Word board games like scrabble

Scrabble is one of the most classic word games of all time. Sometimes, though, you’re in the mood for something new. These word games like Scrabble are ideal for those who love to let their vocabulary shine! Many of these top suggestions came from our Underdog Games community on Facebook. Be sure to follow us—we’d love to have your ideas as well.

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Illiterati

We’re jumping the gun a little on this one, since it won’t be out until spring 2023, but it looks like so much fun! Players work cooperatively, using their letters to spell words that match clues. At the end of each round, an Illiterati villain attacks! Players may lose points or letters, so work quickly to fill your book before the Illiterati destroy your dreams. Even young kids can get in on the fun, with games taking about 40 minutes. Pre-order this word game now, because we think it’s going to be amazing! (1-5 players, ages 7+)

Quiddler

The rules of this game are so simple. In each round, players must arrange their cards to spell one or more words, trying to use up all their letter cards. Round by round, you receive more cards (from 3 up to 10), making it a little harder each time. Any cards leftover count against you, so plan wisely! (1-8 players, ages 8+)

A Little Wordy

This two-player game is by the folks who made Exploding Kittens, so it’s a lot of quirky fun. Each player draws tiles and comes up with their own secret word. Turn by turn, they attempt to narrow down the options and guess each other’s word, using clue cards that provide help like the first letter, last letter, and so on. Each clue will cost you, though, so use them wisely, because the winner of each round is the one with the fewest points, not the one who guesses the word first. This word game is quick and fun, and perfect for kids and adults alike. (2 players, ages 10+)

Dabble

Here’s another one with simple rules: draw 20 tiles and be the first to spell 2, 3, 4, and 5 letter words with them. You can modify the rules to fit your family, like eliminating the timer or choosing not to score the words. It’s definitely a challenge, but the best word games are! (2-4 players, ages 8+)

Word on the Street

This is a great game for both two players or teams. You race to come up with words that fit into specific category cards. The first person or team to claim eight letter tiles wins. It’s simple to learn and quick to play. Plus, it’s a good way to build vocabulary for kids. (2 players, ages 10+)

Just One

This game challenges you to discover mystery words from clues given by fellow players. There’s a catch though—duplicate clues cancel one another out, so you have to be creative. We love this one as a party game, and the quick 20-minute playtime really keeps things moving. (3-7 players, ages 8+)

Bananagrams

This fast-paced word game is a family favorite, especially for traveling or when you’re tight on space. You’re racing against other places to build words and be the first to use all your letters. Everything fits in the colorful little banana, making it a perfect travel game. (1-8 players, ages 7+)

Boggle

Boggle has been around since the 1970s, and it’s still a favorite for many of us who love words. Essentially, it’s a creative take on word searches. Shake up the letters, and then see how many words you can spot before the time is up. You are competing against other players, so you want to find words that others won’t see. You could even play solo and try to beat your own score. Tip—regular Boggle is fine but Big Boggle is better! (1+ players, ages 8+)

Codenames

You’re not spelling or building words with Codenames, but it still deserves a nod on this list. Players compete with spymasters, giving one-word clues pointing to multiple words on the board. All the while, you’re trying to avoid the assassin. It’s perfect for wannabe spies and those who like a good mystery. (2-8 players, ages 10+)

Upwords

With Upwords, you can (and want) to stack your letters from one word to the next. It’s probably the most like Scrabble on this list, allowing you to score in even more ways. It’s a great way to work on developing vocabulary, spelling, and just being creative. (2-4 players, ages 8+)

Paperback

This game is a mix of word-building and deck-building. With each hand, you try to form new words and acquire more powerful letters. You’ll also earn bonus opportunities along the way like double letter scores or drawing more cards. It really stretches your strategy skills while embracing a love of books. (2-5 players, ages 8+)

Blank Slate

This is like the modern day version of the classic Match Game. You try to predict what others are thinking and what they’ll say by writing a word that completes a phrase on a small dry erase board. You score points for matching with others, so you want to choose your answer carefully. (3-8 players, ages 8+)

Love these recommendations? Check out the Best Solo Board Games for Competing Against Yourself!

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Looking for something to play that’s challenging and entertaining? If you’re a huge fan of word games, then you’ll love these board games like Scrabble.

