GDC 2015: Bonza National Geographic is a beautiful and logical follow-up to the first
Word wonders
I love word games.
Bonza, in particular, is an elegant and simple crossword-style game from Australian studio MiniMega.
With several levels of varying difficulty, Bonza can be played as both a leisurely way to pass the time or as a challenging puzzler.
Recently, it was announced that MiniMega and National Geographic were teaming up to release Bonza National Geographic.
I got to play some of it at GDC last week.
An entirely separate game from the first, Bonza National Geographic offers more crossword-like word puzzles, this time with themes that revolve around NatGeo.
Animals, science, space, the world, humanity, and more make up Bonza National Geographic's many themed levels.
One of this game's newest features is the inclusison of visual puzzles composed from NatGeo's library of photographs.
In these puzzles, you reassemble a picture using draggable pieces in the same tile-based shape as the game's crossword puzzles.
The collaboration with National Geographic is the perfect next step for a game like Bonza.
Not only can its puzzles and educational value be explored in a fitting context, but all of NatGeo's net proceeds from the game's sales will go straight to exploration, research, and conservation programs.
There's no set release date for Bonza National Geographic yet. We'll keep you updated.
