Type to win in the newest Final Fantasy mobile game, World Wide Words

Hollywood & Games returns to Los Angeles on December 10, bringing together 250+ executives, founders, investors and decision-makers at the Grammy Museum's Clive Davis Theater. Explore the business of entertainment's biggest partnership through independent, journalist-led conversations on IP, investment, storytelling and new opportunities across gaming and Hollywood. Space is limited. Secure your seat today.

Who needs swords and magic when you have a digital keyboard?

Developer and publisher Square Enix is working on a new Final Fantasy mobile game, World Wide Words, that has players typing to defeat monsters in a “text-input battle RPG [role-playing game],” according to Siliconera via a Hachima report of the newest issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu.

Like other Final Fantasy spin-offs, including the music-based Theatrhythm, World Wide Words will feature characters from multiple games in the long-running franchise. It’s set for a Sept. 16 release in Japan for Android devices, with an iOS release to follow. We currently don’t know when or if the game will come to the U.S., but a journey overseas seems likely. Square Enix isn’t shy about localizing Final Fantasy these days, especially if it means tapping into the lucrative mobile market.

Square Enix previously tried to make a unique Final Fantasy mobile experience with All the Bravest, a touch-based take on role-playing game battles that also featured characters from different entries in the franchise. However, All the Bravest was a critical bomb, with a current Metacritic score of 25.