower. Despite the fact that most word games have the same concept, I can’t help but jump on the opportunity of a new title, because I’m an addict. When the news of Antitype hit my inbox, and seeing how it was from BorderLeap (makers of Alpha Omega and other words games), I knew I had to get my hands on it. And if you’re like me and want a word game that stands out from the crowded marketplace, then you will like Antitype.

Visually, Antitype is about as minimal as you can get. The game has an incredibly simple and clean look, and everything is flat so it fits in well with the modern design aesthetic these days. Despite the simplicity, Antitype is still visually appealing because of its use of bright and vibrant colors that compliment each other rather nicely, and the white and black spaces for the words provide sharp contrast. Animations are subtle but buttery smooth and fluid, and there are some fantastic clicking sound effects that are downright fun to hear. Like their other word games, BorderLeap has done it again with the minimalistic design of Antitype.

In Antitype, there is only one game mode, but there are over 300 puzzles included with the initial download, so you do get a good amount of content for your buck. Another interesting thing about Antitype is the fact that each puzzle can be uniquely shuffled on every attempt so that there is always a different solution. Regardless of how the puzzles are shuffled around each time, the goal remains the same: decipher each pair of words that are opposites of each other with a common theme between them. While it sounds easy enough, the unique gameplay mechanic makes things a bit more challenging than they appear on the surface.

Each puzzle will consist of two rows (of varying length) of letter tiles that are stacked on top of each other. A number in the corner of each tile indicates the number of times that the tile can be changed. When you tap on a tile, it will change the letters that are around it, but not change the tile you selected. With this in mind, you have to plan your moves wisely and carefully, because after a tile changes enough times, it becomes locked. When all tiles are locked, you’ll have to tap on the restart button and try again. The hint for each pair of words is revealed at the beginning of a level, but you can tap anywhere around the tiles to see the hint again if needed.

Revealing the hint also brings up the buttons to go back or forward one level (if able) or go back to the very beginning of the game or where you last left off. You also can see your progress in the game with the “level # of 325” message at the bottom of the screen. A medal icon at the top of the pause/hint screen takes you to the leaderboards, where you can see how you stack up against other people from all over the world. The leaderboards are based on how many puzzles you’ve managed to solve so far, and with the unique shuffling for each attempt, this means that no one has an unfair advantage (plus there’s no in-app purchases). And for those who have multiple iOS devices, don’t worry — your game progress will go with you, no matter what device you’re using, thanks to the iCloud game save syncing.

As a fan of word games of all kinds, I am enjoying Antitype so far. The game is unlike most other word games I’ve tried in recent memory, and I love the simplicity of the visual and audio design. It can definitely be challenging on some levels because of the shifting mechanic, but I like the fact that there will always be a different solution on each attempt, because it keeps things fresh and interesting, and no one gets an unfair advantage over another. This is a perfect game to play for both quick and longer game sessions.

I highly recommend Antitype to anyone who likes word games and brain teaser puzzles. You can find Antitype on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $1.99. There are no in-app purchases.