Word based board games

Long time fan of the show Brian is wondering if there are any good word games out there. Brian is in luck because there are a sold number of very good word based boardgames.

Brian Kurtz asks,

“Are there any good word-based games out there besides Scrabble? In your opinion, is this even a category? Does it include word-guessing games like Taboo or Charades or word-defining games like Balderdash?”

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There are some great word-based games (and don’t discredit mass market games).

Brian should be pleased to know that I think that word games definitely count as a category. There are plenty of mass market word games, like Scrabble, but there are also a significant number of hobby or designer board games that use words as a major part of their gameplay. While there may not be a ton of word games out there and they are often overshadowed by the latest miniature game or some hot new deck builder or civilization game, there are plenty of great hobby word games to be had. There is enough variety out there that I’m pretty sure they cover all the game types Brian mentions above; word spelling, word guessing and word-defining games.

A slight diversion to talk about mass market vs. “hobby” games. I just want to point out that there’s nothing wrong with many of the mass market games that are out there. This seems to be especially true as far as word games are concerned. I’m personally a fan of many of them.  I think this is an important thing to note for the hobby overall, not just for word games.

Just because a game isn’t sold in mass market stores, is from a famous game designer, features that game designer’s name on the cover, and is considered a hobby board game, that doesn’t mean it’s actually a better game. Similarly just because I can pick up a game at Walmart, Target or even my closest Shoppers Drug Mart, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad game. This seems to be especially true of Word games. Word games seem to have much more universal appeal than many other types of games and seem to have more market penetration.

Below I’m going to list some of what I think are the best word-based games out there, starting with some classic favourites you should be able to find almost anywhere.

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There are some great mass market word games!

Scrabble – This one is a true classic. Unlike many older popular games, this one hasn’t been broken by things like families passing down house rules for generations. Scrabble has always been and still is a very solid game. My only real beef with Scrabble is playing against people (or AI opponents digitally) that have the entire Scrabble Dictionary memorized and like to use all those two letter words that I’ve never heard of for maximum scoring potential.

Now to help with this frustration, there are tools out there like Unscrambled Words, which can help you unscramble letters and find you words you would never come up with on your own. For example, if you enter in DRME, it will identify the word “Derm,” as well as other three letter and two letter words. Of course, I only recommend using this against AI opponents or players who agree to its use ahead of time.  

UPWORDS – UPWORDS was one of my wife’s favourite word games growing up. She was the one that introduced me to it. It has a lot of similarities to Scrabble. Besides not having special scoring spots on the board, the big difference from Scrabble is that you can put letters on top of existing letters. This gives you way more options and ways to play your tiles. Scoring is also much simpler, being based on the number of tiles used and how high they are stacked and not which letters are used.

Boggle – Of the games mentioned so far, this is my personal favourite. Shake up the letter dice then rush to spell as many words as you can, only scoring the words that no one else has guessed. It’s this last bit that is the killer part of Boggle. Easy to spot and spell words are often guessed by all players and thus aren’t actually worth any points. Personally, I prefer to play this one digitally, where you can click or just tap on the letters you want to use or type out the words you find.

Quiddler – In this game players are given a hand of letter cards and must try to spell a word. If they can’t form a word with their hand they discard a card and draw a new one, giving up their turn. The neat bit here is that the game starts off with a hand of three letter cards and continues to go up by one card each round. Thus requiring players to spell bigger and bigger words as the game ramps up. It reminds me a bit of the trick taking game Wizard in that way.

Tapple – This is the most gimmicky game on my list. Tapple features this big frisbee looking thing with letters all around the edge and a big red button in the middle. You pick a category then pass the disc to the first player, they have to say a word that matches the category and then press in that letter. That player then passes the machine to the next player who has to say another word tied to the category but using a different letter. As the Tapple disc gets passed around fewer and fewer letters are available. At the same time, the thing has a countdown and if you don’t pick a letter quick enough a buzzer goes off. If the buzzer goes off on your turn you are eliminated.

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You can usually find these great word games at educational toy stores.

Word on the Street – This is a rather unique word game where letters are placed on a board representing a street. The letters start on the median in the middle of the road. A keyword card is drawn and teams try to say words that match the keyword. When a team selects a word, they get to move all the letters in the word toward their side of the street. If a team can get eight letters off the street they win.

Kerfuddle – While I didn’t play Kerfuddle myself, this game was hugely popular at a recent wedding I attended. During that event, I saw multiple groups playing the game through the night and I didn’t see this game get put away until the evening was over. Based on what I read of the game, it sounds to me like an advanced version of Boggle without the gird and with some card play that changes how each round works as well as a die that determines the minimum length of words for that round.