1. Upwords

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• Players make words by placing letters on the board and stacking letters on existing ones
• Turn based play ensures that everyone has a turn
• The higher a player is able to stack their letters, the better their score
• Includes gameboard, 100 letter tiles, 4 rubber feet, 4 tile racks
• The rules are similar to Scrabble, so users can easily start playing
• Ideal for children and adults
• Can be played in groups up to four or solo for extra practice
• Players need to be able to change their mind about words they will play when other players take their spot

2. Big Boggle

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• Once the timer is started, all players have to search the available letters and try to make words
• Younger players can play by making words that are three letters long, but older or more advanced users make words that are four letters or more
• Players have to search for words that are formed by adjoining letters
• Each player gets three minutes to try to find as many words as possible, focusing on highest point values
• Words with more letters will get more points
• The double letter cube included in the game allows players the chance to make longer words more easily
• Great for players that are age eight and up, as long as they are spelling

3. Dabble

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• Once players have their tiles in front of them, they all race to try to spell five words
• Players have to be able to use all of their 20 tiles when spelling words to win and they can swap out the tiles that they can’t use to take new ones
• The first person who can use all of their tiles in spelling words is the winner of the round and they get an addition 25 bonus points added to their score
• After someone has spelled five words, then all other players add the points on the tiles in their words to add up their score
• The first player to get to 100 is the overall winner

4. Perquackey

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• Players roll 10 or 13 dice, depending on their score, and try to make words that have three or more letters
• Because players can only use a form of each word one time, they have to think outside of the box when coming up with words
• Additionally, there is a limit on how many words of each length you can make
• When the three minutes are up, players count up their points based on the words they make and they can earn bonuses for making specific types of words
• Rerolling is only allowed when a player gets all vowels or no vowels
• Great game for smaller groups

5. Bananagrams

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• Players race against each other in an attempt to build a crossword grid out of their letters
• When any player is able to use all of the letters that they have, they shout “peel” and all players have to take on a new word tile
• Since new tiles are constantly being used, players may have to rebuild their word grid on a regular basis
• Great for smaller groups or families who are looking for a quick word game
• Speed is key as winners focus on moving quickly, not worrying about points on their letters or competing against each other

6. Juego de Palabras

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• Players are challenged on their phonics skills as they race to form words in Spanish
• This timed game allows players a lot of breaks as they form words, which prevents players from feeling burned out or tired
• There are 112 color coded blocks that snap together easily to form words
• The blocks all have different letters and combinations of letters on them
• Perfect for two to four players to work together and to practice their Spanish spelling
• Scoring is easy, as are the rules, which means that most players can easily understand and start enjoying this game right away

7. Quiddler

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• Short word game that plays quickly and is great for players age eight and up
• Challenging for both beginners and for more advanced players, which means that children and adults can play together
• Players have to arrange the cards that they have in their hand into words
• Each round, players will have more cards dealt to them, making it both easier to make new words and harder to use all of the letters
• Highest score at the end of the game will win
• Players can use the double letter cards to try to increase their scores
• Thanks to the two bonuses in each round, players can try to score higher

8. Wordical

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• Players have consonant cards in their hands and then roll the vowel dice to try to create new words
• The player who can make the highest-scoring word wins the round
• There are two vowel dice and 108 consonant cards
• While players can take their time making words, they need to hurry, as the last word played will only score one point
• Great for learning how to spell and for friendly competition
• Point rules can be adjusted to make the game more accessible and enjoyable for younger players, if necessary
• Great for two to eight players who are age eight and up

9. Play on Words

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• Great for one person to work on vocabulary or for teams to compete against each other
• There are 80 cards, including wild cards, flip cards, combo cars, and letters
• Thanks to the additional special cards in the game, it is much more than simply building words with the cards in your hand
• Players are dealt their cards and then try to form words, taking into consideration the special cards that they hold
• Since all cards are played face up, there is very little pressure on new players to be able to win, as more advanced players can help them with their spelling and their scoring, reducing the stress of the game

10. Double Quick

• Up to four players can play at once and compete by building crosswords from their letter tiles
• The timer goes off every 30 seconds, causing all players to take two more tiles and add them to their pile or crossword
• Players can score double points on some letters by using them in two words
• Some letters have higher points because they are more difficult to use in the game
• When the t
  imer is up, all players will count their points to see who won the game
• There’s not a lot of pressure as all players work in their own space

