Words With Friends was an iPad game that I would fire up every night for mind-stimulating gaming fun. It’s been given the boot.

There’s a new word-formation game in town that takes up my downtime: Quarrel Deluxe. Denki and UTV Ignition’s turn-based word-formation iPad game incorporates light troop management and army positioning that one would typical find in strategy games. It’s been frequently mentioned as the sweet, sweet love child of Scrabble and Risk—a comparison that is not inaccurate.

Quarrel Deluxe begins with the player selecting an army. There are numerous types available, ranging from cavemen to ninjas. The goal is to march your cute little South Park-like warriors across the playfield to conquer rival armies and snatch land by cobbling together words with large point totals. Conquering all lands makes you the winner. Simple enough, right?

But that’s where things get interesting. If you have, say, four warriors on a plot of land and have eyes on an area where three enemy fighters are positioned, you simply tap your square then the foe’s. You enter the battle mode where you’re tasked with plucking letters from an eight-letter anagram to form words that will hopefully be worth more than your rivals’. Here’s the kicker: the number of letters you can select is directly tied into the number of troops you have in the battle. For example, if you have four warriors and your opponent has three, you have a slight advantage in that you can select an extra letter. That, however, doesn’t mean that sheer numbers win each team. You—as well as the computer controlled A.I.—have to make the most of the presented letters. Should you pick the same word, the plot of land goes to whoever spelled the swiftest. So speed and letter analysis is a must. Note: You can shift your troop members between adjacent areas to help strengthen a land block.

Thankfully, the nine computer-controlled foes are programmed to battle with realistic and mostly fair play styles, so you don’t have to worry about masterful A.I. obliterating you each round—it sometimes flubs words, takes too long to spell words, or makes tactical board positioning error. But these aren’t random programming scripts designed to help you win—the A.I. can also prove itself quite daring in the way that it attacks positions itself. Even when two computer controlled opponent are battling each other, there are still opportunities to strengthen your position; you’re free to decrypt their anagram to fill a treasure meter that lets you drop extra troops onto the board. After a battle concludes, you get the anagram’s definition, which comes from Collins Official Scrabble Dictionary 2nd Edition 2007. Edutainment!

Quarrel Deluxe serves up four play modes—Quick Match, Make Match, Domination, Daily Challenge—leaderboards, achievements, and surprisingly deep record keeping that shows how you fare against computer A.I. characters (I dominated Caprice with a 9-3 record, but struggled against Damien with a 0-2 record).

Quarrel Deluxe is an excellent game, but it’s not without faults. First, the game features the longest tutorial that I’ve ever encountered in a game. Granted, it explores all aspects of Quarrel’s gameplay, but the impatient will exit it and tackle the game on a trial and error basis. The biggest ding of all is that Quarrel Deluxe is a single-player game; this type of title begs for a multiplayer experience.

Wordsmiths, strategists, and gamers with varied tastes will find much to like in this game where brains and brawn meet on equal terms. Quarrel’s multiplayer omission isn’t vital, but disappointing—the game could’ve very easily ranked up there with Mario Party or Saturn Bomberman in terms of multiplayer fun. Still, it’s one of the best iOS games on the platform and one that should be tried.

Team 17 announced Worms Crazy Golf, an upcoming PSN, Steam, and iOS release. A mixture of the screwball strategy classic 2D Worms, and golf, not many could say they saw this coming.

“Who could have known that two of our favourite things would work so well together?” says Team 17 Head of Design John Dennis in the press release. “While probably not an obvious combination, Worms Crazy Golf is an irreverent mash-up of our own turn-based strategy game “Worms” and everyone’s favorite turn-based game of ‘hitting little balls with sticks’.”

There are a hefty amount of returning weapons and gear despite the new setting: sheep, old woman, mole, magnets and mines among others. Expect it to be far from a typical golf game, however, as the level design is described as “increasingly puzzling” while there will be many obstacles, such as castles that teleport your ball, cannons that shoot it across the level, and “obstructive comedy bats.”

The game will retain its 2D format similar to the Worms Armageddon format, after an attempt to go 3D flopped.

“We’ve had a great deal of fun playing the game in multiplayer during development,” Dennis continues in the press release, “and with four-player social multiplayer support, it has all the hallmarks of the “Worms” brand: the trash-talking, pressure to make the shot, terribly unhelpful ‘advice’ from opponents, and often hilarious consequences when that risky shot that could have won the game goes terribly wrong. If players get half as much enjoyment out of it as we’ve already had, then we’ll be very, very happy.”

Despite its Apple, PlayStation, and Steam release plans for later this year Worms Crazy Golf has not had an Xbox 360 announcement.

Google+ has games. Now witness the onslaught of gaming announcements for the new platform.

One of the first to make the move is Funzio, a name that sounds very much like the crazy Italian uncle no one speaks of in mixed company. The development team has ported its popular Facebook game, Crime City, to the Google+.

Crime City is a 2D game that debuted on that other social network in September 2010, and quickly became one of the top five Facebook games of the year. Crime City isn’t just a Facebook game; earlier this week, Funzio ported Crime City to iOS, getting all up in Apple’s mobile devices.