Bananagrams – In Bananagrams, you spill the tiles out onto the table and split them between the players. Players must then use those tiles to make a crossword. It has a lot of similarities to Scrabble but without the pain of figuring out scoring, instead, it’s a race to use up all of your tiles before your opponent. The game also includes a bunch of variant ways to play, with even more easily found online. One of the highlights of Bananagrams is that it requires no pencil, paper or board to play.

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Designer or hobby word games are also a thing.

Pictomania – This one is from Vlaada Chvatil and is a “gamer version” of Pictionary. Instead of one player drawing at a time, all of the players are drawing at once. While drawing players are also betting on which opponent is drawing what. The secret here is that everyone is drawing from the same very limited set of words each round. What this does is allow for actual deduction and tactics when playing.

Knit Wit – I call this one the Venn diagram word game. Players put out a number of spools, those are looped with various coloured threads. Attached to each thread is a word. It’s up to players to come up with a word or sentence for each spool that applies to every thread surrounding that spool. It sounds simple enough but coming up with something for all spools can be very tough. Once all but one of the players has finished everyone has to stop, so there’s also a rather unforgiving timed element to Knit Wit.

Hardback – This is a deck building game. Players start off with a basic set of letters and two random letters (giving the game some asymmetry).  Players form words with their cards and get currency used to buy new and better letters and thus create higher scoring words. This is actually a reimplementation of another game called Paperback. The main change between Paperback and Hardback is that in Hardback cards can come from one of four book genres. If you play cards from the same genre when spelling a word then a special ability goes off. This mechanic will be familiar to people who have played some other deck building games like Star Realms.

A Little Wordy – This two-player-only word game comes from the people behind Exploding Kittens. In A Little Wordy players are each given a random selection of letters which they use to form a secret word of any length. They then pass the letters to their opponents. Players use these letters along with card-based clues to try to guess the opponent’s words. Watch out using the clue cards though as each costs points, and it’s the player with the least points at the end who wins. 

Read more about this two player only word game in our A Little Wordy review. 

Codenames – In this team based game, a grid of cards is laid out and lead players on each team are trying to get their team members to select all of their cards while not picking the opposing team’s cards and while also avoiding the assassin card, which when picked causes that team to lose instantly. Clues given are one word or a short sentence and the number of cards on the field that apply to that clue. This is one of the best modern word based party games out there and is much easier to understand once you actually see it being played. It has the added bonus of being able to play almost any sized group (ignore the player count on the box) and that there are a number of different editions available in a variety of themes.

Jabuka – This is a very quick-playing word-building game with a twist. Similar to Banagrams players are grabbing tiles from the centre of the table to form words. The neat bit here is that Jabuka features a number of twistable letters. This is combined with some take that elements like being able to steal your opponent’s words by adding to them or twisting the letters in them. While rather cutthroat, Jabuka can be a ton of fun. 

Read more about this coffee-themed word game in our Jabuka Review. 

Just One – This is the new hotness when it comes to word based games. It’s not one I’ve personally played but it’s on my wishlist. In this game, all but one player knows the goal word. Everyone else has to take that word and write down a clue. The clues are compared and any duplicate clues are removed. The player then has to try to guess the word with the clues that are remaining. This one sounds fantastic and I just keep hearing more and more positive buzz about it online.

Letter Jam – This is another word game that I haven’t personally tried but that I wanted to include on the list because it’s unique. What’s unique about Letter Jam is that it is a cooperative word game. Players work together to form meaningful words from the cards spread around the table. Letter Jam completes this by using the Hanabi mechanic where players can’t actually see the letter card they are personally holding. Players, in turn, say how long a word they can spell with the letters they can see. Then there’s a bit with placing tokens and indicating which position in the word each player has, and in the end players have to try to guess which letter they are holding. It sounds rather fascinating to me and I would love to see this game being played.

Learn more about this cooperative word game in our Letter Jam review.

Werewords – The Werewolf/Mafia word game. Players try to guess a secret word through the clue giver answering yes or no questions. The group tries to figure out the word before time is up. The trick is that one of the players is secretly a werewolf who is working against the team and they already know the word. Even if the team isn’t able to guess the word, they can still win if they correctly identify the werewolf, which means the werewolf can’t be too obvious. The game also includes other roles, taking from the normal Werewolf game.

Trapwords –  This is a team-based word game that is an evolution of Taboo. The big twist in Trapwords is that the opposing team is the one that picks which words you can’t use. So your team has no idea which words are the traps and what to avoid. Trapwords also adds an interesting fantasy theme to the mix, though it doesn’t seem to affect play all that much. If you are looking for a next step game from Taboo this would be it.

