Think word board game

Aretha Franklin once sang ‘You better think (think), Think about the word game you’re trying to play with me, Think (think, think)’. She was, of course, referring to Think Words, a fast-paced family word game from John Adams aka Ideal.

The joy is that it takes no time at all to learn. This means you can jump right in and start thinking about words as soon as you unbox it. Just like Aretha Franklin. And who doesn’t want to be like Aretha Franklin?

Okay, okay, I admit it, I’ve misquoted Aretha! So, let’s move swiftly on because I’m going to teach you about this game, like the son of a preacher man.

Gameplay

This is a two to eight player game according to the box — it is! Having said that, I have heard my eldest son play it on his own to try and get all the letters pushed down.

The age limit of 8+ years is dependent on your child. If they are good at knowing which words start with what letter and are confident around that then there is no reason why a slightly younger child couldn’t play. I have played this with my four-year-old, but he needs considerable help. I still think this helps his vocabulary and spelling through osmosis. Ultimately, however, he just wants to hit the button in the middle which resets the timer, so we usually team up.

Think Words is ever so simple and easy to learn. There is a deck of cards with subjects on and a letter wheel. Each player has to say a word that begins with an unselected letter on the wheel before the 10-second timer runs out. The letter wheel has 20 buttons to push down (it omits Q, U, V, X, Y and Z).

So, for example, if the subject or category was “Things in the Bathroom” you could say “Toilet” and push down the T followed by a slap of the central button to reset the timer. Play moves on to the next player who might say “Sink” pressing the ‘S’ and play moves round until all the letters are depressed. A player is eliminated from the round if they run out of time, give a spurious answer, or don’t say an answer before the ting of the timer.

The last player standing (even if all letters haven’t been pressed) gets the category card and a new one is drawn. It is a quick game and you sort of play for as long as you want. The winner is either the player with the most category cards after a set number of rounds, or the first to win a set number of category cards, e.g. first to five.

Aretha Franklin once sang ‘You better think (think), Think about the word game you’re trying to play with me, Think (think, think)’. She was of course referring to Think Words!, a fast-paced family word game from John Adams aka Ideal.

The joy is that it takes no time at all to learn, meaning you can jump right in and start thinking about words as soon as you unbox it. Just like Aretha Franklin. And who doesn’t want to be like Aretha Franklin?

Okay, okay, I admit it, I’ve misquoted Aretha so let’s move swiftly on because I’m going to teach you about this game, like the son of a preacher man…

Gameplay

This is a 2 to 8 player game according to the box. It plays well at all counts but somewhere between 4 and 6 is probably best. I have even heard my eldest son play it on his own to try and get all the letters pushed down.

The age limit of 8+ years is dependent on your child, if they are good at knowing what words start with what letter and are confident around that then there is no reason why a slightly younger child couldn’t play. I have played this with my 4 year old but he needs considerable help – I still think this helps his vocabulary and spelling through osmosis but ultimately he just wants to hit the button in the middle which resets the timer, so we usually team up.

The game is ever so simple and easy to learn. There is a deck of cards with subjects on and a letter wheel. Each player has to say a word that begins with an unselected letter on the wheel before the 10 second timer runs out. The letter wheel has 20 buttons to push down (it omits Q, U, V, X, Y and Z).

So for example, if the subject or category was “Things in the Bathroom” you could say “Toilet” and push down the T followed by a slap of the central button to reset the timer. Play moves on to the next player who might say “Sink” pressing the ‘S’ and play moves round until all the letters are depressed. A player is eliminated from the round if they run out of time, give a spurious answer, or don’t say an answer before the ting of the timer. Last player standing (even if all letters haven’t been pressed) gets the category card and a new one is drawn. It is a quick game and you sort of play for as long as you want. The winner is either the player with the most category cards after a set number of rounds, or the first to win a set number of category cards, e.g first to five.

What it’s like

If you are playing this game with children it is Frantic, that’s right with a capital F. If you are playing this game without children something has gone horribly wrong, this is a family game after all. A swathe of mmms and errrms will fill the air as the timer ticks down. Clearly making these noises clears your brain of any other thoughts and allows you to focus on the letter in hand. It doesn’t work for me but it seems to be the default action of anyone under the age of fifteen.

Words will be blurted out loudly and quickly followed by a way too hard slap of the timer, thus resetting it for the next player.

The ten second timer does add an urgency to the game, which in turn hinders the thought of words that could lead you to victory. For me, the timer can cause my brain to just reboot like an old computer and even makes me forget words I have already primed whilst others were taking their go. At some stage it is inevitable that someone will put their hands to their head and pull a “Gah!” face like something in the Beano. At this point you see their mind melting behind their wide open, but blank eyes.

The game is inclusive. Yes, I would like to think that grown-ups with their vastly greater internal thesaurus have the edge over the younglings but as it is turn-based you are just as likely to be left with the tricky letters at the end. You can therefore be eliminated by your spawn in a humiliating fashion, or you might just let them win because you think you should. I don’t.

I do however make sure I am choosing appropriate categories that the kids can at least participate with. The category cards have a couple of options and so our house rule is to choose the best one the card.

Table Presence

This game is completely centred around the letter dial. It is an okay bit of kit and is unlike most other gimmicks in a family game. It is good and has survived my children’s’ overzealous slapping of the timer to date. The timer ticks and a ting sounds after 10 seconds. This could get annoying, but, as mentioned, it adds to the pressure when playing.

