Word War 5

Word War 5 is a word puzzle compilation video game designed by Pierre Berloquin and developed by Créalude for Macintosh and Windows. The game was distributed in North America by Millennium Media Group and Merriam-Webster in 1995.

Word War 5
Developer(s)	Créalude
Publisher(s)	FR: CFI NA: Millennium Media Group, Merriam-Webster
Designer(s)	Pierre Berloquin
Platform(s)	Macintosh, Windows
Release	March 1, 1995[1]
Genre(s)	Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single-player

Gameplay

Word War 5 is an assortment of five word games involving the creation of five-letter words.^[2][3][4] "Word Targets" has the player creating words from letters floating across the screen, earning ten points for every approved word. "Crossword" is a crossword puzzle in which three words must be uncovered by rearranging their letters. "Odd One Out" has the player pick out a word that deviates from four others in some way. "Spinning Letters" requires composing words from given definitions. Finally, "Snake" is a variation of the game of the same name where the player must try to avoid obstacles which cause letters to be lost.^[5] Online hints and definitions are readily available during gameplay but deduct from one's score.^[3] Each game has five difficulty levels and can be played in one of five languages: English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.^[4][6][7]

Development and release

Word War 5 was designed by Pierre Berloquin, who had been creating puzzles for 30 years at the time and had authored several books on the subject.^[3][2][4] The game was developed by French studio Créalude. It was initially released in France by CFI on Macintosh and Windows on March 1, 1995.^[1] It was later distributed in North America by Millennium Media Group and Merriam-Webster of dictionary fame.^[2][3][6][7]

Reception

Reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
Computer Game Review	86/100[3]
Next Generation	[8]
Software Gids	37/50[5]

Computer Game Review gave the game an overall score of 86 out of 100, summarizing, "sure to provide many hours of educational entertainment for kids and adults of all ages."^[3]

Next Generation rated it with two stars out of five, and stated that "Crealude's World War 5 is an obscure, weird, and severe edutainment misfire."^[8]

PC Gamer called the game a "brainteaser for word lovers", praising the soundtrack and stylized graphics.^[6]

Computer Games Strategy Plus found the games "simple to understand but nearly impossible to explain" and recommended it to puzzle fans.^[2]

Sun Sentinel called it "a mixed bag of mind-benders", noting the option to play in five different languages.^[7]

See also

• Diabolical Digits, another puzzle game from the same designer and developer