Verbix by Fabrizio-Caruso

[Rich]

Verbix a new game for the Commodore PET/CBM, VIC20(16k), Plus/4, C64 and C128 computer, developed by Fabrizio Caruso.
Find 5-letter words





Download:
https://github.com/Fabrizio-Caruso/CROS ... xp_16k.prg

[Ola H]

Certainly more cognitively demanding than most word games that are popular today on phones and the web
There is about equal focus on puzzling (similar to 15-game sliding) and finding possible words among the random letters. You can't make more than one word at a time as only the word in the bottom row counts. I am not sure if this is a missed opportunity or not? Probably not, as it would be extremely hard to arrange combinations with the sliding mechanic without messing everything up.

I reached level 5. Hi score: 671.

[chysn]

Instructions anywhere? What's the red area? What's the yellow area? What's the green area? What are the letters along the margin, and why does it occasionally put a new letter into a cell? How do you score points? I can move the letters around, but when I spell a word in one of the rows, nothing happens. Maybe it doesn't have English words?

[Ola H]

Yeah, it's pretty bewildering. I didn't find any instructions, but think I figured out most of it

Red area: This row is where you should form words.

Yellow area & green area: Not sure if they differ in any meaningful way.

Letters along the margin: Very confusing, I believe they are meant to remind you that the letters EARI (3p), OTNS (7p), LCUD (11p) and PMHY (15p) all score differently in the words.

Why does it occasionally put a new letter into a cell: When you press fire you claim the word in the red row. If it is not a valid word, a new letter is put in the cells. When all cells are full it is Game Over. New letters also appear at regular intervals. The intervals grow shorter on later levels.

I hope this helps

[chysn]

Thanks!

Yeah, that's fun! I might hook up my real joystick and try it again. I can never get anywhere with a keypad "joystick." I got 758 before mental fatigue got the best of me.

[hasseapa]

Bewildering at first, but not so bad once the underlying 15-sliding-game mechanics have been understood. Enjoyable, but each game session is too long for me. Perhaps a time bonus for completing a level would help (e.g. points for each empty tile).

[Ola H]

Yes, each session is very long. Too long in my opinion as you only have one life and when you have a streak of bad luck with the letters, it can suddenly end very fast after a slow long, and not very challenging round.

I was just now up to 418 p very comfortably and thought I would break my personal record easily, but then it all ended directly on the next level while I was waiting for a S or a M.

I would prefer a higher tempo in the beginning levels and perhaps a time bonus in all the levels. But the basic mechanics work very well!