The cards are a little flimsy and small. As a result my boys have managed to bend quite a few now. I’m still managing to sleep at night and haven’t resorted to buying a new version because of these minor creases but there is a little part of me that does want to. I do like the way the cards store away inside the underneath of the letter wheel. There seems to be enough cards too, something like 144 different categories. I dare say if this was played every day over a wet half-term it might not be quite enough. It is plenty for the occasional game though, and to be fair that is how often you will play it.

Final Thoughts on Think Words!

I acknowledge there are a lot of word-based games in this genre of varying abilities. My wife loves them so I have played quite a few, ‘Articulate for Kids’, ‘Scrabble Junior’ and ‘5 Second Rule Jr’ could all be rivals to this. For a more grown-up version ‘Tags’ is a genuine contender. Think Words! unique selling point is the letter dial. This could be viewed as a bit gimmicky but it works and the kids love it. A so-called travel version has also been released called ‘Think Words Spin’. I won’t spoil a review of that but the original game is better and you probably don’t need both! Also I must add this is perfectly transportable.

The frenzy Think Words! imbues onto my children is genuinely brilliant to watch. I don’t love playing this game but I do like it and as such it is a good family game. That said, there are a lot of family games out there that my kids can grasp that sees us happily playing on a bit more of a par with one another. 

I like the ability to make Think Words! as long or as short as you want. It answers that plea for one last game before bedtime without having grumpy children the next day. You also feel like it is sort of educational too, as it helps build vocabulary and spelling.

It is an excellent game for the kids to play with a few of their friends of the same age. It takes little explaining to children new to gaming and they would all enjoy the fast-paced nature of it. With that in mind it is a good game to play on a sleepover. If you don’t want them playing electronics all night, or if the movie has finished and they are predictably not ready for bed – this would fill time.

Key Facts

Number of players: 2-8
Board Game Review Recommended Age: 6+
Publisher’s Recommended Age: 8+
Playing Time: Variable – usually around 10 minutes
Setting Up and Take Down Time: 1 minute
Designer: uncredited
Publisher: Ideal
RRP: £24.99

There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

Are you a word geek
looking for new word board games to play?

Or are you simply
searching for something new to amuse you and your friends on game night?

Perhaps are you a parent
seeking games for your partner and kids that are both educational and entertaining?

If so, you have landed
on the right page! In this post, we share the 9 best word board games for you and the crew. We picked these games
based on the number of positive reviews and high ratings they got from
satisfied consumers.

Instead of mindlessly
scrolling through your social media accounts and wasting valuable time, it’s
probably time to consider other hobbies like playing board games. You’ll might
be surprised how much this activity can be beneficial to your soul, mind, and body.

Without further ado, let’s check out our list of the best word board games!

1. Bananagrams

Bananagrams is an excellent choice for parents who are looking to play
word board games with their children.
In addition to fun and entertainment, this anagram game promises an
educational experience for kids, especially those who are starting to learn
more complex words.

The rules are simple and
easy to understand. First, you need to distribute the tiles among all players
(maximum of eight players) facedown—21 tiles each for two to four players; 15
tiles each for five to six players; and, 11 tiles each for seven to eight
players. Start the game by saying “Split!” and everyone turns their tiles over.

The objective of this
game is to be the first person to use all their letters. You may form words
horizontally from left to right, or vertically from top to bottom. You may also
rearrange your grid any time you want. After placing your last letter in your
grid, call out “Peel!” and everyone has to take another tile from the “Bunch.”

One rule to remember is
that you can put one of your letters back, face-down in the Bunch, by saying “Dump!”
However, you have to take three more tiles in exchange for that one letter. You
may do as many “dumps” as you like.

Whoever is the first
person to use all their letters once the Bunch is empty is the winner. But he
has to shout “Bananas!” to let the others know. The competitors should then
inspect his grid to see if there are misspelled words, proper nouns, or any
other unacceptable words. If there are, then they have to shout “Rotten
Banana!” to kick the false winner out of the game.

Pros

  • Has fast-paced gameplay, and you can have as many rounds as you like.
  • An excellent game for anyone, whether kids, teens, or adults.
  • Suitable for multiple players or solo gaming.

Cons

  • Choose your seller wisely, as fake sellers deliver tiles in poor conditions.

2. Quiddler

If you are looking for a fast-paced, short-duration word board game,
then Quiddler is the answer.
This
game exercises both your vocabulary and spelling skills, and is most suitable
for children six years old and above. There can be 1 to 10 players, and the one
with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner.

In this game, each
player is required to create words from the cards in their hands. You have to
be cautious, however, since the number of cards increases every round. There
are eight rounds to deal with, and you can have as many as 10 cards on the last
round. Every card has its corresponding value, so if you have the most number
of words formed with high-value cards by the end of the game, you will have the
most number of points.

This word board game
allows you to form even the simplest of words like “at,” “of,” “zoo,” and a lot
more. This is why it is recommended to kids. There are bonuses, too. For
instance, the player with the most words formed and the player who forms the
longest word get additional points. In the case of a tie, no one receives the
bonus points.

Quiddler has a high
rating on online stores, with almost a perfect store, as well as lots of
positive feedback. If you are looking for a game you can play with your
children, then we highly recommend this one.

Pros

  • Although designed to be fast, you can play the game at your own pace.
  • Award-winning word board game; tried and tested by expert players.
  • Makes a perfect gift for friends or family members who like word games.

Cons

  • Some customers do not recommend the dictionary that comes with it.

