Zynga has launched Words With Friends Word Pop as a new voice game for Amazon Alexa. The launch on Alexa-enabled devices is part of Zynga’s experimentation with new ways to make games more accessible. You can play with voice commands on Alexa-enabled devices such as the Echo, Echo Show, or Echo Dot.
Voice is a new frontier for games that is being explored by companies such as Doppio Games, a Portugal-based startup that teamed up with Netflix to create a voice-controlled game called The 3% Challenge. Drivetime is also making interactive audio games for the car.
Word Pop is a new take on classic Words With Friends. In the game, Alexa challenges players to create as many words as possible from a six-letter bank, through a series of 1-minute sessions. Players must say or spell as many words as they can during each session, earning points for both the number and length of words found. To access the game, players simply say, “Alexa, open Word Pop” on any Alexa device to enable the skill and begin solving word puzzles.
As you can see in the video, you can play the game with an Alexa-enabled device with a screen, where you can see the letter bank and completed words. But you don’t have to play it with a screen. When I played with my voice, I noticed some slight delay in the reply, and that can be a little confusing as to how fast you should talk.
President of publishing Benard Kim said in a message that Zynga is continuously investing in new platforms, markets and technology to attract and engage more players. He said that bringing a Words With Friends type experience to Alexa felt like a natural fit for Zynga’s first foray on Alexa and he is thrilled with how it has turned out. The game is free and it has no monetization.
