Words, Words, Words: 5 Word Games That Spell Fun for Everyone.

• Posted on 3 July 2019
• By Eric Bennion
• 0

Here at Fair Game we are no stranger to word play. In fact it is our contention that some of the best games are all about words. Here are five of our favorite word games.

From an early age we are taught to play with words, in crossword puzzles, word searches, word scrambles etc… Here at Fair Game we are no stranger to word play.  In fact, it is our contention that some of the BEST games are all about words and we've listed a few of our favorites below. If you try them and someone asks what you are playing you can take a cue from Hamlet and answer… “Words, words, words.”

Harry Potter Scrabble – We probably could have gone with standard Scrabble... but we have been playing this one since the moment it showed up in our shop and we are hooked. As bonafide Potterheads, being able to play words from the wizarding world is just too much fun.  As an additional twist you have special spell cards you can play during the game to boost your score and sabotage your opponents. Don’t worry, you can play regular Scrabble as well if you happen to be playing with your muggle friends.

Wordoku – This puzzle game brings your favorite puzzles of the printed page onto your table. This combination of sudoku, crossword, and wordsearch puzzles is fun for people of all ages.  Set up a 4x4 grid of letters using sudoku/crossword style strategy and see how many words you can find.  There's a great "catch-up" mechanism that helps to keep this game competitive through the last round. 

Bananagrams – In Bananagrams you are in a race against your opponents to build out a crossword. Start with a set of starter tiles and build, use the “bunch” of tiles in the center to supplement your starter tiles during the game.  When there are less tiles in the “bunch” than there are players, the person who finishes first (with no spelling errors and no proper nouns) wins. 

Word Domination – In this word game you must embrace your inner James Bond villain. As you spell words you canvas and steal famous artifacts. You also have access to all the wicked tools of the trade that any self respecting Bond villain would have. You have six turns to spell the best words, steal the best stuff and block your fellow villains from doing the same.

Hardback – Rounding out our list is Hardback, a deck-building word game.  Each player starts with a deck of 10 cards, 8 of the same letters, and 2 random letters.  Using your deck you spell words, earn points and buy new cards. If you don’t have the right letter for your word, play the card face down as a wild card. Need a sixth letter?  Use an ink token and press your luck (the card you need might be on the top of your deck).  Keep playing until someone gets to sixty points and wins the game. 

We love games that take advantage of our lexicon and help to expand and practice our vocabulary.  They are fun ways to bring friends and families together and perhaps learn something at the same time.  Now that we have shared some of our favorites, what is your favorite word game?