Forget Candy Crush, Monopoly, and Solitaire. If you’re a writer, a content marketer, or just a content geek like me, then you probably know that word games are a great pastime. Not only are they a lot of fun, but they’re also a way to keep your mind sharp and learn some new vocabulary.
In this post, I’m sharing six of my favorite word games. While some of them are classics that you may already know, I bet there are a few on my list that are new for you.
1. Word Whomp
Word Whomp is a mobile app that you can download for free. It challenges you to “whomp” cute gophers, while also racing against the clock to create as many words as you can from a set of six letters. As you come up with new words, the gophers start digging up veggies and bonuses. Find the elusive carrot to enter the bonus round and score big.
Admittedly, it sounds pretty corny. But it’s a surprisingly addictive little game that keeps you on your toes.
2. Scrabble
Surely everyone knows and has played Scrabble at one point or another. I like it because it challenges you to create words from a series of letters. And, to do so well, you often need to be pretty clever and have a substantial vocabulary at your disposal. It’s certainly a fun way to learn new and often obscure words (hint: if you ever get stuck with a q, qi is a great word to play).
If you’re young enough, it’s possible that you missed out on Scrabble the board game. Instead, you might be more familiar with Words with Friends, which is effectively the mobile app version of the game. What makes it great is that, in addition to being something you can play anytime from anywhere, you can challenge friends and family or total strangers to a game. Not surprisingly, it’s incredibly popular and has even been recognized as the world’s most popular game.
4. Boggle
An oldie but goodie, Boggle has been around for quite a few years. Simply shake the box and allow the dice to settle and reveal a 4×4 grid of letters. You’ve then got three minutes to find as many words as possible. The longer the word, the higher your score. But, you only score points if nobody else has identified the same word. Try thinking creatively for unusual, longer words, but remember two and three letter words count too. What makes this game fun is that it’s fast-paced and can quickly become highly competitive.
5. Balderdash
This game is simple but a ton of fun. When it’s your turn, you draw a card that contains an obscure word that most people have never heard of and its definition. You read the word out to the other players and then get them to write down their best guess on what it means. You then collect the definitions and read them aloud to the group. If no one guesses the true definition, you get a point. If people guess someone else’s fake definition, they get a point. It’s a great way to learn new (although not always very useful) words, while also getting to be highly creative.
6. Upwords
Similar to Scrabble, players build words using letter tiles on a gridded board. However, in Upwords, letters can be stacked on top of other letters already on the board to create new words. The higher the stack of letters, the more points you score. Typically words built in later rounds are more valuable than earlier words, increasing play intensity and adding a level of strategy. Try memorizing lots of two-letter words to give you an edge.
If you’re looking for a bit of fun, I highly recommend trying one or all of these games. For word lovers, they’re a whole lot of fun.
