Spellbound!


Spellbound! is an educational computer game made and distributed by The Learning Company aimed at teaching spelling, vocabulary, and language development to children ages 7 to 12. The objective of the game is to play spelling-related games to qualify and compete for successively higher bracket spelling bees, concluding with the player competing in the national spelling bee. The original game, released in 1991, was compatible with computers running DOS 3.3 or higher. A 1993 CD release added spoken dialogue and was compatible with Windows 95 and Macintosh.

Plot

Morty Maxwell along with his robots are entering Shady Glen school's Spelling Bee in the hopes of outspelling everyone. The Super Solvers aim to sharpen their skills and beat Morty at his own game in Washington D.C. with the aid of a Spellbinder computer.

Gameplay

Before starting the game, the player can choose which topics and word lists to use. Additionally, the player can create customized lists. Then the player can choose one of three difficulty levels, which affect how many spelling problems need to be solved throughout the game. To qualify for a spelling bee, the player must first earn a set number of points by playing spelling-related activities. These activities include:
Once in the spelling bee, the player will be contested by two other players and must correctly type words flashed out or vocally spoken to win the game. When the spelling bee is completed, the player moves on to the next level to prepare for another spelling bee. There are five levels of spelling bees in the game. As the levels get higher, the activities become harder.

Release

Spellbound! was released along with an Adlib Sound Card in "The Learning Company's Family Sound Value Pack".

Reception

Spellbound! was moderately well received, getting two and a half stars out of five from Allgame.