11. Snatch

• As soon as players see a word in this game, they have to yell it out and grab it to take control of it
• However, other players can easily take words back by adding a letter to it to create a new word
• As the words grow, players get more excited and louder and the game becomes more competitive
• There is no slowing down, and players don’t take turns, which adds to the excitement of the game
• Because players have to constantly be looking for new words and for ways to improve on already created words, they need to be able to change their strategy at the last second

12. WildWords

• Players try to create very long words to score the highest
• The board is designed to encourage players to opt for longer words instead of trying to use short ones to score the most points
• Strategy is a large part of the game and plays a bigger role than having a large vocabulary
• Typical games only take 18 turns, which means that the game plays quickly and it is difficult to get bored
• Features 12 wild tiles that can be used to represent one or more letters at once in a word
• Wild tiles can be used in any way in multiple words

13. Nerdy Wordy

• Players compete to make two to five letter words
• All words are played on a 5 x 5 grid and can connect like a miniature, personal Scrabble board
• There are two trays and two sets of letter cubes, so players have their own components to work with and don’t have to fight for use of the pieces
• While it is designed for just two players, it’s possible to buy more sets so that large groups can all play at once
• The compartments snap tight for easy storage and travel, making this a great game to take on the road

14. Tuf-Abet

• Two to four players can enjoy this game and since they all play simultaneously, nobody has to wait for a turn
• Individual play means that there is little stress over someone playing their tiles where you wanted to put a letter
• Each player has their own set of cubes to use and tries to use as many of their 20 cubes as possible
• The letters on the cubes are randomized before play begins by rolling them, which means that no player will have the same letters
• Players have three minutes to complete their grid until someone wins, and then two more to try to beat the first winners’ score

15. Typo

• In each round players have to choose a card from their hand to connect to the cards that are on the table
• After placing cards, players need to name a word that begins with the displayed letters
• If players are unable to place a card or name a word, then they have to pick up all of the cards from the table
• The first person who can get rid of all of their cards is the winner
• Encourages players to learn new vocabulary words while they are playing
• Great for small groups who are interested in improving vocabulary and word comprehension

So, you love playing Scrabble, but if you have to sit through another family game of everyone else snagging the triple letter spaces right before your turn, you’re going to lose it. Or maybe you’re a wordsmith just looking for something a bit more engaging and exciting. We hear you and we want to help.

First, there’s no denying Scrabble is a classic that has inspired countless other games like it, and we’ve got some of those here for you. So, if you’re looking to trade in those seven-letter tiles for something new, read on to check out our list of 5 games like Scrabble.

Games Like Scrabble

1. Letter Jam
2. Werewords
3. Bananagrams
4. Point Salad
5. Just One

Letter Jam

Players: 2-6
Playing time: 45mins

Unlike the bitter competition of Scrabble, players in Letter Jam will work together to create words using the letters visible to them. However, each person will be completely oblivious to what their own letter is, so they’ll be dependent on their teammates to help them out.

At the beginning of the game, players are dealt a set of letter cards, and they’ll begin by taking the first card and placing it towards the other players in the cardholder. Whether you’re playing with 2 players or 6, you should always be looking at 5 cards. Everyone will be scanning the cards to create clues — or words — that help each other guess their letter and move to the next before you run out of clues.

In both Scrabble and Letter Jam, players need to scramble and unscramble the letters to form the best word possible at any given moment. This is a great alternative if you’re looking for a letter game that requires players to work collectively.

Werewords

Players: 4-10 
Playing time: 10mins

Within your small village, everyone has a role. Whether you’re the mayor, a villager, the seer, or the dreaded werewolf, you’ve got an important part to play.

Start the game by having the mayor choose the magic word that everyone will take turns asking yes or no questions to reach. The seer and werewolf will also know the word and will be secretly trying to help or hinder the players in reaching their goal of guessing the word — without being blatantly obvious. You have a limited time to guess the word so everyone needs to work quickly if they want to defeat the werewolf.

If you’re short on time, this is a great option, which is also more suitable for younger children. There are thousands of words to choose from, all varying in difficulty, so it’s a great game for the whole family. 

Bananagrams

Players: 1-8
Playing time: 15mins

It’s a race to finish your crossword before your opponents. In Bananagrams, each player is creating their own word grid as fast as they can, using their letter tiles to spell out words and make their way through all 144 pieces. 

“Split!” When a player shouts this, flip over your tiles and begin the construction! You won’t find individual point values on letters as you do in Scrabble, so speed is your only friend as you strategically maneuver your pieces around. But you can break apart your grid and rearrange pieces as needed. Don’t overthink it.

