Yes, somewhere in the world, someone had the idea to charge $7 for a game of Hangman. Of course if you're a developer with the guts to give it a shot, you might as well go all out and make it the best version of Hangman ever made. Better yet, the most "extreme" variation of the classic word game would surely draw some eyes.

No, Extreme Hangman doesn't change the way the game is played. You're given a category, the alphabet, and a poor stick figure that will meet his fate unless you guess the word after picking the appropriate letters. That's pressure. Two clues per round can be used if you feel a little dirty or if you're completely stuck.

Something must separate this from every other version of Hangman out there. The first notable is the doomed-to-die stick figure. While he does end up hung from a noose, he'll also battle a zombie horde, dodge a firing squad, and fend off an attacker in a subway. The more letters you miss, the tighter the firing squad's aim gets, the number of zombie attacks grow, and the more cheap shots land from the would be attacker.

While it technically adds nothing to the game itself, the flawlessly animated figures are entertaining enough to pass the time as you guess the words put before you. It's even better in multi-player. One phone is enough as you pass the device over between turns. They create a word, you try to guess it. If friends are unavailable, hop onto your network and challenge anyone who has the rather odd taste for Hangman in the same style. You read that right: Online Hangman... on a cell phone.

Of course, if you're not a fan of multi-player, you'll quickly run out of words to decipher in the available categories. There's a simple solution: download more word packs free. Up to six can be stored at once, and if the animations become repetitive, download the one (sadly) available as well. That multiplies Extreme Hangman's content greatly, and keeping it addictive on both short trips and long stays.

If you simply can't imagine sitting around wasting a few hours guessing movie titles like In Her Shoes, Extreme Hangman shreds your imaginary thoughts and proves that you are easily entertained. This is a perfect cell phone game, one that doesn't require fast action or overly complicated button combinations. It's also embarrassingly fun whether alone or with friends.