3. Hasbro Scrabble

The game Scrabble was created
by Alfred Mosher Butts in 1938, and since then has became a popular way to
spend fun nights with friends, colleagues, and family members.

This particular version
of Scrabble is from Hasbro Gaming, which is one of the largest companies in the
world that makes toys and other means of entertainment. The goal of the game is
to form words on the board and gain points.

For every tile you use
to create a word, you have to draw a replacement from the bag. The game ends
once there are no more tiles, and the player with the most number of points
wins. To determine who has the most points, you’ll have to record your score on
each turn with pen and paper, and then add them up at the end.

Scrabble may be played
solo, with two to three players, or with a group of friends. You need a bit of
luck, as you have to draw tiles blindly, but the game also rewards those with
good strategy and extensive vocabularies.

Pros

  • Traditional, classic board game; instructions may be found anywhere.
  • Beneficial for small kids and older people for brain development and memory retention;
  • Improves not just vocabulary, but also strategic and critical thinking.

Cons

  • You must have outstanding vocabulary skills to win this game.
  • Paper and pen are needed to record your scores.

4. Big Boggle

Big Boggle is an excellent choice for those seeking a word game with a
bit of pressure.
The goal of
the game is to list as many words as you can from the randomly assorted letters
given to you at the start. However, you only have three minutes to do so, which
means you have to think and write quickly.

This board game comes with
25 standard letter cubes, one double letter cube, a cube grid with a dome, and
a three-minute sand timer. At the beginning of the game, each player takes a
pen/pencil and paper to list their words. The cube grid is then prepared by
shaking the cubes until they fall into place.

Once the timer starts,
all players should use the assorted letters and come up with words of four or
more letters. Write down every word you can think of until the time runs out.
Words must be formed from adjoining letters on the grid.

When the timer stops,
all players compare their lists of words with one another. All words that have
been played by multiple people are not scored. The remaining words are scored,
the one who earns the most points is the winner.

Pros

  • Game mechanics are easy to learn and understand.
  • Artwork and design are nice and pleasant.
  • The element of time and pressure makes the game more exciting.

Cons

  • Some word combinations are complicated for children (and even some adults).

5. Tapple

Tapple is a fast-paced word board game that is most suitable for
families who like playing games during holidays, parties, and family
gatherings.
It is also easy to
store and carry, and therefore can be packed during vacations, trips, and long
getaways.

This board game comes
with a portable Tapple wheel and 36 topic cards with 144 categories. The goal
is simple: You have to produce an answer to the category cards using only the letters
available on the wheel. Aim to be the last player left in each round to get a
score, then collect three topic cards and you win.

Tapple is a
time-pressure and elimination game. You only have 10 seconds to answer every
round, and if you fail to do so, you get kicked out for that round. If you give
an answer that does not match the category, you get eliminated. The last person
standing gains the point and is declared the winner for that round.

Remember that when you
give your answer, you have to press the first letter of the word and then reset
the timer to pass the turn. Otherwise, you are disqualified. Likewise, keep in
mind that once a letter has been used, the others can no longer press that
letter for that round.

Pros

  • Provides a fun and entertaining way for kids to learn new words.
  • Equally exciting for adults and experienced players.
  • An excellent word board game to give as a Christmas or birthday gift.

Cons

  • Some customers report that the timer is too loud and annoying.
  • Could have been better if there were a different tie-breaker.

6. Word on the Street

If you are searching for a very competitive word board game, then you
should include this one on your list.
Word on the Street is a tug-of-words type of game where each team fights
for its desired letters to form high-scoring words. The first team to get the
eight letter tiles becomes the winner.

There are two teams in
this game, and they take turns “on the street,” or on the board. The letter
tiles are put in their corresponding place on the middle lane of the board
called the “Median Strip.” There are different rules with regard to turns, but
the main objective is to capture all eight letter tiles before the other team
does.

The key to winning this
game is to brainstorm with your teammates while the other team is making its
move. You all must agree on one word, and pull the letters of that word closer
to your side of the street before time runs out, and before the other team does
the same. Word on the Street is not just a vocabulary game, but also a game of
speed and strategy.

Pros

  • Allows you to use more strategy than other word board games.
  • The race element of the game makes it more fun and challenging.
  • Builds camaraderie and teamwork among team members.

Cons

  • Might not be fun enough for people in small groups (or if played alone or by two players).
  • Rules might be too complicated for small children.

7. Pairs in Pears

Pairs in Pears is somewhat similar to Bananagrams, so if you are looking
for an alternative to the latter, then this word board game is a good fit.
In this game, the goal is to make as many
pairs as possible, but they have to be matching suits.

The game comes with 104
tiles, and the number of tiles you can take depends on the number of players
there are. Similarly, the number of pairs needed to win also depends on the
number of players. There are, however, other ways to play this game, and they
are all explained in the game’s guide.

Pairs in Pears is a
racing and counting game in which you try to be the first to produce as many as
possible pairs with matching suits. It is a great way for children (and adults)
to improve their memory retention and cognitive skills, and is also a means to
develop pattern recognition and vocabulary.

Pros

  • Fun and engaging, even for very young children.
  • Game components are made of high-quality materials.
  • Good game for mind stimulation, especially among children and older people.

Cons

  • Some customers think that it is only best for two to three players.
  • Others report that the rulebook needs to be more comprehensive.

8. Dabble

If you are a fast thinker and can come up with an answer in less than a
minute, then Dabble might be the word board game for you.
This game tests not just your vocabulary skills,
but also your speed and agility.

