9 Must-Try Games for Learning English

English is a fascinating international language to learn, and many people around the world study it due to its numerous benefits. Beyond being a global means of communication, English proficiency is often a key factor in job interview processes within companies.

In addition to taking English courses, you can also improve your language skills through engaging English learning games. This time, Carisinyal will explore some fun and effective games to help you practice. Curious to know more? Let’s check out the following review!

1. Dingbats 

Expand your English vocabulary and phrase comprehension with Dingbats! This wordplay game challenges players to decipher the correct phrase from creatively arranged words.

Dingbats is ideal for intermediate English learners since it requires a solid understanding of various idioms and expressions to answer correctly. Each completed level rewards players with coins or hint tokens.

These coins are valuable for unlocking extra hints if you’re stuck. There are two hint options: revealing a single letter or multiple letters at once.

Beyond the main levels, Dingbats also offers daily quests, which provide extra coins. This feature is especially helpful for replenishing your hint reserves, as hints can quickly deplete your coin stash.

Collected coins can be used for customizing in-game wallpapers. Additionally, you can unlock other mini-games within Dingbats using your earned coins, making the experience even more engaging!

Things I Like About Dingbats:

• An effective game for improving English vocabulary and phrase comprehension.
• Suitable for players with intermediate English skills.
• Offers a variety of game modes to keep things interesting.
• Customizable backgrounds that enhance the gaming experience.
• A minimalist design with high-quality graphics and well-balanced animations.

Things to Consider About Dingbats:

• The hint feature requires a lot of coins or watching ads.
• Additional game modes can only be unlocked by spending a certain number of coins.

2. Heads Up!

If you’ve ever watched The Ellen DeGeneres Show, you might be familiar with the segment where Ellen plays a guessing game with her celebrity guests. That game is Heads Up!, which you can now enjoy on your own device.

Heads Up! is an interactive game that’s not only fun but also great for improving English-speaking skills while expanding vocabulary and general knowledge across various topics.

In this game, players must describe the word displayed on the phone screen without saying the word itself. The words cover different categories, including objects, famous people, movies, animals, and more.

Developed by Warner Bros., Heads Up! features high-quality graphics with a distinctive visual style. However, this game can’t be played alone—you’ll need at least one partner to help guess the words.

The gameplay is simple: if your partner guesses the word correctly, tilt the phone forward to confirm. If you want to skip a word, tilt the phone backward. This intuitive mechanic makes the game dynamic and engaging, perfect for group fun!

Things I Like About Heads Up!:

• A word-guessing game that helps improve speaking skills.
• A wide variety of word themes.
• Distinctive and high-quality graphics, despite its simple gameplay.
• Unique and interactive gameplay features.
• Playing tips for certain card themes, making the game even more enjoyable.

Things to Consider About Heads Up!:

• Some word themes are only accessible through in-app purchases.
• Lacks a complete tutorial, which might be confusing for new players at first.

3. Word Search

Word Search not only enhances your English vocabulary but also sharpens your attention to detail as you search for hidden words among random letters. As the name suggests, this game challenges players to find words arranged vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or even backward on a puzzle board.

The game is designed to be easy to play, especially since the words you need to find are already provided by default. Your task is simply to match them with the letters on the board. Additionally, Word Search by Playvalve offers various helpful features.

There’s a Hint feature that reveals the first letter of the word you need to find, a Super Hint that displays the first three letters of three different words, a Wand tool to remove unrelated letters, and a Shuffle option to rearrange the board for a fresh perspective.

One unique aspect of this game is the presence of hidden words that are not listed in the main word bank. If you're observant enough to find these secret words, you'll earn bonus coins as an extra reward.

Every few levels, the game also introduces new background themes to refresh the playing experience. However, as you progress through each chapter, the difficulty increases, requiring you to find even more words on the puzzle board.

Things I Like About Word Search by Playvalve:

• A simple word search game, perfect for expanding English vocabulary.
• Helps improve attention to detail and focus.
• Easy to play, making it suitable for English learners.
• Clear tutorials for every available feature.

Things to Consider About Word Search by Playvalve:

• The number of coins required to use the hint feature is quite high.

4. Scrabble® GO

If you're a big fan of Scrabble, Scrabble GO is a must-have game on your device. Developed by Scopely, this game delivers a digital Scrabble experience using English vocabulary based on the Collins dictionary.

With countless possible words to create, you might discover new vocabulary you've never encountered before.

More than just fun, Scrabble GO is also educational. It helps improve your English vocabulary, especially with the Scrabble Scholar feature, which provides definitions for words. However, this feature is only available for premium subscribers.

Subscribing to the premium package also unlocks the Word Power Meter, which measures the accuracy of the words you form in the game. This feature offers additional insights into your language skills while keeping the gameplay exciting.

In terms of design, Scrabble GO boasts high-quality graphics and animations that are visually appealing.

Additionally, the game offers multiple play modes, so if you ever get bored with the main mode, you can switch to a more relaxed and easygoing one. These alternative modes serve as a great "break-time game" between intense Scrabble matches.