Read more about this word-driven dungeon crawler in our Trapwords review.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

If you’re a wordsmith, a word-wiz, or just enjoy a little wordplay, these word board games are right up your vocabulary alley. Word board games can be used as an educational tool, as a hilarious party game, or simply as a way to keep your wordy wits about you. If you’re not into word games, don’t fret, word unscrambling tools can give you an assist in any word game while improving your vocabulary.

So on-words and up-words, here are our top 20 best word board games!

Like Word Games? Why not also check out our list of Puzzle Games and Trivia Games that keep you mentally active, while still having fun?

🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Word Board Games

In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.

04/11/2023 05:30 pm GMT

When I Dream

Players: 4-10
Playing time: 20-40 min

Put on your sleep masks and try to decipher your dreams!

When we fall asleep and enter a dream world, the imagination and imagery can be truly magical. When I Dream turns players into dreamers. Be careful when entering the magical world of dreams because the Dream Spirits want to have fun!

When I Dream is an innovative game that puts a focus on creativity and player imagination. Put on your sleep mask and try to interpret the Dream Spirits messages. With fairies, naughty spirits, and even the Boogeyman, the game has an array of characters that make it challenging and that give the game depth. 

This is an excellent fast-paced party game that’ll have you storytelling before the Boogeyman wreaks havoc!

What we liked

When I Dream offers some new unique mechanics that give the word game genre something to think about. Combine that with the gorgeous artwork and you get a really pretty and fun game. 

What could be better

With the timer included, it can rapidly descend into chaos.

Werewords

Players: 4-10
Playing time: 10 min

Guess the magic word!

In Werewords, players must guess a secret word by asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions. Be careful, time catches up to you! Like in most games, there’s always a villain looming and trying to interrupt play. In Werewords, one player is secretly a werewolf.

Not only is this player working against you, but they also know the Magic Word. Even if you don’t guess the word in time, you still have the chance of exposing the werewolf and winning the game!

What’s cool about this word game is that it comes with an iOS/Android app that’ll provide thousands of words in hundreds of categories giving the game-high replayability. 

What we liked

It’s like One Night Ultimate Werewolf but combined with a word game. It’s a weird combination that seems to work very well. 

What could be better

Like the original Werewolf, Werewords suffers from similar role management. There are only a handful of roles that are really fun to play, but most players end up as villagers.

Will you figure out the word or will the werewolf get you? Better get your top wordsmith on the case.

Trapwords

Players: 4-8
Playing time: 30-45 min

You know the secret word your teammates must guess. You’ll give clues to help but the other team has other plans in mind. They’ve set a list of ‘trapwords’. You can’t say them or you’ll end up trapped in dungeons with terrifying monsters. Easy enough? Oh, there’s also a time limit. 

Trap words is a fast-paced party game that seems like a simple task of giving clues but gets more challenging by not knowing which words can be said. 

If you’re looking for a word game with a fantasy theme, Trapwords takes you into the fantasy world of dungeons and monsters.

What we liked

Trapwords is a fun fantasy variation of Taboo. The rules are changed enough to make it more interesting to play than Taboo.

What could be better

The timer can be tricky, especially for younger players.

Decrypto

Players: 3-8
Playing time: 15-45 min

Decrypto has a fun vintage aesthetic, surely making it a favorite among the hipster community. But really, this word game blends decoding and player interaction through interesting mechanics.

In this game, teammates try to transmit secret codes without letting the opposing team intercept them. Using clever graphic anaglyph components, players slide cards into the screens to decode the words.

The communication limits make Decrypto a fun and challenging word game to play, plus you’ll feel like a code breaker sending secret messages.

What we liked

The option to guess the other team’s words and clues adds another level to a fun word game. 

What could be better

I’m not sure why, but I had trouble with Decrypto’s rules. It took me far longer than it should have to understand everything and teach it to my gaming group. It could have just been me, but it did give me trouble.

Letter Jam

Players: 2–6
Playing time: 45 min

Your friend gives the clue. Can you guess your secret letter? 

Letter Jam is a cooperative word game where players work together to compose meaningful words from letters around the table. But the twist is only the other players can see your letter cards, not you. 

Letter Jam combines team-based play and players’ deduction skills. Pull together as a team, find the clues, and reap the fruits of cooperation!

Jam out at the next game night and decipher the codes!

What we liked

Under its simple exterior, Letter Jam offers a cerebral word game that delivers more gameplay the longer you play. 

What could be better

It’s played best with more players and is all but obsolete at 2-players.

Bananagrams

Players: 1-8
Playing time: 15 mins

A fun game for everyone that’ll drive you bananas.

Gather your friends and family and race against each other to build crossword grids. Bananagrams is an educational and entertaining game with which you can teach kids how to spell words all while having fun at the same time. 

In Bananagrams, players have to build their words with letters as fast as they possibly can. A race to finish, speed, and a great vocabulary make the game super exciting. 

