Lingo is a Windows 10 word game where five-letter words rule

Available for Windows 10 Mobile, this free word game affords you five attempts to guess the correct word, earning points along the way. As you attempt to solve the puzzle, correct letters are highlighted to guide you towards the solution. Games are timed, adding a nice element of pressure to solving puzzles. The design offers a minimalist approach, and overall Lingo is an enjoyable game to spend a little down time with.

What Lingo is all about

The primary menu for Lingo is simple and clean cut. A settings wheel sits in the upper-right corner and a play button rests in the bottom center. Settings are minimal, covering sound and language preferences.

The game screen displays your game score, timer and lives across the top. The five fields for your word attempts line the top third of the display, with a keyboard just below.

The first letter of the word is already revealed, and it is your job to build a word using that letter. Words are five letters in length and you have two and a half minutes to complete five attempts. The timer resets with each correctly solved puzzle. Just remember, should the timer strike zero you lose a life and if you lose all three lives, the game is over.

As you make your attempts at solving the puzzle, letters are highlighted to help with your next attempt. Letters highlighted in green are correct and in the right position. Letters highlighted in yellow are correct but in the wrong position. Letters highlighted in blue do not belong in the solution.

Points are earned based on how quickly you identify the word. The first attempt earns you five points with each additional attempt earning you one point less than the previous. If you hit a brick wall and are completely stumped, each game has three hints available. Tap the star sitting beside the entry field and an additional letter of the word is revealed.

Successful or not, after five attempts Lingo transitions to a new puzzle to solve. Gameplay continues until the timer expires and the goal is to earn as many points before that happens.

Lingo is a fun way to exercise your brain

Lingo offers a clean, minimalist word game for Windows 10 Mobile that is a quick way to exercise your brain. Gameplay isn't overly complicated but tests your five-letter vocabulary nicely.

The only complaint I have is that you must type in the full word for each attempt. The first letter is a given and while it would be nice to see that letter automatically be part of your solution, having to type it manually is not a deal breaker. Having to type the full word in your attempts adds to the game's difficulty but could take a few games to get used to.

Overall, Lingo is a fun Windows 10 Mobile word game that is a great option when you have a few minutes to spare or need a little help passing the time. It's surprising how fast 2.5 minutes can fly by and how hard it is to think of five-letter words. If you've tried Lingo, let us know what you think of things in the comments, or feel free to chat it up in this Windows Central Forums discussion with the developer.

Download from the Windows Store

George Ponder

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.