# SpellTower — Wordsearch meets strategy

> Strategic word game where players clear tiles before they reach the top. (iPhone/iPad app by Zach Gage.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelltower/id1490605957 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Zach Gage](https://appshunter.io/developer/294263418)
- Category: Games, Entertainment, Puzzle, Word
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.70/5 from 629 App Store ratings · 198 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 138 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2020-01-30
- Data updated: 2026-09-04
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelltower/id1490605957/reviews.md

## What is SpellTower?

The original best-selling mobile word game, reimagined!

Pick your words wisely! As you play, more tiles rise from the bottom of the screen! It'll take all of your lexicological wits, and tactical know-how to keep your columns down. If any letters make it to the top row, it's game over.

Classic modes Daily Tower, Tower, Puzzle, Rush and Zen are all back and packed with brand new BONUS TILES that double (or more!) word values.

Joining them is the brand new Search mode, plus ExPuzzle, Double Puzzle, Bubble Puzzle, and Blitz mode!

That’s eleven modes in all!

Plus iCloud Backup, Highscores reported for games even while in-progress, detailed statistics for every mode, Game Center leaderboards, and achievements.

—————————

It’s pretty wild to be revisiting my first hit game, SpellTower. I can't believe it's almost 10 years since it released. The first iPhones it ran on had a 3.5 inch screen and 320 x 480 resolution! I literally did a double-take at that resolution when I looked it up.

A funny part about having a hit game is people talk to you about it. With SpellTower I heard about grandparents playing the game every morning to keep their minds sharp, parents playing it with their kids, expectant mothers playing it to get through morning sickness, and countless sightings of strangers playing it on subways, planes — even elevators.

I got into games because I wanted to connect with people in a positive way. I wanted to help people think critically and come away with more than they arrived with. Games felt like a way to do this on a huge scale, but the stories I heard from SpellTower players taught me that games do so much more for people than I ever expected.

I’m deeply grateful that SpellTower has been able to be something special for so many people, and I think that’s why so many people have shared it with friends, loved ones, and strangers on elevators.

Even though SpellTower is a game I made, it’s really barely mine anymore. The experiences and love I had for the game has been outstripped by its audiences a thousandfold. I thought a lot about all the experiences that people have had with the game when I was designing this new version. I hope it gives everyone who’s loved the game a reason to pick it back up again and share it amongst their friends and family.

-zach

## Key features

- Rising tile mechanic
- Multiple game modes
- Bonus tiles
- Detailed statistics
- Game Center leaderboards
- iCloud Backup

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of SpellTower?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Challenging and fun
- 🧠 Great brain exercise
- 🎨 Elegant and well-designed
- 🕰️ Relaxing gameplay
- 👍 Addictive and enjoyable

**Cons**

- 🔍 Dictionary needs updating
- 🤖 Words not recognized despite being valid
- 💰 Ads too frequent and intrusive
- 🔒 Paid version doesn't remove all ads
- 🤯 Frustrating when game ends unexpectedly

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Game freezes or crashes
- Tutorial gets stuck and can't be skipped
- Scoring and progress issues
- Compatibility problems on certain devices

**Most requested features**

- Undo/Redo functionality
- Adjustable difficulty levels
- Sync progress across devices
- Offline gameplay mode
- More game modes and customization options

## Recent user reviews (10 of 198)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelltower/id1490605957/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Don’t bother

*2026-08-26, version 1.0.22*

Playing the game is impossible with all the ads and pop up videos.

### 5/5 — Love it

*2026-08-07, version 1.0.22*

I love this game!! I don’t see any issues. So much fun and really challenging.

### 1/5 — Frequent Intrusive Ads

*2026-08-06, version 1.0.22*

Game is fun but the free version is borderline unplayable due to the high frequency and long duration of ads, including ads mid-game. I understand the devs want to drive users towards the paid version but the excessive ads have done the opposite for me.

### 2/5 — unnecessary redesign

*2026-07-10, version 1.0.22*

I used to love this game, playing zen mode for hours on the airplane.  It stopped working last month, then I found the redesign that just unneccessarily animates every step.  The simplicity has been eliminated for distracting scores plus I'd have to pay again for the ad-free, full game access I had.   V. sad.

### 2/5 — Too many ads!!!

*2026-07-09, version 1.0.22*

I love love love this game so much but the ads are making it unbearable. There should be no ads in the middle of the puzzle.