What we liked

The game is in a case that’s shaped like an actual banana, making it a great travel game. It can fit in any bag and it comes in a cute package. What’s not to like?

What could be better

If you have trouble with words then the real-time movements and actions can be tricky to deal with.

Blank Slate

Players: 3-8
Playing time: 20-35 min

The game where great minds think alike. 

Blank Slate is a game of predictions. “The game where great _ _ _ _ _ think alike!” Easy to learn and quick to play makes Blank Slate a fun game for all levels.

By picking a word cue card, you’ll write which word you think best completes a phrase. To take this a step further, you’ll have to try to match it to another player’s words. 

In this clever party game, prediction skills are key to matching words. If you get good enough you’ll soon be winning the _ _ _ _!

What we liked

Blank Slate is a simple and very fast-playing word game. It works very well as an icebreaker and introduction for people who just met. 

What could be better

Your enjoyment of Blank Slate is going to highly depend on who you are playing with.

Codenames

Players: 2-8
Playing time: 15 min

‘The top-secret word game. Win or lose, it’s fun to figure out the clues!’

There are good reasons why Codenames has become a staple on board gamers’ shelves. Codenames is a deceptively awesome game that’s easy to learn and perfect for parties. 

Codenames is a social word game in which two rival spymasters know 25 secret agents. Their teams only know agents by codenames. Make contact with all your agents first and win. Although this game can be challenging, the social component keeps everyone entertained as they race to finish first.

This is a fun game when you’re winning, but even better when you’re losing. 

What we liked

Codenames is quick, easy to learn, and a blast. There’s a reason it’s become a go-to game in so many households. 

What could be better

There’s a lot of hype surrounding Codenames. There are numerous games out there that do the same thing, Codenames just does it really well. If you’re looking for something innovative and unique, you’ll be disappointed.

More versions of Codenames

Poetry for Neanderthals

Players: 2-12
Playing time: 15 min

A word game where you must ‘speak good’ or get hit with a stick.

Poetry for Neandertals is a competitive word-guessing game. Players are only allowed to use single-syllable words to give clues to their team to guess the phrase.

For example, the word is broccoli, you’ll have to say something like, ‘green food, live long’. Use a big word, you’ll get hit on the head with a 2-foot-long inflatable club.

From the geniuses that brought us Exploding Kittens, Poetry for Neandertals is another fun addition to a game night. With only 15 minutes to play, this hilarious, challenging, cutthroat game tests the patience of logophiles the world over.

What we liked

If you’re a fan of The Oatmeal webcomic, you’re going to love the artwork and irreverent humor. It’s just as ridiculous and fun as it looks. 

What could be better

The humor is a bit low-brow. If you’re not comfortable speaking oddly and smacking friends over the head, then this is probably going to be a miss.

Just One

Players: 3-7
Playing time: 20 min

A cooperative party game where you’ll have to work together to discover the mystery words!

Just One starts with one player drawing a card and choosing a number from it. Each player gets one clue word and together you’ll try to solve the mystery word. Just One is a brilliant word game as it combines cooperative skills with deduction, memory, and creative thinking.

What we liked

I really like the mechanic that discards identical clues. This forces you to be strategic and creative with your clues. Easy-to-learn and easy to play make Just One a relaxed game for everyone.

What could be better

Just One is great, but it can feel as if turns take forever and that’s not good for a party game.

Punderdome

Players: 3- 99
Playing time: 30-90 min

A card game for the pun lovers among us. 

Punderdome will have you laughing out loud with its punny cards and creative style of play. 

Once a pun a time, the creators of Punderdome saw a space in the word game market for a pun game for family and friends. With pun jokes on the back of each card, you can entertain the crowds while waiting to come up with a pun. Some can take longer than others but you can play with no time limits. 

If you’re a pun lover, this is a punderful card game that you won’t regret purchasing.

What we liked

Unlike many of the other games on this list, Punderdome offers quite a lot of opportunities for creativity. It lets you create something instead of just showing off your knowledge of vocabulary. 

What could be better

It’s a game about puns. You’re going to be groaning and laughing, but if you’re not well-versed in puns and dad jokes, it may be a little dry.

Quiddler

Players: 1-8
Playing time: 30 min

Quiddler: Simply for the fun of words. 

Quiddler is a short word game that’s a great pick for word lovers as well as non-word-game players. With this card game, the goal is to arrange your cards in your hand to create one or more words.

If you deal more cards, you’ll have more opportunities to create words. At the end of the game, the highest score wins. 

Quiddler is a sort of Uno-style word game as some cards can double letters and add bonuses to your points. Sharpening your word skills and a bit of luck will have you winning Quiddler!

