Eurogamer writes: "The magic of spelling is a lost art in the European isles. Technology is now so advanced that if you say a word incorrectly it appears with wobbly red lines in the speech bubble above your head. Young people tweeting pods from their mobile Xboxstations care not a jot for the inclusion of vowels. Local Spelling Stations are closing down all around the continent. Spelling is going the way of the apostrophe."
Sim City is an obvious choice, but what other games can be used to teach youngsters - and oldsters - useful skills and interesting facts?
GameGuru writes: "Lex, the adorable green worm with typically nerdy glasses and a bow tie is back! To once again battle it out one-on-one with amusing rivals backed by the mantra; The pen is mightier than the sword. But our charming hero Lex goes through this whole expedition with a secret motive of saving someone from the claws of death."
Bookworm Adventures: Volume 2 is great for kids but fun enough to cross the age gap. Its simple game play is immediately learnable and infinitely enjoyable. As someone who is terrible at Boggle and outright hates Scrabble, it's something of a miracle that I enjoy the game so, and also a testament that Popcap's creation is one that all but the most self-conscious gamers will love.
