The people behind the clatter at Thistledowplay
Thistledowplay began as a running argument in a shared office about who typed fastest. The argument was settled, more or less, but the curiosity it started never quite went away. We wanted to know which free typing games actually make people better, which ones are simply fun, and which manage both.
We are a small group of writers and keyboard enthusiasts spread across Britain. Some of us type for a living; one of us learned to touch type properly only last year, at the age of forty-one, and wrote much of our beginners’ guide from that experience. Between us we cover a wide range of speeds, keyboards and patience levels.
Every game on the site was played for weeks before we wrote a word about it. We test on mechanical keyboards and cheap laptop ones, in short bursts and long evenings, and we keep notes of our speeds and frustrations along the way. Our marks reflect that experience rather than a feature checklist.
Typing games change over time as their makers add modes and tweak designs, so we revisit our reviews and update them when something meaningful shifts. If you spot something that has changed, or think we have judged a game unfairly, we would genuinely like to hear from you.
We type before we write
No review appears until several of us have played the game for weeks, on different keyboards and at different speeds. Opinions come from use, not from the description on the box.
Accuracy over flattery
We would rather tell you a game is limited than inflate a score. Marks are spread out on purpose, and every criticism we make is one we would stand behind in person.
Practice should be pleasant
The best typing practice is the practice you will actually do. We value games that make returning tomorrow feel easy, and we say so when they make it harder.