The board game includes
all the letters of the Spanish and English alphabets, so it can be played in
both languages. It is appropriate for two to four players, ages 10 years old
and up, and you can even play it in teams.

The rules of the game
are simple. All players must pick 20 tiles from the bag without looking, and
then place their tiles face down. When the game starts, they all turn their
tiles and start the timer, then create five words (a two-letter word,
three-letter word, four-letter word, five-letter word, and six-letter word).
Points are recorded every round, and the first to reach 500 points is the
winner.

Other players may
challenge words if they have been misspelled or if they are not words at all.
You will need to have a dictionary on hand for challenges. Unlike Scrabble,
however, some words (e.g., foreign words, archaic words, colloquial words,
etc.) are accepted in Dabble.

Pros

  • Greatly enhances your quick-thinking abilities.
  • Challenging enough for both kids and adults.
  • Available in two languages: English and Spanish.

Cons

  • The game manufacturer could develop more rules to add excitement.

9. Upwords

Upwords is a great game
if you are searching for a high-stacking, word-building game. In this game, you
don’t just think of words to form, but you also stack tiles to change words.
Your score is not based solely on the number of words you form, but also on the
level of tiles you stack—the higher you stack, the higher your score is.

Similar to Scrabble, the
game begins by each player drawing seven tiles from the bag. The first player
starts the game by placing a word on the board, and then drawing new tiles from
the bag. Every player who comes next forms a word by adding letters to the
previous tiles on the board.

Unlike Scrabble,
however, you can place your letters on top of the other letters that are
already on the board. For instance, if the word is “HAT,” you can use the
letters T, R, E, S, and S to add to the end of the word, and then cover H with
M to form the word “MATTRESS.”

There are a few other rules
to consider in this game that are not in Scrabble. One example is the points
system, as Upwords’ letter tiles all have one point each. There are also no
double or triple letter word scores for additional points.

If you are looking for a
Scrabble-like game with a bit of a twist, you might want to consider checking
out this game.

Pros

  • Game mechanics are easy to learn and understand.
  • Similar to Scrabble, with a bit of twist.
  • Offers intense, strategic, unique wordplay.

Cons

  • Could have been better if the scoring were more interesting.
  • Choose your seller wisely, as fake sellers deliver low-quality games.

Final Thoughts on Word and Vocabulary Board Games

We highly recommend
these word board games for those who are looking for a bit of fun and a great
way to help their children learn. After all, these types of games have shown to
be beneficial for a person’s brain development and cognitive skills. And while
your children are learning and having fun, you get to be a part of their
experience.

We also suggest these
games for those who have gotten tired of playing the usual mystery, roleplaying, and deck-building board games. You might want to try changing the flavor of
your game night and see how well you do in other types of board games.

Whatever your reason is
for checking out this post, we hope that we were able to help you find a game
that suits your tastes.

Have you already tried
playing one or more of these board games?

Let us know which one by
sharing your story in the comment fields below. We’d love to hear about your
experience!

word board games | best board games | word games

Whether you want to brush up on language skills or show off your vocabulary, the best word board games put your knowledge of words to the test by requiring you to spell, guess, or decode words. Not only should you pick a game that sounds fun to you (maybe you won’t want a spelling game if you don’t enjoy spelling!), you’ll also want to take into consideration the game’s play time, which can range from a couple of minutes to 45-plus minutes for a longer game that’s much more involved. And don’t forget to take note of the number of players required to ensure you have the right number of participants for the game, too; there are even some board games that are fun to play solo.

Unlike intense adventure board games or creepy mystery board games, word board games are usually light hearted, simple to learn and play, and family friendly. You should still always take note of the manufacturer’s suggested age range, though, particularly if you’re interested in a party game where the age recommendation may be a bit older due to adult content. The vast majority of word games are competitive, meaning they pit players or teams against one another in order to be victorious. However, there are some word games that are played cooperatively — aka players must team up towards a common goal to win — so that’s another option.

The word on the street is that these eight word board games are seriously entertaining. They all have high ratings on Amazon, so you can’t go wrong by adding any (or a few) of these picks to your game night rotation.

1. A Fan-Favorite Word Game That’s Played In Teams

  • Number of players: 2 to 8+
  • Game time: 15 minutes
  • Ages: 14+

A favorite board game in my home and on Amazon — it has a whopping 4.8-star rating overall, among 16,000 and growing reviews — Codenames from Czech Games is clearly worthy of the top spot on this list. Quick to learn and easy to play, the word board game is the perfect pick for both new and returning players since each game ends up being totally unique and still competitive. The game is played in teams, and each team is led by a spymaster who gives one-word clues to help teammates to guess their team’s words on the board. Sounds simple, right? However, there’s a catch! The spymaster needs to do this while avoiding the other team’s words, as well as the dreaded assassin word that will end the game instantly. The first team to successfully reveal all of their team’s words wins the game.

This pick is intended for groups (in my opinion, the more players the better), however Codenames also comes in a two-person version.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: “This game is incredible! Great fun for just about any group, including various ages, gamers and non-gamers alike. People who don’t have the patience to learn a new game will fall in love with Codenames! Super fast to learn, and fun for everyone to join in without individual competitiveness. The one consistent comment that the clue givers invariably utter is «I can’t link these words at all!». Yet, when they put their mind to it, they ultimately do!”

