Clockwords: Act I Walkthrough

Part tower defense game and part typing game, Clockwords: Act I is one of the most unique and exciting typing games online. It's perfect for parents trying to help their children improve their spelling ability and increase their typing speed, but it isn't just for kids. Adults can have a good time with this one as well. This is really a game you can play with your kids or, for more fun, against your kids. Challenge them to make it further in the game than you did. Challenge them to get higher scoring words than you did. Break records and have a blast with this one and help your children learn at the same time.

The story behind Clockwords: Act I is pretty unique in and of itself. Take a few minutes to read the story with your kids to give the game a whole new level of intrigue. The story is told in a series of comic book like panels that you and your child can read together. Basically, we learn that an inventor has discovered a machine of unknown origins. He doesn't know what it does or even if it works until he begins talking to it. It seems the machine only works when it's spoken to. After the inventor inputs a few pages of code, the machine spits out a reading having deciphered the code. As you progress in the game more and more of the story unfolds, offering you even greater incentive to keep playing. Your kids will love the backstory. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself excited to see that happens next as well.

The real appeal of Clockwords: Act I is not just the unique story or the rather difficult nature of the game. Instead, it is the educational opportunity the game presents. Many online word games give you a specific list of words you need to type of a specific set of letters you need to form words out of. This game does not. Basically, the premise of the game is that you have secrets you need to protect from the bugs trying to steal them. To do that, you need to type words to destroy the bugs. You have some target letters (shown in the chambers directly above the input field) but you're more or less able to use any word you can think of. If you use the target letters, you score more points, but they aren't required. If you're having trouble coming up with a word that uses those letters, don't waste time trying to think of one. The bonus points are nice, but protecting your secrets from the bugs is more important.

The challenge of Clockwords: Act I isn't really in thinking of words but in spelling them correctly. If you don't spell a word correctly, the word will not count. The benefit here for children is obvious. Not only is this game entertaining but it also helps your children improve their spelling and even expand their vocabulary. While kids that are a little weak in their spelling abilities are going to have a hard time with this game when they first start playing, they will improve as they play. If you don't want them to get discouraged and quit, consider playing the game with them. Challenge them to beat your score or to make it further in the game than you were able to. While they might be frustrated at first, if they continue playing, they'll be able to see how much they're improving which will be a great feeling. If they're actually able to beat your score or make it further than you, they'll feel like they've really accomplished something which is a benefit all on its own.

Your score for each level in Clockwords: Act I is determined based on several different factors. There are various bonuses you can collect through each level to increase your score. If you want to finish the game with a high score, you really need to try for those bonuses. The damage score is something you won't really have to work on. It'll just come with each level and will increase as you get better at the game. The multi-kill bonus is given for a single word that takes out more than one bug. Using longer words or words with bonus letters (the letters shown in the chambers) is a great way to boost your multi-kill bonus. Get combos by stringing together multiple words of the same length and get a bonus for longer combos. Finally, you can earn a flawless bonus is you're able to complete the level without losing any of your secrets.

At the completion of each level, you're given a complete rundown of your performance during that level. This is fairly unique to this game as most typing games will just give you your basic point total or your overall accuracy. Clockwords: Act I tells you how many bugs you took out, how many secrets you lost, the average damage your words inflicted on the bugs, the word that inflicted the most damage, how long your longest word was, the most bugs you took out with a single word, how many words you typed per minute and finally how much damage you inflicted per second. You'll also get tips on this screen to help you improve your score and see a list of the words you used in each level.

Between levels, you're given the chance to purchase power ups that can help you improve your game. Remember though, if you lose all your secrets to the bugs, your game will be over, so try to make sure you save a decent amount. The maximum number of secrets you can have in any given level is twelve. If you try to carry more than that from one level to the next you'll lose any extras you have. Use the extras to purchase those power ups, but again, remember the importance of reserving those. Power ups are great, but if you find yourself overwhelmed by bugs, you're going to wish you have those extra secrets to keep the game going. Herein lies another great educational tool for kids. It helps them develop their reasoning skills. For example, there are power ups that freeze bugs or increase the amount of damage a certain letter is able to inflict on enemies. While those are great benefits, your kids will have to determine whether they're worth spending secrets on.

Overall, Clockwords: Act I is an excellent word game that will help teach your kids a variety of important lessons while also keeping them entertained. It is definitely an addictive game, but this is one you don't have to worry about your kids getting addicted to. Probably the biggest benefit of the game, though, is that is never feels educational. It doesn't feel like you're learning something while you play even though you're learning a lot. This shows your kids that learning can in fact be fun which is a great lesson to learn. If you're looking to help your child improve their spelling and vocabulary and strengthen their logic skills, this is definitely a game you need to introduce them too!