Scrabble Crossword Game

1) the playing area is not centered in the folding board; very displeasing

2) the tiles are made of lighter wood (pine instead of oak? I don't know my woods, but this one is light)

3) the tile trays are less rounded and more squared-off in profile (yes, this is very picky)

This game mas previously been produced by both Milton-Bradley and Shelchow & Righter, and both did a better job than Hasbro with this one. Consider the small travel version with a plastic grid and small, thick wood tiles -- even for home use, that's how disappointing this one is.


One of the best games ever invented   June 29, 2000
21 out of 22 found this review helpful

Scrabble is one of the best, most challenging games invented. Up to four players choose seven letter tiles each, and they must use them to produce words that connect with other tiles already on the board to form horizontal and vertically arranged words -- like a crossword puzzle. Sound easy to play? It is. But it's not easy to master.

I grew up playing this game, and now that my children are learning to read they are being introduced to the game.

The only complaint I've heard about the game is that it can take a while to finish. That aside, this is an excellent game -- it makes players think not only about what words they can make with their letters, but about game strategy as well. That is, how to best use their letters to maximize their own score while providing as few opportunities for opponents to build.

A great game for building critical thinking and spelling and vocabulary skills.

5 stars all the way!


The classic word game   April 8, 2005
Peter Durward Harris (Leicester England)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful

Scrabble is a word game that anybody can play as long as they can spell in the language in which the game is being played. It can be a lot of fun but it's wise to have a dictionary at hand to settle disputes that arise when somebody creates a dubious word or spelling. The dictionary should only be used to settle disputes - leafing through its pages trying to find a word that fits your letters is definitely cheating. The game is intended to be played by between two and four players but it is possible to practise alone and I'll explain how later, though it isn't as much fun as playing against another person. If more than four people are available, they can either team up or just find something else to use instead of racks to hold the tiles.

Scrabble comes in various editions but all of them have certain things in common. There are 100 tiles each with a letter on them, four racks (one to hold each payer's tiles) and a bag into which all tiles are placed at the start of the game and from which all players draw letters as the game progresses. The main playing area is a board of 15 x 15 squares, most of which are of a standard gray color. Some squares are red, pink, dark blue or pale blue - these are premium-scoring squares (triple word, double word, triple letter, double letter respectively). NOTE - as somebody pointed out in a comment on this review, it is now possible to buy a larger version with more tiles and a board with more squares, but I was unaware of this when I wrote my review.

To begin with, each player draws seven tiles from the bag. The first player makes a word from any or all of their letters and places it on the board, beginning, ending or crossing the central square, which automatically gives them a double word score. (it is pink) and replaces the used tiles with a corresponding number of tiles from the bag. Subsequently, players take turns to create a new word (thereby building a crossword on the board), attempting to score as many points as possible. Any tiles added must all form part of one word and link to tiles already on the board but strategy as well as vocabulary is useful.

Most of the time, you just place letters focusing on an existing tile on the board, using that tile as part of the word you create, However, if you have a letter S in your rack, you may be able to add it to the end of an existing word while also using it as part of a word of your own, if there is clear room on the board for you to do so. Thus, you score for your own word but you also score for the word that you made into a plural. This is just one example of how you can (sometimes) score for more than one word while sticking to the rules, but it teaches you not to waste S letters - keep them for when they can be most effectively used.

When there are no more tiles in the bag, play continues until one player uses up all their tiles or nobody is able to. At that point, points on unused tiles still in players' racks are deducted from their score.

To play alone is quite simple, if less satisfying. The object is to score as many points as possible. Obviously, scoring is much easier since you can build the crossword in a very open design - you aren't trying to block your opponents - but if you find that those opponents usually beat you, a bit of practice on your own might improve your chances of beating them in future.

So, if you decide to buy Scrabble, it comes down to deciding whether to buy the Deluxe edition (if you can afford it), the Travel edition (for taking away from home with you) or the standard edition. Just make sure you have that dictionary at hand to settle disputes, otherwise it won't be much fun.


Word Power   December 12, 2006
BeatleBangs1964 (United States)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is one of my favorite games. It is also an excellent way to enrich one's vocabulary. To this day I recommend using a dictionary when you play just to be sure no neologisms sneak in. Still, the extent to which other players will try to win can be as fun as the game itself. I love this game!





S_C_R_A_B_B_L_E spells fun in my book!   July 1, 1999
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

What a game!

Besides Scrabble, how many other board (or is it bored?) games can boast these qualities?

- It's entertaining. No matter how many times you play, you will never, ever play the same game twice.

- It's educational. You improve in the game by improving your vocabulary. What other game will cause your kids to grab for a dictionary with enthusiasm?

- It's not flashy or made of grody plastic. Nope, Scrabble's got a board and nice little wooden pews to hold the little wooden tiles.

- It involves strategy and chance. Winning Scrabble gives some serious boasting rights compared to other board games such as Life, where a lot depends on blind luck. Yet chance does play a role in Scrabble, because which letters you draw determines how your game will proceed.

All in all, I can not think of another board game other than chess, checkers and a few other classics, that I have actively played as many times or with as much enjoyment as Scrabble. My mother would be proud to hear me say it, too.

Buy this game. Force your kids to play. Don't let them win. You'll be surprised when they eventually beat you, and they'll thank you for it.