2. A Classic Word Game

  • Number of players: 2 to 4
  • Game time: Varies, but Amazon reviewers confirm that it’s not a quick game
  • Ages: 8+

When you think “word board game,” Scrabble from Hasbro Gaming likely comes to mind, since it’s a classic that has remained super popular for years. Unsurprisingly, this game is wildly popular on Amazon, with a 4.8-star rating overall, among 12,000 and growing reviews. The competitive board game requires players to take turns spelling out words on the game board using their randomly selected letter tiles (there are 100 of them in the bag). Words get scored based on the value of the letter tiles as well as bonuses on the board. The player with the highest total at the end wins the game.

Reviewers on Amazon confirm that Scrabble is very easy to learn and play. The game length varies, but it’s usually not quick.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: “If you haven’t played Scrabble before, you are missing out! It’s such a fun word game that [really] makes you think and stay engaged (if you want to really be competitive and play). It’s fun to play with just one other person, or with a group. This one was good quality and will probably last a very long time. It comes with a nice bag for the tiles. All you need is a notebook and pen to keep score! Buy it!”

3. A Word Game That Can Be Played Solo

  • Number of players: 1 to 8
  • Game time: 35 minutes
  • Ages: 8+

Play it alone or with a big group (up to 8 players) — either way, Quiddler from SET Enterprises will be a total hit. The word board is played in rounds, and the goal is to arrange all of the cards in your hand into one or more words. Utilize high-point letters and a variety of bonuses to increase your score. The winner is named at the end, and the player with the highest score is the ultimate champ.

The game takes about 35 minutes to play, but Amazon reviewers confirm that it’s so fun and fast paced that the time will fly by.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: “Great game for family fun, especially if you love word games. Play alone or with up to 8 players! We love that the game is relaxed, but faster than Scrabble, which can take hours.”

4. A Highly Rated Party Game Where You Have To Decode Words

  • Number of players: 4 to 8+
  • Game time: Varies, based on the number of players
  • Ages: 17+

Get ready for a party game that’ll leave you in hysterics. Incohearent from What Do You Meme? is easy to learn and great for large groups (think four players or more) who enjoy playful competition. To play, the rotating judge flips the timer and holds up a card. On the judge’s side of the card, they see the real word or phrase. But on the other side of the card, the players see a gibberish phrase that needs to be decoded. The first player to solve the phrase wins the card, and the first player with 13 cards in their possession wins the game.

Incohearent is intended for those ages 17 and up because it contains mature content, though thankfully, the cards are color-coded by category so you can skip all the cards in the provocative category (colored red) if needed. Some reviewers report that Incohearant makes a great family game sans red cards.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: “I love it. This is the kind of game that everyone can play, and that brings people together at a party. The cards range from the obvious to the obscure, and the answers are creatively disassembled, without losing their phonetic integrity. Not as easy to do as it sounds.Such a fun game to play. I HIGHLY recommend it.”

5. A Cooperative Word Game

  • Number of players: 2 to 6
  • Game time: 45 minutes
  • Ages: 10+

Word games are typically played competitively, but that’s not the case with Letter Jam from Czech Games. The basic premise of the game is that players have to give word clues in order to help fellow teammates unscramble and figure out their secret words, while also trying to figure out their own at the same time. Reviewers on Amazon indicate that the game is more complex and involved than many other word games (after all, it does take about 45 minutes to play), but they also report that once you get past the learning curve, it’s loads of fun.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: “This game is clever and fun to play. It may take a little bit to put yourself into scrabble/spelling mode, but once you get going, it is easier and easier and more and more enjoyable. I like the fact that it is co-operative, so you are all in it to win it.”

6. A Compact Word Game That Can Be Played In Large Or Small Groups

  • Number of players: 2 to 10
  • Game time: Varies, but reviewers on Amazon confirm it’s fast paced
  • Ages: 7+

Big or small groups will simply have a ball with Bananagrams, the word-forming game where players must race against each other in order to build crossword grids using their letter tiles. The first person to use all of their letters wins the hand, so long as they don’t accidentally use a proper noun, an abbreviation, or another unacceptable word. “This has even won over friends who typically don’t like board games because it’s so fast paced,” one Bustle commerce editor raved.

Bananagrams is beloved on Amazon with a whopping 4.9-star rating overall, among 8,000 and growing reviews — with many reviewers specifically mentioning that it has Scrabble-like vibes, but since everyone works on their own words, there’s never that lull while someone tries to figure out their next move.

The game comes in a compact banana-shaped case, so it’s perfect for taking on the go. While this version is suitable for up to 10 players, Bananagrams also is available in a double version for up to 16 players.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: “My husband and I love this game! It’s great for just two people or a big group! Everyone should have this game! […] Plus I love games that don’t require a big box. We store this in a kitchen drawer.”

7. A Party Game Where You Have To Guess The Word Others Are Thinking

  • Number of players: 3 to 8
  • Game time: 20 to 35 minutes
  • Ages: 8+

Great minds think alike… well, at least that’s the premise behind the party game Blank Slate by USAOPOLY. Easy to learn and quick to play, the word game requires players to write down a word that they think best completes a variety of different phrases. But here’s the tricky part: You need your response to match another player’s responses (without giving them a single hint) in order to score points. You get points for matching words (and the most points for matching with just one other player). The player with the most points at the end will be victorious.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: “It’s a very easy game to play, and lots of fun. Surprising how many times there was no match — especially when you were sure it was the obvious word. Great fun!!!”

8. A Word Game That Takes Just Minutes To Play

  • Number of players: 2+
  • Game time: 3 minutes
  • Ages: 8+

If you’ve never had the chance to play this classic word board game, you’re truly missing out! This pick from Winning Moves Games is actually the big version of Boggle, with a five-by-five letter grid for even more word-forming fun. To play, players have just three minutes in order to search the board and write down words of four letters or more. Points are tallied at the end, and the player with the highest score is dubbed the winner.

