Falling Into Entertainment

Spectrum HoloByte’s new “Wordtris” is the fourth game in the Soviet-designed Tris series that has al ready included the popular “Tetris,” “Weltris” and “Faces.” The new game repeats the series’ familiar theme of manipulating and assembling dropping objects. After all, if it sells . . .

Instead of plain-colored blocks or body parts seen in earlier games, “Wordtris” has blocks with letters drifting down from the top of the screen into a well half-filled with water.

When the available water surface is filled, the letters start pushing down to the bottom of the well until it is completely filled and the game is over. The only way to empty the well is to assemble the letters into words--as they fall. Crossword puzzle and “Scrabble” fans ought to have a field day with this one.

Although the game’s dictionary holds more than 60,000 words, it’s pretty strict about common abbreviations and everyday foreign words. It also doesn’t like slang. Like the other games in the series, “Wordtris” has a wide range of playing options. Besides the difficulty ranges and speed levels, several playing modes are available. The competitive mode allows you to compete against another player on the same computer; cooperative playing has two players playing the same game together; tournament mode sets up competition for up to four players, and head-to-head playing pits you against another player on another computer.

All in all, this is pretty low-stress entertainment and distraction, sort of like going to see “Rocky IV.”

Wordtris

Rating: ***

IBM and compatibles, Tandy; 640K; RAM req; list price: $44.95.

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.