Appletell reviews Categuru for iPhone and iPod Touch

Category: Word games
Seller: Categuru LLC
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod Touch
Requirements: iPhone OS 3.1 or later
Version Reviewed: 1.0
File Size: 2.4MB
Price: $1.99 (a free Cataguru Lite version is available)
Age Rating: 12+

Categuru is a game based around word associations and what you think of when you see a certain group of words. It slowly shows a group of words, letter by letter, and allows the user to guess by what those words might be connected. In my opinion, it’s certainly an interesting concept, and I was sort of surprised by how accurate the application was.

When you first open it, you are presented with a menu allowing you to pick rules or settings, see your high scores, or begin a game. By reading the rules, you’ll discover that a full game consists of ten different categories that are in play for 60 seconds each. While you get a time bonus for completing the puzzle faster, you also have the ability to pause the clock if you want more time. Tapping an X button allows you to give up, end early, and move on to the next set of words. If you’re really determined to get it, however, you can click the hint button, as well, before giving up. If you don’t like reading text rules, you can also watch a demo explaining this through the app.

When you begin the game, all of the words are fully covered. To play, simply wait for the screen to slide to the right and start revealing the letters one by one. As it moves, you can type in your guesses as to what they all have in common. If you find that it is moving too slowly for you, you can also swipe it with your finger to slide it over more. When you guess incorrectly, a “Try Again” graphic comes at you. The cool part, though, is that it allows you to type shortened phrases for sake of time (i.e. if the answer is “credit cards,” “credit” will work). Once you solve the puzzle, your score is given to you, and you then have the option of quitting or continuing to the next category.

In my experience with the application, I found the interface to be very responsive with no crashes. Furthermore, it was designed in such a way that is simple to navigate and easy to understand. On top of that, and probably more importantly, I also found the gameplay to be pretty addicting. There is something catchy about seeing a group of words and determining what they all have in common.

That said, one of the downsides was that some of the categories were extremely difficult, such as when you are presented with a bunch of French names or something similar. But it will still entertaining, for the most part, and I’d recommend this game highly if you like word and puzzle games.