Combination of a non-word based game with a word game
Methods and systems for combining a computer-implemented word game with a computer-implemented non-word based game. One of the methods includes receiving, at a processor for controlling a game, a first input from a user of the game, the game including both a non-word based game and a skill-based word game, the first input received in response to a display of the non-word based game; providing at least one letter to the user in response to the first input received from the user; and receiving a second input from the user related to playing at least one letter in the word game.
1. A method comprising:
(a) receiving, at a processor for controlling a single game, a first input from a user of the game, the game including both a non-word based game and a skill-based word game wherein the skill-based word game comprises a display that comprises a letter rack that holds individual letter tiles, the first input received in response to a display of the non-word based game;
(b) upon receiving the first input, determining whether the user has completed a predetermined condition in the non-word based game;
(c) upon determining that the user has completed the predetermined condition, providing the user with a plurality of letter tiles in the skill-based word game;
(d) when the user does not have enough letters to form a word in the skill-based word game, notifying the user of the user's ability to obtain at least one letter tile for the user's letter rack by playing the non-word based game;
(e) when the user's game currency in the non-word based game falls below a specified threshold, notifying the user of the user's ability to gain game currency through the skill-based word game; and
(f) receiving a second input from the user in the skill-based word game, wherein the second input indicates the play of at least one letter represented by one of the plurality of letter tiles.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-word based game is a social game.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
(a) calculating a reward for the user based at least in part on the second input; and
(b) receiving a third input from the user related to acquiring, based at least in part on the reward, an item relevant to the non-word based game.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the item relevant to the non-word based game is currency available in the non-word based game.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first input is at least one of initiating the non-word based game and making a purchase within the non-word based game.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises providing a board mission.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the board mission is selected from the group of: completion of a specific word; completion of a word of a specific length; completion of a word with a certain letter; using all the letters in a player's rack to write a word on a board for the skill-based word game, completing a word with a specified combination of letters, and completion of a word with a point value of more than a specified amount.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises presenting an additional word based game board.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein presenting the additional word based game board is triggered by an event in the non-word based game.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises prompting the user to submit a word in the skill-based word game while displaying the non-word based game to the user such that by submitting a word in the skill-based word game the user is able to obtain game currency for the non-word based game.
11. A system for multi-player network-based gaming, the system comprising a gaming server that communicates with at least two users' communication accounts, the gaming server having a processing unit configured to perform operations comprising:
(a) receiving a first input from a user for a social game, the social game including both a non-word based game and a skill-based word game wherein the skill-based word game comprises a display that comprises a letter rack that holds individual letter tiles, the first input received in response to a display of the non-word based game;
(b) upon receiving the first input, determining whether the user has completed a predetermined condition in the non-word based game;
(c) upon determining that the user has completed the predetermined condition, providing the user with a plurality of letter tiles in the skill-based word game;
(d) when the user does not have enough letters to form a word in the skill-based word game, notifying the user of the user's ability to obtain at least one letter tile for the user's letter rack by playing the non-word based game;
(e) when the user's game currency in the non-word based game falls below a specified threshold, notifying the user of the user's ability to gain game currency through the skill-based word game; and
(f) receiving a second input from the user in the skill-based word game, wherein the second input comprises an instruction to play a letter represented by one of the plurality of letter tiles.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system comprises a dictionary database and wherein the operations further comprise providing at least two rewards, a first reward provided if the user submits a word in the dictionary database and a second reward provided when a user's cumulative points cross a specified threshold.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the skill-based word game has a square board.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the skill-based word game comprises a display that comprises an icon that, when selected, allows the user to access a dictionary and game rules.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the skill-based word game comprises a display that comprises an icon that, when selected, allows the user to access a user's letter tile bag.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the skill-based word game has a word game board and wherein the operations further comprise receiving input from the user to place individual letters represented by letter tiles in the letter rack on the word game board.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the non-word based game comprises a first display prompting a user viewing the non-word based game to submit a word in the skill-based word game to win currency for the non-word based game.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the skill-based word game comprises a second display prompting a user of the skill-based word game to play the non-word based game in order to obtain at least one more letter tile.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the system further comprises a coordination engine configured to monitor activity in the skill-based word game and in the non-word based game to determine when to display the first display and when to display the second display.
20. A method comprising:
receiving, at a processor for controlling an integrated game, a first input from a user of the game, the game including both a non-word based game and a skill-based word game wherein the skill-based word game comprises a display that comprises a letter rack that holds individual letter tiles, the first input received in response to a display of the non-word based game;
upon receiving the first input, determining whether the user has completed a predetermined condition in the non-word based game;
upon determining that the user has completed the predetermined condition, providing the user with a plurality of letter tiles in the skill-based word game;
when the user does not have enough letter tiles to form a word in the skill-based word game, notifying the user of the user's ability to obtain at least one letter tile by playing the non-word based game;
when the user's game currency in the non-word based game falls below a specified threshold, notifying the user of the user's ability to gain game currency through the skill-based word game; and
receiving a second input from the user in the skill-based word game, wherein the second input indicates the play of at least one letter represented by one of the plurality of letter tiles.