What we liked

Quiddler makes for a great travel game. It’s simple enough that anyone can play and it’s so easy to pull it out and play wherever you are. 

What could be better

Quiddler relies on luck of the draw to get letters. If you have an extensive vocabulary you can overcome bad draws, but it’s still luck-based.

Hot Words

Players: 4-16
Playing time: 20-30 min

Hot Words is a party game where you can’t say that. 

In Hot Words, you’ll describe words while your team tries to guess what the word is. In each of the 4 rounds, your team will pick a spicy jalapeño card that has a ‘Hot Word’ on it that you can’t say. 

As each round goes by, it’ll get hotter and harder but also more hilarious trying to avoid all the ‘Hot Words’ your team has accumulated.

What we liked

Hot Words provides a simple concept and puts it together in a nice little package. It’s a wordplay game that has a ton of replayability. 

With fun added elements like a ghost pepper round, a 90-second sand timer, a dinner bell, and little hot sauce bottles, Hot Words is a fun and exciting party game!

What could be better

If you’re looking for a smaller group game, Hot Words is best played as a party game with more players.

Can you handle the heat?

Dabble

Players: 2-4
Playing time: 30-60 min

The game where if you can spell, you can play!

Dabble is a fast word game that’s both educational and fun. To start the game you say ‘GO!’ and players race to spell 5 words using 20 tiles. The first person to spell their word wins!

What we liked

The added difficulty of making multiple words of varying sizes seems like a simple concept but definitely makes Dabble stand out. 

What could be better

Like a lot of word games, if you have someone who memorizes vocabulary words in their free time, they’ll absolutely destroy everyone. It’s best to play with people of the same skill and vocabulary level.

Word a Round

Players: 2
Playing time: 20 min

Race to unravel the word! 

Word a Round is a challenging word game where you’ll have to quickly figure out where the word starts and then read it aloud before your opponent. As you answer on the spot, the game becomes a little more difficult as you race to answer. Mistakes are made under pressure so players have to have their wits about them. 

Word a Round is an award-winning card game that’s a great educational tool in classrooms or at home. It helps develop critical thinking skills, making it a favorite among speech therapists. If you are looking for a fun game that’ll also help with learning, this is a great choice. 

What we liked

Word a Round can be learned in seconds and it’s one of the most unique word games on this list. 

What could be better

Since this requires you to guess at words around a circular card, it can be difficult for people with visual impairments.

Word on the Street

Players: 2-10
Playing time: 20 min

A hilarious tug of words.

Word on the Street is a card game in which players take turns flipping category cards, racing the clock to come up with the answer. With each correct answer, you move closer to the sidewalk… and to safety. 

With 432 different categories, there is huge variation and replayability. This game is particularly focused on being educational. It helps players improve their vocabulary, practice spelling, and develop social skills. 

What we liked

Word on the Street is a simple enough word game but combines wordplay with enough strategy to make it unique. 

What could be better

You’ll need to have quick recall of your vocabulary, so if you’re looking for a slow burn game then this is not what you’re looking for.

Wordplay: Family Edition

Players: 2

If your family loves word games, WordPlay is a fast-paced challenge in which everyone plays every round. 

A fun spinner determines the letters and the category for each round. For example, ‘Food and Drinks’ means you can only use words that begin with the letter ‘E’. The difference with this family edition is even if you think of things that don’t start with the correct letter, you still score some points.

This game is a friendly and inclusive way to help kids learn and be introduced to the wonderful world of word board games. 

What we liked

Wordplay is a simple word game that appeals to everyone. It’s simple enough that anyone can pick it up and have some fun right out of the box. 

What could be better

Wordplay’s universal appeal means that there’s no real innovation or new mechanics. It’s fun, but you’ve seen it before and will see it again in other word games.

Upwords

Players: 1-4
Playing time: 90 min

Upwords a game of quick stacking and word hacking. 

In this word-building game, the higher you stack, the higher your score. With each player starting out with 7 words that you can play up or down, the game almost feels like Scrabble.

But here, you can stack letters on top of others. When you stack letters higher on each other, you earn more points. This makes Upwords more intense and strategic. 

Upwords is very versatile and can be played solo to challenge yourself, with kids, or with your friends. Experience this high-stakes, high-stacking word game, and grow your vocabulary as you go!

What we liked

I honestly prefer Upwords over Scrabble. The tile stacking adds a whole new dimension to the classic wordplay formula. 

What could be better

It’s a minor issue, but I’m not a fan of the components on the deluxe board. They work fine, but the color scheme makes it difficult to see for me.

Wordical

Players: 2-8

The radical, dice-rolling, word-building race!

Wordical is another educational word game in which players roll a vowel die and combine consonants to make a word. It’s a fun way for kids to develop their spelling skills and build vocabulary. It’s easy to learn and moves quickly so there are no long pauses.