Crime City for Google+ is a standalone version of the game that lets Google+ users become the biggest, baddest mob boss in town. According to Funzio, gamers can build up their ‘hoods, invite others to join their crime families, collect hundreds of items to equip, and fight rivals. It all sounds very Mafia Wars-like.

“We’re excited to partner with Google to bring Crime City to Google+ users so they too can experience the action in high quality and immersive graphics not available in other crime games,” said Ken Chiu, CEO of Funzio. “We can’t wait to release more great games on Google+ in the future.”

So if you’re in the mood to wreck shop, Funzio and Google+ have you covered.

This weekend, MLG Anaheim served as yet another testament to Asia’s StarCraft 2 dominance as Koreans took the top six spots. Besides the East’s continued reign, another issue of concern may be the complete Terran domination that occurred during this tournament.

The top four players in the tournament handled the Terran class, led by two-time Global StarCraft League (GSL) champion Mvp. Second place went to MMA, who had won MLG Columbus last month. Third and fourth places went to Boxer known as the “Emperor of Terran” in Korea, and Ganzi, of no previous fame, respectively.

GSL has two divisions: Code A and Code S (with Code S being the upper division). Players who drop out of Code S due to bad play end up in Code A. Those who drop out of Code A are eliminated from contention. The only Code S player in MLG Anaheim was Mvp, and the Canadian HuK, who placed seventh.

Some of the more hyped matches were between Idra and NaNiwa, two very strong Western players, as well as a grudge match between DongRaeGu, the only Zerg player in the top six, and MMA. Possibly the most exciting match of the tournament was a brutal back and forth between Mvp and Ganzi during a match on the second day. The victory would go to Mvp, whose micromanagement would win out in the end.

For more in-depth MLG Anaheim StarCraft 2 coverage, click here.

Team 17 brings the chaos once again with Worms Ultimate Mayhem, the company’s fourth 3D series entry. For those unfamiliar with the series, Worms is a turn-based game that has the player control worms in a battle for supremacy. The game is full of over the top wacky animations, and devastating weapons. You could customize your worms with a ton of items like hats, helmets, glasses, and facial hair to create a unique army.

Those expecting a brand new may be a bit disappointed as Worms Ultimate Mayhem is a high-definition take on Worms 3D (ugh) and Worms 4: Mayhem (meh). But fear not, Team 17 has made a number of improvements on both titles. There’s improved camera functionality, touched-up voice-acted mission intros, new challenges, and  multiplayer maps. Team 17 Head of Design John Dennis voiced his excitement:

“It’s been an absolute pleasure getting the chance to revisit two titles that we remember so fondly. In squeezing the entire content of both “Worms 3D” and “Worms 4: Mayhem” into one collector’s edition digital package, we’ve delivered a “best of the 3D Worms games” experience, complete with 60 single player missions, 12 graphical themes, 38 weapons, full online play for up to four players and literally more ways to customize your worm and game experience than we can count.”

The game will be available later this year for download via XBLA, PSN, and Steam.

JRPG fans have more to look forward to this year with Record of Agarest War Zero for PS3 and Xbox 360, out this June.

Localized by Aksys Games and developed by Idea Factory, the prequel to last year’s strategy RPG Record of Agarest War, Record of Agarest War Zero features new animated portraits during conversations, the return of the Soul-Breeding System that determines the skill set and weaponry of offspring and the addition the new Card Skill System for more hero customization.

The Limited Edition of the game includes a 34-song soundtrack, a 48-page character guide filled with artwork and stats of all playable characters, and a special card box that holds decks of Agarest-themed playing cards and collectible skill cards.

Record of Agarest War Zero will be released for $59.99 for the Limited Edition and $49.99 for the standard edition.  Looks like it won’t serve up the video game sexy time present in the original game’s special edition.

If you were waiting for your favorite brain-eating game to make its way to a handheld, wait no more. Plants vs. Zombies is now available for the Nintendo DS.

Courtesy of PopCap Games (creators of Bejeweled and stealers of the world’s free time), Plants vs. Zombies for the DS is specifically geared toward dual screen gameplay. While details are sparse about exactly how that’ll play out, it does differentiate the game from previous iPhone and iPad ports.

The DS adaptation of this now-classic 2D game will feature the same game modes you knew and loved in the PC version (Adventure, Survival and Puzzle), as well as an exclusive Versus mode where players go head-to-head as either a sunflower or a zombie via an ad hoc wireless network.

In addition to those goodies, Plants vs. Zombies for the DS will feature four new mini-games: Air Raid, Home Run Derby, Heat Wave and BOMB All Together. Air Raid is a side-scrolling schmup that features an airplane dodging, weaving and blasting his way to victory in the backyard war for brains. Home Run Derby lets zombies show off their love for the American pastime while Heat Wave asks players to cheer up a small number of flowers by swapping them out and talking to them with the microphone. BOMB All Together lets players use their plants to blast zombies to kingdom come.