Boggle is easy to learn and lasts just minutes, so you’ll definitely be able to sneak in several rounds during your next game night.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: “The product is sturdy, well constructed, and easy to use. It is also great fun! Players really have to work on vocabulary skills to beat the best person playing, and with the added double-letter cube, this is far better than original Boggle. […] I highly recommend this game for anyone over age 8, but especially for high-school and older. This is totally worth the price.”

If you are looking for a board game about guessing words, there are quite a few great options, but with the popularity of a few key games (I’m looking at you Codenames and Just One), there are lots of great games that end up getting overlooked.

That’s a shame because word games are a great way to get your brain working and improve your lateral thinking skills because they force you to think differently than other board games.

If you are playing with kids, they are also great to help get them interested in learning new words and reading, as well as improving their spelling, vocabulary, and grammar skills.

Here is our list of the best board games about guessing words for you to check out.

Table of Contents

1

Best Board Games About Guessing Words – Quick Comparison

Preview

Best Lateral Thinking

Czech Games Codenames (English), Multicolor

Most Fun

Just One Party Game (White Box) | Cooperative Board Game for Adults and Kids | Fun Games for Family Game Night | Ages 8 and up | 3-7 Players | Average Playtime 20 Minutes | Made by Repos Production

Most Approachable

Scorpion Masqué Decrypto | Deduction Party Game for Teens and Adults | Ages 12+ | 3 to 8 Players | 15 Minutes

Best Lateral Thinking

Preview

Czech Games Codenames (English), Multicolor

Most Fun

Preview

Just One Party Game (White Box) | Cooperative Board Game for Adults and Kids | Fun Games for Family Game Night | Ages 8 and up | 3-7 Players | Average Playtime 20 Minutes | Made by Repos Production

Most Approachable

Preview

Scorpion Masqué Decrypto | Deduction Party Game for Teens and Adults | Ages 12+ | 3 to 8 Players | 15 Minutes

1. Best Lateral Thinking: Codenames

Codenames is a game for 2 – 8 players that takes about 15 minutes and is very easy, taking only a couple of minutes to teach.

In Codenames, you are split into two teams. Each team has a spymaster, who gives the clues about the words to guess, and a team of field operatives, who need to guess the clues. There is a 5-by-5 grid of 25 spies (represented by words) on the table, and the spymaster is given a grid to say which people are spies and which people are assassins. They have to give one-word clues to their team to guess the spies without guessing any assassins, and they have to do it faster than the other team.

There are so many good moments packed into a game of Codenames. Sometimes you all click and get the clues, but sometimes there’s that sinking feeling when you realize what the spymaster meant but you just didn’t get it. Being a quick game, it makes it to the table a lot and is just a lot of fun.

For those who can’t read yet, there is also Codenames: Pictures, which is very similar but with pictures.  I find in a way this adds more to the game as pictures have a lot more elements you can describe and connect together than words sometimes do.

Pros

  • Team-based
  • Very easy to teach
  • It exercises lateral thinking
  • Quick and fun

Cons

  • Lots of pressure on the clue giver
  • It requires a basic knowledge of English

Sale

Codenames

Codenames

Work together to contact all of your agents before the other team!
A perfect party game experience for game nights
2-8 player (in two teams)
15 minutes playtime

2. Most Fun: Just One

Just One is a cooperative word game for 3 – 7 players that takes about 20 minutes. It’s a very light, fun party game that also makes an excellent family board game.

In Just One, you pick a bunch of cards out of a huge deck to be your guessing words for the game. As a group, you aim to guess the word cooperatively. You go around the table, taking turns. On your turn, you pick a card with a word on it that you don’t get to look at, and everyone else has to write down clues for you to guess that word.

The part that makes this fun is that if two people give a duplicate clue, that clue is eliminated and you don’t get the word. This means when you pick a clue, it has to be good enough to be related to the word, but obscure enough that no one else will pick it.

This game is just a lot of fun every time it comes to the table, and because it takes about 2 minutes to teach, it makes it to the table a lot.

Pros

  • There are always many funny moments in the game
  • It’s very easy to teach and quick to play
  • It uses lateral thinking
  • It’s a team game – you’re all working together

Cons

  • Very light
  • Not much strategy
  • It requires a basic knowledge of English

Just One

Just One

Cooperative game where you work together!
Easy and fun party game for the whole family
3-7 players
20 minutes playtime

3. Most Approachable: Decrypto

Decrypto is another lightweight game for 3 – 8 players that can take around 15 – 45 minutes.

In this game, there are 2 teams, and each team is given 4 words, something along the lines of:

  1. Path
  2. Spear
  3. Soap
  4. Cheese

One person on the team then picks up a decoder card that has 3 numbers on it, and they need to give clues related to the numbers on the card, so let’s say the decryption card says 1-3-4, they may give the clues walk (for path), wash (for soap), and dairy (for cheese). Both the opposing team and the players’ team need to guess the numbers on the decryption card. If the opposing team guesses correctly, they get a point, or if your team guesses incorrectly, you lose a point.

Because your team knows the words, you are at a distinct advantage for your clues, but you need to give clues that are obscure enough that as the game progresses, the opposing team doesn’t have too much information to guess the order and win.

It’s a very approachable game, and I find it takes a little more thinking and teamwork than Codenames or Just One, making it a great game for a group that wants something a bit deeper.  The interactivity in this game makes it one of my gaming group’s favorite word games.

