Countdown ticks onto mobile

At last, a good use for all those word skills we've picked up decoding incoherent messages from people who can't use predictive text properly: Countdown, the long-running bastion of afternoon telly, is coming to mobile.

It follows a deal between developer Dynamo Games and Granada Ventures, which owns the rights to Countdown.

The game promises all of the challenges and puzzles of the TV favourite. You'll have to make the longest possible words from collections of vowels and consonants, as well as create specific sums from strings of random numbers. (Try saying that after a swift one at lunchtime).

Naturally, the game gives pride of place to the famous Countdown clock, which sets you only 30 seconds to produce the best in polysyllabic words or elegant mathematics.

However, there's no mention of whether Carol Vorderman is included. We suspect she isn't, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on how much of a 'thinking man' you are.

Anyway, "Countdown is far more than a game show," said Brian McNicoll, the managing director of Dynamo Games, taking a break from the laboratory where his staff are creating a fresh batch of Countdown conundrums.

"Countdown is an institution, which is loved by millions of people of all ages and from all walks of life," he continued. "The show's combination of word and maths puzzles allows everyone to take part, and makes it the perfect programme to bring to mobile phones."

The huge recent success of Deal or No Deal has proved how popular mobile games of leading TV shows can be, and there's clearly no shortage of appetite for mental stimulation on phones either, with titles like Gameloft's Brain Challenge giving the DS brain trainers a run for their money.

Countdown is due out in the next few months. Click 'Track It!' to find out if the Countdown game is worthy of the great name, just as soon as we find someone smart enough to review it.