This is a wonderful game for the classroom or for students who are struggling with their phonics.

What we liked

The dice add an interesting twist to this word game. Randomness is usually added through other means, but it’s a refreshing take on the word game genre. 

What could be better

It’s a simple travel game, so the rules and gameplay are very simple. You won’t find in-depth strategy here, but that’s ok for a word game.

Wordsmithery

Players: 2- 99
Playing time: 20 min

The game for every wordsmith, young and old.

Wordsmithery is a fun, fast-paced game in which you can test your wordsmith skills. Draw a word, read it to your opponent, and see if they can guess the meaning from the three options.

With some difficult words like ‘egregious’ or ‘phalanx’, it could seem difficult for children but included are 50 easier cards for kids. The different levels of difficulty make this a family-friendly word board game. 

What we liked

The concept is extremely easy to understand and the word choices are genuinely fun to play with. 

What could be better

Eventually, you’re going to memorize all of the words available in the box. There are only so many times you can be surprised by a word before we simply learn it.

Wrap-Up

What are your favorite word games to play? We hope you enjoyed our top picks for the best word board games out there! Let us know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these or if we missed any that you think should be on the list. We’d love to hear from you!

Happy Wordsmithing!

We love playing word board games. Discover some of the best board games with words for adults, kids, and families. Card word games included.

We grew up in households filled with board games. We had Hungry Hippos, Pictionary, Operation, Battleship, and of course, card games like Uno and Old Maid.

Can you tell what era we grew up in? We also obsessively watched Garfield and Friends on Saturday mornings.

As we grew older and found our true loves — books, adult grape juice, and travel — our gaming habits matured.

We started playing more word board games like Taboo and Scattergories. We also craved the best classic word-based board games like Balderdash, Scrabble, and Boggle.

Today, our coat closets and desk shelves are nearly bursting from the seams with word board games for adults. And, nothing beats playing card games with words over drinks.

With so many games out there, how do you choose the best word board games? Which games are family-friendly and adults only?

Below, discover some of our favorite classic word board games along with newer games that are perfect for a rainy day inside with friends and family.

Don’t forget to let us know your favorite word board game in the comments. Let’s get started!

Explore all of our gift guides, including more board games.

Classic Word Board Games

What are some sentimental classic word games that remind you of your childhood? Here are a few of ours:

Boggle

Although we’ve never been amazing at Boggle — our minds just don’t work like that — set the timer, shake up letters, and watch where they fall.

Try to make as many four-letter plus words as you can before time runs out. Super Boggle is a tad bigger so each round lasts for 3-minutes.

Scrabble

Scrabble is probably one of the most well-known classic word board games perfect for ages 8+. Players take turns making words with letter tiles to earn points.

Bananagrams

Bananagrams is a word board game like Scrabble fit for the whole family. Players attempt to make crossword word grids and is all about spelling.

Bananagrams is super portable and great for traveling.

Scattergories

One of our favorite word games as a kid, every household needs Scattergories.

Roll the letter dice. In a set amount of time, fill in categories using only words that start with that letter. The more unique and longer, the better.

Word Search

Word Search is a classic game with words. Search for the words in the puzzle. These are incredibly easy to print out at home too.

Mad Libs

Mad Libs was all the rage in the 90s. Mad Libs is one of the most fun board games with words for writers in the making. Get creative and thoughtful with your vocabulary.

Grab a pen to fill in the blanks for a half-completed story. Each blank asks for an adjective, noun, or something slightly more specific.

Make your narrative as silly or as serious and real as you like.

Word Board Games Like Scrabble

Are you looking for word board games similar to Scrabble? Try these:

Dabble

Dabble is a word board game that the entire family can play. Recommended for 8+ years old, players race to spell out 5 words using their 20 tiles.

Two to four people can participate, and this word creation game is perfect for spelling and vocabulary building.

Quiddler Word Game

A fast-paced card game with words perfect for 1 to 10 players, Quiddler asks participants to organize the letter cards in their hands into short words.

With each round, players take on more cards and the highest score wins.

Upwords

Upwords is exactly like Scrabble except that players can build words on top of existing ones. The higher you stack your letters, the more points you earn. Upwords is for 2-4 players, ages 8+.

One Up!

Be the first person to make a word out of the tiles flipped upside down in the center of the table. But, beware as players can steal your word by adding their own letters.

Family-Friendly Word Board Games

What are some of the best word board games that you can play with the entire family? Here are a few:

Super Big Boggle

There are a ton of versions of the word board game, Boggle. Super Big Boggle is one of them.

Imagine Boggle but with a 6×6 letter grid. Players have 6-minutes to create as many words as they can.