Pros

  • Easy to teach
  • Lots of fun
  • Very interactive
  • Some strategic thinking when giving clues

Cons

  • Very competitive
  • It needs a lot of players
  • It requires a basic knowledge of English

Sale

Decrypto

Decrypto

Transmit secret codes without the opposing team intercepting
Strong interaction between players
3-8 players
15-45 minutes playtime

4. Best 2 Player Game: Codenames: Duet

Codenames: Duet is very similar to Codenames, except it’s designed as a two-player cooperative version.

In Codenames: Duet, there are 25 cards in a grid, each with a word on them, and you are looking for agents without guessing any of the assassins, but you are working together. Each player is given an answer key card with some of the agents and assassins revealed on it, and you are giving clues to each other so that you can together guess all 15 agents on the board without guessing any of the assassins before the timer runs out.

I do really like this game, as when you are working together to guess the agents it adds a lot of interactivity that I find the original codenames doesn’t have. It works fantastically as 2 players, but you can play it with more just by splitting into teams (though you don’t want them to be too big or not everyone will get to be involved in the decision).

Pros

  • A 2-player game
  • Uses lateral thinking
  • Cooperative

Cons

  • Timer-based (I prefer natural end conditions)
  • Pressure to give good clues

Sale

Codename Duet

Codename Duet

New cooperative gameplay
Campaign mode to record your progress
Great with two players
15-30 minutes playtime

5. Best Strategic: Letter Jam

Letter Jam is a game for 2 – 6 players that takes around 45 minutes. It’s an easy game in comparison to most board games, but with most word-guessing games being party games, this is probably the heaviest game on this list.

In this game, each player is given a set of letter cards that make up a word, but they don’t get to see the letters (a bit like Hanabi if you’ve played that before), they have to put them face up for others to see.

The clue giver then has to give a clue with the letters from other people’s words by giving each player a token with a number that is the position of the letter in their word. So let’s say the clue giver gives the word “CAT”. They may give the first player a 1 token as they have a C, and the second player a 2 token as they have the letter A. Each player then needs to look around and take a guess at what their letter is.

This is a very challenging game that will make you think. You can make it easier or harder by using longer or shorter words. If you are looking for a word guessing game that feels heavier than a party game, this is it.

Pros

  • A challenging game with lots of thinking
  • Easy to teach – lots of familiar mechanics to other games
  • Game moves quickly
  • It works well with a lower or higher number of players
  • Cooperative

Cons

  • Not as fun and exciting as others on this list
  • It is very difficult if you are not good at the type of thinking involved in word games

Sale

Letter Jam

Letter Jam

Cooperative word game fun for the whole family!
Exercises spelling and vocabulary skills
Difficulty is variable based on the length of word chosen in setup
2-6 players
45 minutes playtime

6. Best Cooperative: So Clover!

This is a cooperative party game for 3 – 6 players that takes around half an hour to play and is quite easy to learn. It’s made by the same company that made “Just One” and has a pretty similar feel, but it is different enough that if you like word guessing games it would be a worthwhile pickup.

In So Clover! each player has a board with 4 clovers, and you put a card with a word on it in each spot of the 2 x 2 grid. This leaves you with 2 different words on each edge, and you have to put a clue that associates these two words together on that edge. Then the word cards are removed and, using the clues on the 4 edges the other players have to guess where each of the word cards go.

I like this game because it is engaging and you get some clever word associations. While it’s a party game and super easy to teach and quick to play, I find it hits the spot for thinking a bit more than some of the others on this list.

Pros

  • No downtime (everyone takes their turn at once)
  • Quick to teach
  • It uses lateral thinking
  • It supports a large group
  • Engaging

Cons

  • Possibly a bit too similar to Codenames and Just One
  • Scoring is a bit simplistic

So Clover!

So Clover!

Interactive word association game!
Work together to figure out each players keywords
3-6 players
30 minutes playtime

7. Most Unique: When I Dream

This is an easy game for 4 – 10 players that takes around 20 – 40 minutes.

In each round of When I Dream, one player wears a mask as they are asleep, and the other players have the objective of either making them guess their dream word correctly, incorrectly, or half and half, and then they give the dreamer clues to try help them guess the word. The dreamer also gets points if at the end of the round they can correctly remember the cards from their dream (which is harder than it sounds as you are paying attention to who’s lying that you don’t remember the cards that well).

It’s fun and unique, it doesn’t feel like any other game you have played and therefore carves out an easy spot on a gaming shelf among other word-guessing and social deduction games which can tend to have a lot of crossover in mechanics.

Pros

  • Beautiful artwork
  • Very unique gameplay – does not feel like other games
  • You need to think to give subtle enough clues to not get caught in your objective
  • Quick and easy to teach

Cons

  • Everyone felt awkward when it was their turn to wear the mask
  • The game can be slightly unbalanced for the fairies (the ones trying to make the guess correct)

When I Dream

When I Dream

Innovative gameplay focuses on player imagination and creative interpretation
The various hidden roles add mystery, depth, and endless replay ability
Beautifully artwork immerses the players in a surreal and fun game world
4-10 players
20-40 minutes playtime

8. Best Social Deduction: Werewords

Werewords is an easy game for 4 – 10 players that takes only 10 minutes to play.

