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  Moxie’s Coffee Break – This Week Inside MSN Games

January 20, 2006

Welcome to “Moxie’s Coffee Break!”

Hello, hello! Allow me to introduce myself: I’m the person who answers all the game help emails you send to MSN Games! I have to say this is the best job in the entire world, since A) I adore games, B) I’m naturally chatty, and C) there’s free gourmet coffee in the break rooms. (Score!) Even after eight years, I still can’t believe it’s my job to get seriously caffeinated, play games, and help people solve their problems.

So I was thinking of starting my own blog, where I could ramble on about the games I love, the people I meet online, and the fun stuff that goes on here at MSN Games. And then I thought, heck, why not combine it with a few common game questions, and just post it here on the site? As long as people send in suggestions for topics, I can do this every week!

After a bit of wheedling with the folks in charge, I had my very own little corner of MSN Games and permission to natter on about whatever I like. The only catch is that I have to write this during my coffee break. (There’s too much to do the rest of the day!) Anyway, I couldn’t be happier, and I hope someone else out there reads this and gets a kick out of it too.

Why Word Mojo Ate My Week

It all started so innocently, with a letter requesting Word Mojo help.

(I’d like to post the letter-writer’s name here, but they didn’t include their MSN Games nickname. So instead, I’ll call them “Mojo No-Go” and remind everyone to include an MSN Games nickname or gamertag when submitting a question!)

“Dear Moxie: I have become hooked on Word Mojo, but there is something missing from the instructions.  Sometimes it refuses to allow the Mega Mojo bonus point attempt because it says 'you have not been able to make a bonus word.' What's the story? How can I identify a bonus word?”

So here’s the biggest hazard of my job: I start up the game “just for a minute” to make sure I’m giving the right answer. You know the sort of minute kids mean when they say “I’ll be there in a minute,” a.k.a. “I’ll be there after you call me eight or nine more times and then finally threaten to take away dessert?” Yeah, that’s the one.

Of course, confirming the answer was quick: the colored squares on the board are the Mojo letter slots. Just make sure to cover these squares when you're placing your letters: they’ll appear in the Mojo column, and you can use them in the Mega Mojo round to create a bonus word. (Or, if you’re feeling frazzled, you can hit the Panic button to automatically assemble a bonus word. Love that button.) Here’s the trick, though: the Mojo letters must spell a valid word of at least three letters, or the bonus round won’t start. If you want the best chance of making a bonus word, you should fill your Mojo squares with common vowels or consonants. (Uncommon letters such as X or Q are harder to use, but worth more points!) And remember, you don't have to use every Mojo letter in your bonus word.

Okay! Question answered; mission accomplished. Now for the hard part: actually closing the game. I’d forgotten how much I love this one! The next thing you know, I’m eating lunch with one hand and playing Word Mojo with the other. Instead of going for coffee on my coffee break… yep, Word Mojo. “Just one more game” before heading home that evening turned into ten or twelve games (plus a microwave burrito of questionable pedigree). And after I got home, when I was supposed to be meeting friends at a club? I plead the fifth, your honor.

Let the record show that Word Mojo has eaten my week.

Gimme Cookie!

One of the top issues in the tech-help mailbox right now is button trouble, so I figured this would be the perfect place to talk about fixing it. Here’s a typical letter:

“Dear Moxie: When I select Play Now on a game page, the game never opens. It happens for any game I click.”

Would you laugh if I said this happened to me once, too? (Some support guru, huh?) I was trying to play on a friend’s computer, nothing would load, and I may (may, mind you) have uttered a few phrases which are unsuitable for print. Fortunately, it’s an easy problem to fix.

Chances are, your system has been set to block cookies. Our games can’t open unless cookies are enabled, so it’s just a matter of telling your browser that cookies are okay. If you’re not sure how to do that, no worries: we’ve got easy instructions for you right here.

Cookies… mmmmm, now I’m hungry! Time for me to sign off, visit the snack machine, and kick back with a little Puzzle Express. (Must… resist…. Word Mojo……..)

See you next week!