Pass The Pen

Pass The Pen is a fun and fast-paced game for families that incorporates words and drawing. You have 10 seconds to draw a picture while all of the other players have to guess what it is.

If someone guesses correctly, you earn points. If not, you pass the pen to the next player.

P For Pizza

P For Pizza is a family-friendly board game with words for children 8+. This game is best for 2 and 4 players.

The goal is to shout out a word that links the letter on one card to the category on another. Find color-coated cards of varying difficulty and with different categories.

The first player to collect nine pizza cards and build their giant pizza slice wins the game.

Herd Mentality

Herd Mentality is another fun card game with words perfect with 4 to 20 players that are ages 10+.

Read aloud a random question: “What is the best way to cook an egg?” Players must quickly write down their answers.

The goal is to figure out what everyone else is thinking. If your answer is in the majority, you win cows.

If your answer is unique, you get stuck with the pink cow.

Word A Round

Word A Round is an award-winning board game that is fun for everyone. Words are positioned in one continuous ring.

Players must figure out where the word starts and be the first to read it aloud.

Danger Word

Created by Ellen DeGeneres, Danger Word is best for ages 10+ and is one of the most fun card word games.

Guess the winning word to win. If you accidentally say the danger word, you lose the card.

It’s In The Bag

If you love card games with words like charades and Pictionary, try It’s In The Bag.

There are three rounds: describe the word, describe the word using only one word, and act out the word.

Blank Slate

If you need a word-guessing board game for family game night, Blank Slate asks players to predict what everyone else is thinking.

Write a word to complete the phrase, and earn points if you match only one other person.

Word Board Games For Adults (and Teens)

In need of word games for adults and teens? Try these:

4-Bidden Words

A game recommended for 17+, 4-Bidden Words players compete against a timer to guess the Buzz Word without using any of the forbidden words.

This adult guessing word board game is recommended for holidays, reunions, and party nights.

Balderdash

Balderdash is the perfect board game for adults, tweens, and teens. Players roll the dice for one of 5 categories: famous people, words, initials, laws, and movies.

Each player writes down what they think the real definition or explanation is while one player records the correct answer.

Players then vote on which answer they think is right.

Codenames

Codenames is a contemporary and social word board game recommended for ages 14+. This game is best with 4 players.

Teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their secret agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues, which indicate multiple words on the board.

Teammates must avoid guessing words that belong to their opponents. Don’t get caught by the assassin.

Taboo

A classic card word game for adults and teens, Taboo is recommended for 13+.

We love to play this one around the holidays. Guess the word based on clues without saying the forbidden word.

What Do You Meme?

Recommended for 17+, compete to create the funniest memes.

What Do You Meme? is a newer word board game for adults only that is sure to make you laugh. You can also order expansion packs.

What Other Word Board Games Do You Love?

What are some of the best word board games that you’ve played or created? Are there any word card games that we are missing that you absolutely love? Let us know in the comments.

You May Also Enjoy:

Drinking Board Games For Adults
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Gifts For Book Lovers

Word board games can be a lot of fun for many and educational for the children – and not just for the word-loving logophile or crossword solving experts out there.

Let’s take a look at some of the best Word Board Games on the market, from the simple to the hard (Einstein level – not quite) and the popular, and not so common.

Bananagrams

For the word buffs and crossword lovers the Bananagrams word game is a good tabletop option to consider – especially for families with children learning.

Boggle

Boggle is an excellent word game option that has its own unique aspects of play which includes shaking and rolling a whole bunch of dice with 3 minutes to spare.

Dabble

Dabble is fast paced and requires some quick thinking as your time is out in 5 minutes. Play will last anything from 30 – 60 minutes usually.

Scrabble

Mention word games and most of us instantly think of the board game Scrabble. A household favorite and classic.

Taboo

Some things are just forbidden and unsaid, which brings me to Taboo that’s cool game for groups which lacks in seriousness.

Upwords

Upwords board game is a lot like Scrabble with a couple or so cool differences. The main variance being the 3D stacking up.

* Cherrypicksreviews.com is reader-supported, Our editor review, and recommend the best products based on extensive data analysis, if you click on the product links, we may earn a commission through qualifying products purchased.

Top 30 Word Board Games on Amazon (Verified You can Buy)

 War. Business. Risk. Life. What do these words have in common? Why, they’re the names of extremely popular board games! You may not have heard of them, which is completely understandable. Games like Business and War require battle-ready strategizing, while games like LIFE and Monopoly require immense patience and an exorbitantly competitive spirit. So they aren’t always the best option for a relaxing family evening or a paint-by-numbers game-night designed to encourage bonding. 

