By default there is a sound on in the Smartle daily word puzzle. We think sounds are often that one distinctive feature that separates best free word games from the regular ones. While we love sound in the free word games that we play, in our own word puzzle game Smartle not all events are accompanied by audios. Here is what players of Smartle word hunt have today in terms of sounds:
There is a sound of letters swapping. Every time a player swaps letters to form a word, there is a distinct sound. We love this sound. We think it makes solving Daily word puzzle almost a meditative experience and also removes anxiety to some extent when playing Sprint.
Another sound that we currently have is the winning chime. When a player wins the daily word puzzle game, they hear the sound of exploding fireworks and see amazing animation. When a player wins the Sprint, they have a cheering applause from the audience. We don’t have a sound for losing the Daily because it’s kind of impossible to lose. The word hunt game will switch to a new word puzzle once the time turns midnight. There is however a sound when the player didn’t manage to solve the Sprint in 10 minutes. There is a booing and disappointed crowd. A bit harsh maybe, but we think our users read the irony of this.
The one last sound that is present today is when a player correctly creates a word in the daily word game or sprint. Of course the word also turns green on the play board, and we feel that the audio that plays while this happens makes a perfect match.
That’s all that we have for now. While we are satisfied with it, we think it’s merely not enough for the immersive game experience. That’s why we decided to add more sounds in our word puzzle. Here is what we would like to add:
- Sound when the player drops a letter without swapping it with any other letter. This will provide feedback that an action was taken, even if it didn't result in a swap. We want to have subtle yet noticeable audio for it, showing the player that their input was registered.
- Button clicks. For all buttons that are available for the user: in the right panel as well as in the top menu. Adding a click sound will enhance the experience of navigating the word game. We really hope that it can make our word puzzle interface feel more responsive and satisfying to use. After all, it looks like all the best free word games already have it and probably this is what the players are expecting.
- Swipes of the word puzzle modes. When the player switches between Daily word puzzle game and Sprint. We would like to have a smooth, swishing sound that mirrors the action of swiping. It was not easy to find an audio that we would like and the one that we would not find a bit annoying. We really hope that we did a right choice.
- Start of any game mode. When a player starts a Daily word puzzle or Sprint we would like to play some distinctive sound so that it would be highlighted that word game has begun. This could be a short, uplifting sound that signifies the beginning of a challenge. It should set the tone for the game session, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement. It also serves as a clear signal that the gameplay is underway, helping to draw the player's focus.
We really hope that all the sounds that we will add to the Smartle daily puzzle will be a great improvement and will make the playing experience even more enjoyable.