OK, I need to start with a personal bias here: I am a big fan of PopCap games – and I have been for a long time. So, this review is one that I’ve been looking forward to writing. Bookworm is not a new game for PopCap, but if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s a great introduction to their style and humor. And, if you like word-based puzzle games, then this one should have you chomping at the bit.

Like its name implies, Bookworm is all about helping our little worm-like friend find – and eat – words. The setting of the game is something like a library, or a giant bookcase (although – and hats off to PopCap for this – as you progress in the game, the backgrounds begin to change, and suddenly you have scenes that have transported you out of the library. Some of the backgrounds even feature characters from other PopCap games.) and as you make your way through the game, you need to make words out of the assorted letter tiles that are displayed on the game board.

Sounds easy right? The trouble is, this little worm never stops eating, and he’s counting on you to feed him over and over again! (Don’t be fooled by his cute little smile and glasses – this worm will have you dancing at the end of his line, my friend.)

You can play the game using either cursor control, or if you have a Nokia mobile device with a qwerty keyboard, you can type your words directly into the game. This latter approach is a much faster way to play the game. I’ve been playing it on my Nokia E72, and the keyboard makes gameplay a breeze. One thing I have noticed though – as soon as you enter a word that is considered “valid” of three letters or more, the bookworm will gobble it up, even if you were planning to make a longer word with more letters in it. While this is convenient, it does prove to be a bit frustrating if you’re trying to max out on long words which are worth more points.

As you would expect, the stakes increase with each passing level – you need more points to move on, and challenges are thrown in to the mix to keep things interesting. For instance, at a certain point, if you don’t make words fast enough – or if you keep making dinky little three-letter words, you will start to have tiles that burst into flame, slowly burning their way down the board … Get rid of those burning tiles, man! One burning tile seems easy, but if you aren’t quick enough, you’ll soon be surrounded, and if any of the burning tiles reach the bottom of a row, it’s game over.

Happily, there are enticements to keep you hooked, trying to find more and more words to feed that hungry little worm.  If you spell a five-letter word, you will see a green tile appear on the board, which is worth a bonus if you spell a word using that tile. Additionally, after a few levels, there will be bonus words displayed in the top-left corner – spell those for extra points if the opportunity arises.

The humor of PopCap comes out in the little details, such as when you are taking too long to spell a new word – the worm will cast a not-so-subtle yawn in your direction to let you know it’s time to step on it. Remember, in this case, it’s not about you – it’s all about the worm.

Bookworm is available in Ovi Store for $4.99 (USD).