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Hanged for iPhone warms the heart, snaps the neck

Quite possibly the most original Hangman game you'll ever play, Hanged blends gorgeous stop-motion animation with a heart-wrenching love story. Really!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida

Hanged for iPhone is Hangman like you've never seen it before. Freeverse

Do they give awards for "Most Inventive Re-Imagining of a Classic Paper Game"? If so, I nominate Hanged for iPhone (which should also be in the running for "Best Stop-Motion Love Story" and "Game Most Likely to Make You Pull Out Your iPhone and Tell Friends, 'You Gotta See This!'")

If that sounds like a lot of gushing for what is essentially Hangman: Extreme Makeover Edition, it's because Hanged is such a clever and pleasant surprise.

The game has no menus, no instructions--it is just Hangman, after all. I don't want to spoil the experience by describing specific details, but I will say you're in for a visually breathtaking treat.

And an emotional one. Hanged manages to weave a dramatic (if brief) love story into the unlikeliest of scenarios, one that plays out via stop-motion claymation. You really have to admire the creativity behind it.

And that's Hanged in a nutshell: a creative twist on Hangman and a valentine to the classic paper game. It's the best 99 cents you can spend on a game (this week).

I'd love to see what the developer can do with Dots.