In this game, people in the group have 4 roles:

  • The Mayor – who knows the magic word to vanquish werewolves from the village but can’t speak
  • The Seer – who knows the word but can’t let the werewolf find out who they are
  • The Werewolf – knows the word and wants people to guess it wrong by asking misleading questions
  • The Villagers – who ask the mayor questions to try to guess the word correctly.

This game is won by the villagers if they guess the word without the werewolf guessing the seer, or if they don’t guess the word but can guess the werewolf, which makes for some interesting strategy as your goal isn’t always to guess the word as quickly as possible.

This game is kind of like 20 questions meets a social deduction game. For those who read my recommendations a lot, you’ll know I don’t particularly enjoy social deduction games, but I think this one works well because the social deduction is a lot more subtle than in other games.

Pros

  • Quick and easy to teach
  • Enjoyable game
  • It plays well with a larger gaming group
  • More subtle social deduction game
  • The App provides a huge variety of words

Cons

  • It doesn’t work for easy words, as the word can be guessed too early
  • You need to pay lots of attention
  • The addition of a words mechanic may not warrant purchasing this game if you already have a “Werewolf” social deduction game

Werewords

Werewords

Social deduction meets word game!
Figure out who is misleading the team to guess the wrong word
4-10 players
10 minutes playtime

9. Twist on a Classic: Trapwords

Trapwords is an easy game for 4 – 8 players that takes about 30 – 45 minutes.

If you’ve ever played the classic word board game Taboo before, it’s like that, but with a bit more to the game.

You play in two teams, and each team has a clue giver who is given a word and has to give clues to make their team guess the word correctly. The catch is that the other team picks the trap words, that is the words the clue giver is not allowed to say or they lose. But the clue giver doesn’t know what these words are, so they have to work around that and give some weird and wonderful clues that they hope don’t use the trap words the other team has chosen.

There is a secondary element to this game where you are romping through a dungeon and the words trigger traps. It’s fairly light and easy, and it’s great for people who want a more gamified experience, but I think it takes away from the essence of the game a little.

Pros

  • Fun game
  • It encourages lateral thinking with the need for clever clues
  • Team-based

Cons

  • The fantasy dungeon crawling aspect is unnecessary
  • It does not get as many laughs as other games on the list
  • Pretty luck based on what words the other team chooses

Sale

Trapwords

Trapwords

Team based word guessing game
Try not to use the other teams trap words!
4-8 players
30-45 minutes playtime

10. Best Mind Reading: Medium

Medium is a super light and easy game for 2 – 8 players that takes approximately 30 – 45 minutes to play.

In Medium, you are trying to be a medium and read each other’s minds. In pairs, players are given two cards, and they have to try to guess the same word that connects the words on the two cards together (they get 3 tries) to score points.

This is the kind of game that shines based on the players. If you have players with big personalities that like to laugh, then you’ll get some really weird connections between words. But if you have a quieter gaming group, then this game may fall a bit flat.

Pros

  • Hilarious game with the right group
  • Encourages very clever word association
  • It is good to encourage learning about how other people think

Cons

  • Weak win conditions, you play more for the activity and experience than for winning and losing
  • It is very frustrating if you think on different wavelengths
  • Can fall flat with more serious gaming groups

Sale

Medium

Medium

Medium is a social word game of reading your friends’ minds!
Players work in pairs to try get the word that connects their two cards
2-8 Players
30-45 minute playtime

Honorable Mentions

There aren’t actually that many word guessing games, but there are a few more worth mentioning that just didn’t make the cut for the top 10.

Some other great games don’t exactly fit the criteria of guessing words but give a very similar feeling when you play.

  • Wavelength – This is almost the opposite of a word guessing game. The player whose turn it is is given a category and a rating, and they have to give a word so the other players correctly guess the rating. For example, I might get the category food and 50%, so I pick sandwiches, as they’re good, but not necessarily great. This is one of my favorite board games, as it just brings everyone together to discuss ideas really well.
  • Cross Clues – this is another one that is similar to Just One, Codenames, and So Clover, where you have a grid of clues and are working to give a clue that crosses over between the two clues so that the other players choose the right spot in the grid to fill the grid up. It’s also a great game, I just didn’t want too many with the same mechanics in the top 10.
  • Detective Club – This is a social deduction game, where the clue giver lets everyone know a word except one person, and then everyone has to play cards that relate to that word. The clue giver then says the word and everyone has to justify why their cards are related to that word (with one player completely bluffing) and the other players have to figure out who’s bluffing. It’s a very fun game involving words, but since you aren’t guessing a word it didn’t make the list.
  • Master Word – This is like the traditional game Mastermind, but with words. So there is a person that knows the word you are trying to guess, and the other players give 4 words each round, with the guide then telling them how many clues they guessed that relate to the word. It can be a bit subjective on what the guide thinks is related, but as Mastermind was one of my favorite games as a kid, I just can’t help but like this game.

Conclusion

There are quite a few good word-guessing games out there. The most popular by far are Codenames, Codenames: Duet, and Just One, which are all fantastic games. But if you are looking for something similar but that has its own unique twist (maybe someone in your gaming group already owns these games or you’ve played them to death), then So Clover! and Cross Clues are both fantastic games with similar vibes.

If you are looking for a social deduction game, I highly recommend When I Dream as it has a unique twist on the genre. Werewords is also pretty good, it’s pretty similar to the One Night Ultimate Werewolf social deduction games but adds in the twist of word guessing that makes it a bit more interesting.

If you are looking for something a bit deeper, Letter Jam is the only word guessing game that isn’t a light party game and requires you to think and concentrate a lot more to cooperatively figure out what everyone’s words are.

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