Using proper nouns and misspelling words will cost you in the end, so choose your words and letters carefully. This game is like a real-time racing Scrabble. It’s simple, yet addictive. Give Bananagrams a try on your next game night!

Point Salad

Players: 2-5
Playing time: 15-30mins

Will that head of cabbage get you ahead in the game? Make your way to the market to choose the produce you think will make the best point salad possible! It’s as simple as choosing cards, building your salad, and earning points.

Every choice you make can end up earning or losing you points in the end, so choose wisely. It’s all about balance. And while you won’t be building words in this game, you’ll find the vegetable cards more similar to letter tiles than you’d expect.

Every vegetable card has a different point value and when adding your condition points, you’ll find combinations created to be a bit like landing on a double or triple-letter square tile in Scrabble. The combinations of particular vegetable cards will help you rack up the points to secure a win.

Will your market haul be the big winner?

Just One

Players: 3-7
Playing time: 20mins

Are you and your friends all on the same page? Work together to create the best clues to find the mystery words and earn all 13 points to come out victorious.

Begin with one player drawing a card and choosing a number one through five without looking. The word listed here is what the other players need to correctly hint at. Use just one word to steer your teammates in the right direction. Choose carefully and creatively as duplicate words will be discarded, allowing for less of a chance of guessing the chosen word. A correct guess will earn you a point while an incorrect one will cost you two.

Just One is a great option for the love word game lovers who are looking for a game that’s a bit more interactive and can be played as a party game.

Wrap-Up

We hope you enjoyed our list of 5 games like Scrabble! You can’t go wrong with fantastic word games that get your brain going and challenge your vocabulary and critical thinking skills!

If you liked any of these games, we can guarantee that you’ll love these as well: Codenames, The Quacks of Quedlinburg, Codenames: Duet, Sagrada, and Wingspan.

We hope you’ve found an awesome board game alternative to Scrabble. Let us know which board game you like to play. We’d love to hear your thoughts on these games! Drop a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.

Scrabble is one of the most popular board games on the market, inspiring countless of players to expand their vocabularies and to strategically place an “X” on that coveted triple letter score. However, sometimes playing the same word game over and over can get a bit boring and monotonous and it leaves lots of people looking for more games like Scrabble to keep their evenings interesting.

If you love the challenge of Scrabble and are looking for more games similar to it, whether you’re playing with your family, friends, significant other or a stranger on the internet, these board games are sure to keep you entertained and your mind active!

Taboo

If you’re looking for classic games like Scrabble, then no list would be complete without including Taboo. This game can be a bit more raucous and slightly more frustrating than it’s crossword-style counterpart, meaning that it is a great option if you want to add a little bit more excitement into your games nights.

The concept of Taboo is incredibly simple. Each player will take turns to draw from a deck of cards. On each of the cards is a word they are supposed to get the other player to guess and a list of words they are not allowed to use to describe it. You have the length of an hourglass timer to get your teammate to guess the word and you are penalised if you use any of the “taboo” words listed on the card.

The team that guesses the most words by the end of the game wins. This simple game is the perfect addition for those looking for board games similar to Scrabble.

Already love this game? Make sure to check out our list of more games like Taboo!

Boggle

Where Scrabble markets itself as a crossword game, Boggle is the original word search game and it is the perfect game to pick up if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining alternative game like Scrabble.

Boggle has long been a favourite amongst families as it is portable and very easy to play while also still encouraging critical thinking and concentration. The general premise is very simple — there are a series of cubes with letters on them, you shake them, flip the timer, and whichever player finds the most words in 3 minutes wins!

Though you don’t have to stop after one round, Boggle is the perfect game to play if you’re looking for a board game similar to Scrabble but don’t have a ton of time to commit. It is also perfect for younger players just expanding their vocabularies.

Already own this game? Make sure to check out our list of more games like Boggle!

Quiddler

Quiddler is an excellent educational word game that is perfect for those looking for board games like Scrabble.

One of the great things about Quiddler is that it can accommodate up to 10 players, so it’s a great option for those who have too big of a group to play Scrabble but want a similar game to it.

The objective of the game is fairly straightforward — each player receives a hand of cards with letters on them and the goal is to make as many words as possible from the cards that you have. Each card has it’s own point value and whoever has the most points at the end of the game, wins.

Unlike Scrabble, Quiddler does allow for 2-letter words, however, all words must be in the dictionary to be considered valid.

