Do you have “What It Takes” to tackle on of the newest and most addictive games to hit iTunes since Angry Birds and Words With Friends?  We recently reached out to our staff to find the hottest, most innovative new game on the iStore, and submit their findings.  We had a few runner-ups, but everyone agreed that “What It Takes” met all of the criteria to take first place!

You can play alone or with opponents (Facebook, etc.) in three different types of rounds including:  1. Words Rounds.  2. Numbers Rounds.  3. Conundrum Rounds.  Our favorite are the conundrums, but we will get to that in a moment.  Here at the office it was all hands on deck downloading the game and getting the game on our phones, and then it was time to work against each other to prove we each had “What It Takes” to win!   In “Word Rounds,” you get seven letters to make as many words as you can in one minute.  To me, the addiction in this game is the rush you get trying to complete such tasks in such a short amount of time, much like trying to diffuse a ticking bomb.  Each word you create gives you points, and of course at the end your score is revealed.

“Number Rounds” is my weak point, because I am no good at math.  I hated math in school, and have always found myself being more “word oriented” than “number oriented,” however this game makes it a challenge to overcome math anxieties to prove yourself to your opponent.  A target number is given, and then you use your mathematical genius (or in my case lack thereof) to get as close to that target number as possible (using equations with provided numbers) in one minute.  Yes, again you are under the gun of the clock, and for me the clock moves so fast on this one that it makes me want to play again and again just to improve myself.

Your “Conundrum Round” is an enjoyable timed task of solving an anagram, and of course you have one minute to do so.  Words like “Angel” that can be turned into “Glean,” ect. ect.  Trust me, that example is not as challenging as what the game provides, and to be honest I need to work on this skill set as well.  I was beat – several times – by my co-workers, and frankly decided that it would be best to play on my own for a while in single player mode, before I set out to further be bested by anyone else.

“What It Takes” is awesome, and frankly we are proud to say it sits at one of the top 10 game suggestions for iPhone on our list to date, which is a hard list to make.  It’s well designed, graphically beautiful, and allows for custom profiles.  Notifications are fast, allowing for you to know when it is your turn to play, and keeping you constantly engaged with the game.  “What It Takes” also works as a good “brain trainer,” allowing for you to keep your mental skills sharp and contributes to improved concentration.  We associate that with the one minute timer that keeps your mind stimulated and on task, focusing on problem solving and skill set variants that are often overlooked in other games.

DOWNLOAD “WHAT IT TAKES” FROM iTUNES | OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Brushing Up To Have “What It Takes” To Win,
Jake A. Wheat