### 3/5 — Not so good

*2026-07-02, version 1.0.22*

Format not nearly as good as original and less user friendly

### 5/5 — Very fun, IQ boosting game

*2026-06-11, version 1.0.22*

As said in the title, it’s a very fun, IQ boosting game. It’s free, both to download and to use. It’s recommended for parents who want to turn screen time into something more educational, without being boring.

### 3/5 — Ads come on too strong

*2026-05-27, version 1.0.22*

I really wanted to keep playing this game to see if I will play it enough to warrant the reasonable $4.99 cost to remove ads, but they put them on you pretty much as soon as you finish the tutorial and you get a fairly long ad multiple times in the middle of the game. I completely understand a small indie developer needing ad support, but the frequency of the ads so quickly made it too cumbersome for me to want to keep playing and make a decision on whether to buy or not. No hate for the developers at all, but I’m out :(

### 4/5 — Old and new

*2026-04-02, version 1.0.22*

I liked the old version better, not those tags popping up when I get a word

### 1/5 — So Disappointed

*2026-03-26, version 1.0.22*

I bought the game to avoid the annoying ads and started feeling like the game was out to get me. Larger legitimate words were somehow “not words.“ Even though they were in the dictionary. And once you get past 300,000 points, it starts working against you.  My game was sabotaged by black boxes that kept lining up along the side, preventing me from clearing them…. especially with larger words that the game said we’re not words.

## Frequently asked questions about SpellTower

### What is SpellTower?

SpellTower is a word game where you find words to clear tiles. As you play, new tiles rise from the bottom, and if they reach the top, the game ends. It requires strategic thinking and a good vocabulary to succeed.

### What are the main game modes?

The game offers eleven modes in total, including Classic modes like Daily Tower, Tower, Puzzle, Rush, and Zen. New modes include Search, ExPuzzle, Double Puzzle, Bubble Puzzle, and Blitz mode.

### Is SpellTower free to play?

The application is free to download and play, but it does offer in-app purchases and may display advertisements.

### What devices is SpellTower compatible with?

While specific compatibility details are not provided, the description mentions its origins on early iPhones with a 3.5-inch screen and 320 x 480 resolution, suggesting it is designed for mobile devices.

### Who is SpellTower for?

This game is for anyone who enjoys word puzzles and strategic challenges. It's been played by people looking to keep their minds sharp, parents playing with children, and casual gamers seeking an engaging experience.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.22 — 2021-10-01

Aspect ratio fixes for the iPad Mini.

### 1.0.21 — 2021-09-29

Infrastructural Updates.

### 1.0.20 — 2021-07-10

In response to fan feedback, this update now allows to the daily search puzzle to be played up to three times - only your highest score is submitted! 


It also includes fixes for unresponsive audio sliders and other minor adjustments.

### 1.0.18 — 2021-05-26

This update brings some improvements to tutorial, along with bringing our ad system up to date with iOS 14.5's ad changes.

Because we default to no tracking, there will be no popup asking to track you across apps.

### 1.0.16 — 2021-04-11

infrastructural updates

## Apps similar to SpellTower

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Spelling Queen Pangrams](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelling-queen-pangrams/id1591639792) | 4.7 (6,012) | Free | Games |
| [Letter Rooms: Fun Anagrams](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letter-rooms-fun-anagrams/id1563407977) | 4.6 (583) | Free | Games |
| [Letterpress – Word Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letterpress-word-game/id526619424) | 4.7 (8,277) | Free | Games |
| [Alpha Omega](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alpha-omega/id748048441) | 4.6 (5,662) | Free | Games |
| [Tiler More](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tiler-more/id1550622992) | 4.5 (192) | Free | Games |
| [Red Herring](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265) | 4.7 (47,725) | Free | Games |

## More apps by Zach Gage

- [Pocket Run Pool](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-run-pool/id949982914)
- [Sage Solitaire](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sage-solitaire/id1004646445)
- [Typeshift](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/typeshift/id1084762137)
- [Really Bad Chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/really-bad-chess/id1109751921)
- [SpellTower Français](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelltower-francais/id1160360982)
- [SpellTower Nederlands](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelltower-nederlands/id1160360990)

All apps by Zach Gage: https://appshunter.io/developer/294263418

## Related topics

[word tower](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/word-tower) · [spell tower](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/spell-tower) · [typeshift](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/typeshift) · [zach gage](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/zach-gage)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-04.*