The Ten Best Scrabble Board Games

Scrabble needs very little introduction as a board game. Everyone has heard of it. Almost everybody has played a game at least once. For anyone who likes word puzzles it has to be a favorite, The traditional game is still the most popular word game around and there are new ways of playing- including super sized boards and versions played with cards,

For kids, these games are educational, For seniors they can be a brain saver. For people who love words it is a chance to show off. For people who love competition there is also the National Scrabble Association with its casual clubs and not so casual tournaments, scrabble-assoc.com 

Civilzation as We Know it!

If you have the chance to introduce a new generation to Scrabble, grab it. Scrabble might not save civilization single handed but it is one brick in the wall against universal dumbing down.

In the beginning was the word...

Scrabble on a Shoestring

This is an economical version of the classic game at not much more than ten dollars to buy online. You have a cardboard board and wooden tiles.

It lacks a turntable or grid to keep the letters in place but for casual players or beginners it could give a lot of pleasure.

Turntable Scrabble

This board is one of the biggest sellers around. It has a smooth turntable and a grid that holds the letters securely. This makes the game fast to play and you won't end up with tiles flying around when you offer the next player a turn.

The only downside is that the letters are not as good as you might expect for the price and the paint wears off in a few months if you play a lot. You can buy more but you have to think that Hasbro slipped on the quality control.

It is still one of the easiest boards to use and easy on the eye too.

Wooden Edition

This is a beautiful board with a turntable and grid for the tiles. Some people complain that the board scratches too easily but they may be more heavy handed than most of us!

Is it better than the deluxe turntable scrabble version above? If you like quality wooden games and classic design (the letters are very stylish), I think the answer is yes.

'Super Scrabble'

Super scrabble has nearly twice as many spaces for letters as a standard board. There are 441 spaces versus 225 on the original. There are also quadruple word and letter spaces. For people who enjoy a longer game, this means twice as much fun.

The deluxe version has a rotating board and is probably worth the investment for real addicts, The standard version will still give you a lot of fun.

For Kids

I wanted to get a junior version of scrabble into the early part of this list because if you introduce kids to this game early, there is a good chance they will enjoy playing it for life.

There are many other scrabble games aimed at kids- including some fun variations on the standard themes- but this is the close to the spirit of the original and offers a beautiful board that is simple but highly playable.

'Deluxe' Scrabble

This is a highly portable version of the game aimed at kids 8 and up. The carrying case opens to form the board and closes afterwards for easy storage.

The tiles are wooden and there are the usual 7 letter tiles. There are rules for the full game or shortened versions included.

Opened up, the board is 3.5 x 15.8 x 10.5 inches.

Onyx Edition

If you have a smoked glass coffee table no other scrabble board will sit on it as comfortably as this.

There is a turntable and a raised grid for trouble free playing. The details have been thought out well with black tile racks, silver embossed score book and even a matching pencil.

It is aimed at teens (12 and up is the manufacturers recommendation) as well as adults with a taste for modern decor.

Diamond Edition

This is a great practical board with almost no downside as far as game play is concerned. The carrying case opens to produce the board, locking neatly with hidden magnets. The side drawers hold the letters and booklets securely. The angled board lets you see all the letters clearly. There is no off putting glare. Best of all perhaps is the smooth turntable that runs on well designed wheels.

It also colorful enough to appeal to kids.

After use, it tidies away quickly and easily. It is great to take on a visit.

Flash Cubes

Perhaps this shouldn't be on this page at all (it is not a board game) but I think a lot of people will enjoy this. It is an electronic word game that can be played on your own or with friends.

The tiles display letters that can be made into a word. You have a set time to make the word and your score is automatically remembered and displayed.

Good practice for anyone who loves scrabble.

Scrabble Slam- word game with cards

This is a great word game for kids if you want to get the excitement levels up to fever pitch. The game involves making four letter words with cards. If the word on the table is 'gate', for instance, someone with an 'L' could change it to 'gale' and score points.

There is an emphasis on quick thinking. as you need to be first to slam the right card down. Get rid of all the cards in your hand and you win.

It is most fun with more than two players,

Upwords

Upwords is a three dimensional word game where you can stack letters to make words as well as forming them in two dimensions in the usual way,

It adds an interesting twist to the familiar game and encourages a little lateral thinking.

Scrabble Apple

This is another high octane word game. There is no patient waiting for your turn here. As soon as you see a word that you can make, you just go for it, You can also 'steal' other people's words by finding ways to extend or change them.

Expect highly competitive games!

Not Board Games but Worth a Thought

Practice Your Word Skills on a Computer

SCRABBLE SB is not a board game but it is a fun and addictive way to practise the game. It is also a great pastime in its own right.

Slip the CD into your computer and you can perfect your Scrabble skills at your leisure.

Handheld Electronic Scrabble- Shorten any Journey!

For people who love Scrabble and travel a lot, there is plenty of pleasure to be had from this small. hand-held device. You play the normal game with the normal rules against computer players. It is small enough to slip into a pocket and the case is pleasant in the hand,

There are a total of 9 skill levels (so kids will enjoy this as much as highly proficient adults), a searchable dictionary with more than 100,000 words, a scorekeeper and a way of randomly shuffling the letters.

This game will shorten any commuter ride, dramatically.

The only drawback is that it's size means it is tough for anyone with less than good vision.

A few Useful Links for Scrabble Fanatics

Wikipedias overview of the history of the game with some interesting insights Wiki Scrabble

This page gives a good basic account of strategy and things like acceptable words. Scrabble Board_Game.