Things I Like About Scrabble GO:

• A digital version of Scrabble designed to stay true to the original game.
• Helps expand English vocabulary with a built-in word explanation feature.
• Various game modes add more variety and excitement.
• A relaxed game mode for a break from the main gameplay.
• Customizable Scrabble tiles that unlock as players level up and earn coins.

Things to Consider About Scrabble GO:

• Requires an understanding of Scrabble rules, which might make it challenging for new players at first.

5. 4 Pics 1 Word

Looking for a different word-guessing game to improve your English vocabulary? Try 4 Pics 1 Word! In this game, you must identify a single word that connects four given images and then tap the letter board to form the correct word.

If your answer is incorrect, the letter box will turn red; if correct, it will turn green. If you're struggling to find the right word, a hint option is available to reveal one of the letters in the answer.

The graphics and animations in 4 Pics 1 Word are visually appealing and well-organized. However, the game contains frequent pop-up ads that appear after completing each level. To remove them, players must purchase the premium package.

Things I Like About 4 Pics 1 Word:

• A picture-guessing game that helps improve vocabulary.
• Engaging graphics and animations.
• A wide selection of mini-games.
• A leaderboard feature for global competition with other players.
• An FAQ section that helps players understand the game.

Things to Consider About 4 Pics 1 Word:

• Frequent pop-up ads can be quite distracting.

6. Hangman

In addition to enhancing English vocabulary skills, this game also brings its own level of excitement for players. Hangman is a classic word-guessing game with a unique gameplay concept.

In this game, you simply need to guess the word by filling in letters in the blank spaces provided. If the letter you choose is part of the word, the word will gradually take shape, bringing you closer to the correct answer.

However, if you guess incorrectly, an animated figure will slowly be drawn, representing the consequences of your wrong guesses. Fun and thrilling, isn't it?

Things I Like About Hangman:

• A unique design that helps improve English vocabulary while enhancing general knowledge.
• Engaging animations that make the game more enjoyable.
• A wide variety of word themes to choose from, with a random word option available.
• A two-player mode for added fun.

Things to Consider About Hangman:

• Pop-up ads sometimes disrupt the game layout.

7. The Sims Mobile (TSM)

This game is widely popular and loved by players around the world. The Sims is a role-playing game where players engage in various interactions with other characters.

Originally released for personal computers, The Sims is now available on mobile devices and tablets. You can take advantage of this game to improve your English skills.

In The Sims, character conversations are displayed in text form, which can help you practice sentence construction in English while expanding your vocabulary with new words you encounter throughout the game.

Things I Like About The Sims Mobile:

• Dynamic simulation gameplay that feels engaging and non-repetitive.
• Helps improve players’ English sentence formation skills.
• Stable performance with a good frame rate on my phone.

Things to Consider About The Sims Mobile:

• Some users have reported errors when loading the game after the latest update.

8. Wordzee!

Wordzee features gameplay reminiscent of Scrabble but with its own unique twist. Unlike traditional word games, the words players need to form are not interconnected, giving them more flexibility in arranging letters to create words.

Each letter in the game carries a different point value, and the tiles used for word formation come with special categories. There are tiles that double or triple the value of a letter or an entire word, allowing players to achieve higher scores.

Wordzee also offers real-time competition against other players. Additionally, players can engage in multiple games simultaneously, adding an extra layer of challenge and strategy.

With its engaging mechanics, Wordzee is an excellent choice for sharpening English vocabulary skills while enjoying a fun and competitive experience.

Things I Like About Wordzee:

• Similar to Scrabble but offers more flexibility since words are not interconnected.
• A comprehensive tutorial makes it easy for new players to understand the gameplay.
• High-quality visual content.
• Most of the game runs automatically, allowing players to focus solely on forming words.
• A built-in statistics feature to track progress and performance.

Things to Consider About Wordzee:

• Since much of the system runs automatically, the wait time between word formations can sometimes feel long.

9. Runner Game by Lingokids

As one of the leading developers in digital education, Lingokids offers a variety of educational games that are both fun and engaging. One of its standout titles is Runner Game, a game designed specifically for children.

This game combines the endless runner concept, similar to Mario Bros, with vocabulary learning focused on vegetables in English. Players control an adorable animal character named Cowy, who is tasked with running and collecting vegetables that match the words displayed at the top of the screen.

However, the challenge doesn’t stop there. Cowy must also avoid incorrect vegetables by jumping over them to stay on track.

With its simple yet engaging mechanics, Runner Game is an excellent choice for kids. Unfortunately, my first experience playing was briefly disrupted by a bug— the screen froze in the middle of the game. However, this issue did not occur again in my subsequent playthroughs.

Things I Like About Runner Game by Lingokids:

• An educational game perfect for children, especially for learning English vocabulary.
• An innovative combination of endless runner gameplay and language learning.
• Engaging graphics and adorable sound effects.

Things to Consider About Runner Game by Lingokids:

• There were some bugs when I first played the game.

That's our list of recommended games for learning English that you must try at home! Now, you can make the most of your gadget to learn new and useful things, including the games we've mentioned.