The best way to bond is by sharing words, stories, and pushing your intellectual capacity to its furthest reaches. The best game nights involve shared puns, confusing rhymes, and bad jokes so awful they can’t not be funny, After all, words go a much longer way in creating closeness than targeted strikes on your significant others Battleship! With that in mind, here are some puntastic board games that take the «play in «wordplay» to a very real and exciting level!

1. Word Slam

(Amazon)  

The guessing game that doesn’t give you a second to catch your breath, Word Slam is a fast-paced word-based party game that turns every player into a storyteller. 

There is no limit on the number of people that can play this game, though all players must be divided into two teams. Each team selects a player, let’s call him/her/they the ‘storyteller’. The storyteller for each team is given a hidden word or phrase. Using only the 105 explanatory cards given in the box, each of which contains a word which can be an adjective, a noun, a verb or a preposition, the storytellers must give their respective team enough viable clues to guess the hidden word.

For example, the storyteller may be able to provide the words ‘long’, ‘eat’ and ‘green’. So the team may guess cucumber, lettuce, or maybe beans. The storytellers are forbidden from speaking, acting out, or signing any clues or the hidden phrase. And don’t forget, this game is a race! The clock is ticking and only the first team to correctly guess the hidden word will score a point. Are you ready to get word-slammed?

2. Fitz It

(Amazon)  

‘Fitz It: If The Word Fits Play It’ is the ultimate card game that pits all of the players firmly against each other, and the English language. 

This game can be played by 2 to 10 players. To start with each player is given 15 cards from the deck of 265 cards provided. Each card contains a phrase describing an attribute, a feature, or a general description that can be related to a specific object or objects, and each and every card is completely different. Each turn, the respective players must guess a word, specifically a noun, that fits the attribute or description on the card. They can then place that card next to other guessed cards in play on the table.

That’s where this game gets tricky. The players must then be able to successfully select a word that fits all of the attributes, features, and descriptions laid out in the adjacent cards in play on the grid. This game requires some serious trivia and general knowledge, not to mention language skills, quick wit, and some real patience. Once you master the base version of this game, you can play with more advanced rules, using the grid of played cards as a crossword for guessing more words!

3. Obama Llama

(Amazon)  

This may well be the greatest name for a game that has ever been named and will test your knowledge of the American Presidency. Just kidding. It’s all about rhyming! 

The full name of this game is ‘Obama Llama: The Celebrity Rhyming Party Game’, so we can gather that it is intended to be played by 4 people or more. This game mixes charades with our favorite celebrity puns and what can only be described as poetic genius. Every turn, a person from each team is given a phrase that involves a celebrity or famous character and an unrelated rhyming word. The player with the phrase must then act out or mime the phrase so his teammates can make an accurate guess.

The phrases may include things like «Tom Cruise in platform shoes», or «The Yeti eating Spaghetti», so all teammates are encouraged to scream as many ridiculous rhymes about celebrities as possible. And make sure to rhyme quickly, because each guess has to be made before the timer dings to score a point!

4. Quiddler

(Amazon)  

Also known as ‘Quiddler: The Short Word Game’, this amusingly named card game is not to be confused with the well-known Batman villain played by Jim Carrey in 1995 (AKA the ‘Riddler’). 

This game can be played with 2 and up to 10 people, and can be enjoyed by anyone aged 3 years and up, which makes it the perfect all-inclusive family game. It is essentially Scrabble in the form of a card game. Each card contains a letter, which has a certain point or score value. Each player starts with 3 cards and may draw a card and discard a card each turn. The goal is to spell out a word, or as many words as possible with the cards in your hand, and these words can be as small as 2 letters, like “at” or as large as the number of cards in the player’s hand.

Much like Scrabble, certain cards and letters have unique and higher score values, so players must be wary of the cards they discard because the next player can grab it from the discard pile. The game is played in 8 rounds, with the number of cards in each player’s hand starts with 3 cards and continues increasing every round until they each hold 10 cards. Each round the points are tallied based on the completed words held by each player, and the player with the highest number of points at the end of the 8th round is the winner!

5. Punderdome

(Amazon)  

As the name suggests, ‘Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers’ is the perfect card game for pun lovers and combines all the fun of puns with some healthy competition. 

Punderdome can be played between 3 people or more, and a love of puns and terrible jokes is absolutely necessary. The game comes with a deck of 200 prompt cards. These cards have one green side and one white side, both of which contain a word. Each turn, one player selects two prompt cards (1 green and 1 white). The other players then have 90 seconds to come up with a truly terrible pun that combines the two prompted words. Really dig deep inside to find the most eye-rolling exasperating pun that will leave your group groaning. The prompter then selects the funniest answer and hands over the pair of prompt cards to the winner of that round. The game continues with these rounds until one player has 10 pairs of prompt cards and is declared the winner.

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