There will also be 14 new achievements in the DS version, including Resolute Homeowner (Complete Adventure Mode), Attention Deficit (Earn a trophy in each mini-game), and Nebulaphile (Beat an extremely foggy level without disturbing any fog).

A DSi-ware version is coming soon. It will feature Adventure mode, all 4 DS mini-games, and an exclusive DSi-ware game called Zombie Trap.

Plants vs. Zombies for the DS is $19.95 in North America.

For you time management game junkies (like myself), we’ve got a special present for you: it’s called Elves Inc: Christmas Mission HD.

Courtesy of G5 Entertainment, Elves Inc: Christmas Mission HD teaches you everything you need to know about  the magic that makes Christmas happen. You help elves load and deliver gifts to Santa’s sled on Christmas Eve by drawing lines, keeping track of where the elves go, and helping guide them to the sleigh without knocking anything over.

There are four different types of elves, each with their own special speed, behaviors and lugging capacity. Maximize each type to get the gifts into the sleigh, and you’ve mastered half the game: figure out how to do it with the least number of lines and you’ve mastered the rest.

The game offers three play locations (Laplandia, USA, and France) and 30 levels that get increasingly more difficult the further in you get. We don’t know why Santa’s got 30 levels worth of loading stations in different countries, but each one has hidden goodies and bonuses. Of course, everything looks and sound just like Christmas.

Elves Inc: Christmas Mission HD is available for $1.99 on the iPad. The iPhone version is coming soon – hopefully in time for Christmas. According to one review in the app store, it starts off a bit fast. Makes sense for Christmas Eve, no?

Supermarket Mania, the hit time management game that entertained droves of mobile gamers on the iPhone and iPad platforms, now heads to the Nintendo DSi. An official release date hasn’t been given, but assuming that the game would be released in time for the madness of the holiday shopping season would be a safe bet. Until a definitive date is announced, enjoy these screens and pet your DSi lovingly.

SpyParty is a two player tactical espionage game and it is easily the best spy game I’ve ever played.

SpyParty doesn’t involve big explosions, clever gadgets or mindlessly killing people, but it’s still one of the most gripping, tense and engrossing experiences you can have with a video game. SpyParty lets one player take control of a Spy who must attend a party (hence the name) filled with NPCs and complete a list of objectives, such as swapping microfilm, stealing valuables, planting a recording device on a foreign dignitary, and meeting up with a contact.

Standing in the Spy’s way is a Sniper (controlled by the second player) whose job it is to observe the party and determine which of the partygoers is the Spy. Once the Spy has been determined, it’s the Sniper’s job to eliminate the secret agent before the Spy completes all of his or her objectives.

SpyParty requires constant thought. Those who play as the Spy must blend in with their surroundings, act as other NPC’s act, so as not to draw attention (and bullets) to themselves. They must figure out how to blend in surreptitiously, and they must account for what the Sniper is, or could be, looking for.

Conversely, players who play as the Sniper must think like a Spy, constantly asking themselves “If I were a Spy what would I be doing right now?” “How can I draw him out?” “Which one is AI controlled and which one isn’t?” Sniping can be extra tense for some, as Snipers have to be extra cautious to hit the right target as they only get one shot to put the real Spy away.

I had a chance to play as both Sniper and Spy during PAX Prime 2010, with my assistant Maddison serving as my foil in each scenario. I tried Sniper first, not sure of what to expect, but I quickly found myself probing the party for guests who acted less like typical brainless AI and more like a regular person who would be fumbling around like they were just getting used to the controls. Since the controls are so easy to learn how to use, that didn’t work so well.

Next, I started looking for NPCs that were definitely AI controlled, trying to determine which guest was really Maddison by process of elimination. I eventually found her by accident, when I ran my sniper sight over her character’s head, causing that character to stop dead in their tracks.

Well, no AI controlled player is going to be afraid of a headshot, right? With my conclusion drawn, I decided that it was time to put one between her eyes. I winced slightly as I shot, unsure that the person I’d shot was really her. The moment between shooting what I thought was her and reading the result of the match seemed to stretch on for a long time.

In the end, I discovered that I’d shot the right character and was rewarded with thunderous cheers, some praise from Chris Hecker, the mastermind behind the game and a particularly frustrated look from Maddison.

Next, I got to play as The Spy, applying everything I learned about Spies from sniping, I knew what would and what wouldn’t alert Maddison. I managed to accomplish many of my tasks un-noticed, but before I could finish the final task, I knew Maddison has spotted me. In an effort to get her to waste her sole bullet, I moved behind a crowd using the partygoers as human shields, trying to make her miss her shot and lose.

Unfortunately, that only worked for a minute, (which to be fair is FOREVER in SpyParty time) before Maddison tagged my head to win the round. Even though Maddie and I tied at 1-1 with no definitive winner, I had a fun time and I felt very accomplished for managing to do as well as I did.

SpyParty is about a year and half away from completion if sources are to be believed and is aiming for a release on PSN, XBLA, and Steam. While it’s far from being released, this is THE game to keep your eye on.