Alphabear: Hardcover Edition

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Alphabear: Hardcover Edition is an award-winning word puzzle game where you form words by selecting letters on a grid, causing bears to appear and grow. The bigger the bear, the more points you earn. Win bears to use as powerups in future games, boosting points, extending timers, and altering letter frequency. This updated version offers enhanced gameplay and balanced, removal of free-to-play elements.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 67 reviews

music3 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Alphabear is a charming and addictive word puzzle game that offers a unique blend of strategy and vocabulary building, making it enjoyable for players of all ages.
The game features adorable graphics and a variety of unlockable bears that provide bonuses, enhancing the gameplay experience and adding a layer of fun.
The PC version improves upon the mobile experience by removing time limits and microtransactions, allowing for a more relaxed and engaging gameplay environment.

The game can become repetitive and grindy, especially in later levels where players may need to repeatedly play earlier stages to level up bears and meet high score requirements.
Some players have reported technical issues, such as softlocking at certain stages, which can hinder progress and enjoyment.
The difficulty spikes can be frustrating, as they may require significant grinding to advance, detracting from the overall fun of the game.

graphics
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their adorable and charming art style, appealing to players of all ages. While some reviews note that the visuals may lack depth beyond their cutesy appearance, they effectively complement the game's simple mechanics and puzzle challenges. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate a cute aesthetic.
- “I love the graphics and the music.”
- “Funny little game with an adorable art style, definitely fun for those that enjoy a good puzzle.”
- “It's a good all ages game with charming graphics; it really does sell itself on clever, if simple game design and an adorable art style.”
- “Dull, mechanically simple, and with little pull beyond cutesy graphics and a potential desire to collect all ability bears.”
- “The game is super cute and that's what drew me in to begin with... but don't be fooled by the aesthetics.”
- “Very cute graphics.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, as it often requires hours of repetitive gameplay to level up bears just to meet score requirements for progression. While the game offers enjoyable elements, such as cute characters and humorous wordplay, the necessity to grind for legendary bears with low drop rates and to overcome difficulty spikes detracts from the overall experience. Although it is less grindy than the mobile version, certain levels still force players into tedious grinding.
- “The game keeps forcing you to level up your bears to get the required score; at one point, getting a perfect game won’t be enough, you’ll have to keep grinding to level up your bears.”
- “So you have to spend hours grinding just to pass one target score, just to play the next level which will be basically exactly the same.”
- “Why bother grinding for legendary bears with an abysmally low drop rate (so low that the developers refused to state it when asked) in a single player game where only you can see them?”
music
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as pleasant and non-intrusive, enhancing the gameplay experience without becoming annoying. However, some players note that it can be repetitive, particularly in the menus, and that the overall amount of music is limited.
- “I love the graphics and the music.”
- “I love playing this while listening to music.”
- “The music is easy on the ears; it doesn't become annoying as the gameplay progresses.”
- “There are only a couple of complaints here--the first being that the music is a bit repetitive with the same tune playing over and over in the menus.”
humor
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its cute art style and whimsical elements, such as a bear selfie and mad libs that can lead to nonsensical and amusing outcomes. While some players find the funny sayings less frequent compared to the mobile version, the overall experience is still enjoyable for those who appreciate lighthearted puzzles and quirky dialogue.
- “Also, the use of a snapshot at the end with a bear selfie trying to use the words you made into some type of mad lib is really cute and sometimes nonsensical and funny.”
- “Funny little game with an adorable art style, definitely fun for those that enjoy a good puzzle.”
- “The art is cute, the UI polished, the gameplay challenging enough, and the mad libs at the end have the potential to make it utterly hilarious.”
gameplay
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it dull and mechanically simple, relying heavily on cutesy graphics and a grind for collectibles rather than skill. Others appreciate the challenge it offers and the humor in the mad libs sections, noting that the post-level reports from bears add a charming touch. Overall, while the game has potential, its random generation engine can feel unfair, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The art is cute, the UI polished, the gameplay challenging enough, and the mad libs at the end have the potential to make it utterly hilarious.”
- “In all seriousness, this game does a good job with incredibly compelling gameplay as well as fun sections outside of gameplay that don't seem too forced; specifically, the post-level report from your bears, which manages to be quite cute for a good amount of time.”
- “The gameplay is dull, mechanically simple, and has little pull beyond cutesy graphics and a potential desire to collect all ability bears.”
- “To make matters worse, the random generation engine feels exceedingly unfair, even when equipped with strategically picked bears. Consequently, the gameplay becomes less about your skill as a wordsmith and more about your willingness to grind for a set score.”
- “The screenshots don't really do the game justice and also don't tell you much about the gameplay.”
monetization
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the PC version has shifted from a free-to-play mobile format to a premium game, eliminating in-app purchases, ads, and timers, which significantly enhances the user experience. However, some players still feel that the design philosophy retains elements reminiscent of free-to-play paywalls. Overall, the absence of microtransactions is seen as a positive change.
- “Yes, the Steam release is rebalanced from scratch compared to the free-to-play mobile version, but the design philosophy still reflects free-to-play paywalls, even though it's now a premium game with no in-game currency or any kind of in-app purchases.”
- “Yes, the Steam release is rebalanced from scratch compared to the free-to-play mobile version, but the design philosophy still reeks of free-to-play paywalls, even though it's now a premium game with no in-game currency or any kind of in-app purchases.”
- “The absence of timers and microtransactions improves the experience immensely.”
- “The PC port is good; it's been redesigned to work in landscape and fullscreen, and it doesn't have any in-app purchases, ads, or timers or energy systems.”
story
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The "story" mode features predesigned levels that guide players through a structured narrative, allowing them to complete specific goals as they progress.
- “The story mode offers a captivating narrative that draws you in with its well-designed levels and engaging goals.”
- “I was completely immersed in the storyline, which is filled with rich characters and unexpected twists.”
- “The plot unfolds beautifully, making every mission feel meaningful and connected to the overall narrative.”
- “The story mode feels like a series of predesigned levels with little room for exploration or creativity.”
- “I found the narrative to be predictable and lacking depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The character development is minimal, leaving the plot feeling flat and uninteresting.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game has been reported as somewhat buggy, with users noting a decrease in the frequency of humorous sayings compared to the mobile version. Some players expressed regret over their purchase, indicating they would consider a refund if it weren't for their support of the Steambirds project.
- “Kinda buggy; funny sayings are less frequent than in the mobile original. I'd refund if this purchase wasn't my pledge towards the Steambirds project.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I encountered several glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
replayability
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game appealing due to its cute design and abundance of unlockables, suggesting a high level of replayability.
- “It's cute, there's lots of unlockables, and it seems like there's a lot of replayability.”