Bananagrams

If you’re looking for a word game that is more similar to Scrabble than any of the other games on this list, then Bananagrams is an excellent option for you. This simple yet fun game is the perfect way to play a word — especially if you’re on the go!

The Bananagrams game consists of 144 tiles with letters inscribed on them (quite like Scrabble tiles) that come in a cloth pouch shaped like a banana. The game can accommodate 2-8 players and the number of tiles each player gets depends on the number of people playing.

Each player starts with his/her tiles facedown and the first player to use all of his or her tiles to make actual words (that can be found in the dictionary!) wins!

Bananagrams is a great game to bring with you on the go, especially if you are into word games like Scrabble.

Upwords

Another game that is very similar to Scrabble, especially if you’re interested in the crossword-style aspect of the game, is Upwords. This classic board game is a great alternative option to Scrabble and is sure to add a bit of diversity to your board games collections.

Upwords is similar to Scrabble in a lot of ways — the boards look similar, the little stands for your tiles look the same, even the general premise is similar.

However, the games differ in the Upwords functions so that players are meant to stack letters on top of existing words on the board in order to make new words.

Upwords can accommodate 2-4 players and a typical game lasts about 15-30 minutes.

Love tile-laying games? Check out our list of more games like Rummikub!

Catch Phrase

If you want something a little bit more lively and exciting on this list of word games like Scrabble, then you cannot go wrong with adding Catch Phrase to your collection!

This is the first diversion from a board or card game on this list, however, it is such a fun addition to any game collection, that it definitely deserves its place.

This electronic, hand-held game can easily accommodate 4 or more players (enough to make 2 teams). The game is simple: each turn, one team has the device. The game will show a phrase on the screen and require the person to describe it to their teammates in a limited amount of time.

As soon as the word or phrase is guessed, you pass it on to another player. The objective is to not be the team to be in possession of the device when the buzzer goes off.

This is a very active and entertaining game that is perfect for both children and adults wanting to indulge their inner-child.

Wordical

Wordical describes itself as “the radical, dice-rolling, word-building race” and if you’re looking for a fast-paced and exciting word game, then this is a great option for you!

Wordical is perfect for 2-8 players at a time and the premise of the game is fairly simple. Each player gets a certain number of cards with constants listed on them, Each turn, the players roll the dice with vowels and are required to make as many words as possible with the vowels displayed and the consonants on their hand of cards.

The game is perfect for family game nights, especially if you’re trying to learn new vocabulary words and encourage creative thinking! All in all, Wordical is one of the best and most entertaining word games like Scrabble out there!

Equate

Going away from word games, Equate is an excellent game if you want to throw some math into the mix! Where Scrabble has you build words in a crossword-style way, Equate encourages you to build and solve simple equations!

The game has a very easy premise to understand: there are a series of tiles inscribed with numbers, plus, minus, multiplication, and division signs, and equals signs.

Each player draws a certain number of tiles and is required to build and solve an equation crossword-style on the board. At the end of the game, the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Equate is an excellent education board game to play, especially if you’re encouraging the development of mental math skills or simply want to be challenged in a way that is different from vocabulary words.

One Up!

If you’re on the hunt for fast-paced and compact word games like Scrabble, then One Up! is an excellent option for you! Similar to Bananagrams listed earlier in this article, One Up! is a collection of letter tiles where players are encouraged to make words.

The game is quick and cutthroat, but it’s compact size also means it’s the perfect game to take with you on a family holiday.

The premise is objective is pretty simple: players start with tiles faced down and then players vie to be the first to make words from the tiles, You need to be able to think on your feet, be good with anagrams, and be able to keep building upon each word to stay in the game!

One Up! may be one of the most fast-paced and cutthroat of games on this list, but it is also one of the most fun. It can be played with as few as two players and its compact size means that it’s perfect for travel.

Typo

Last, but certainly not least on this list comes Typo — and excellent word game to add to your collection! This game functions a lot like the other games in this article where the main objective is to make the most words from the hand that is dealt to you.

Each player is dealt 12 cards, each with a letter on it. They are required to form as many words as possible from the cards given to them. As the game progresses, you can also add to previously formed words and make new words entirely.

This is another great educational game and keeps you thinking critically while improving your vocabulary. So if you’re looking for more board games similiar to Scrabble make sure to add Typo to your games night!

There are countless games like Scrabble out there that are sure to keep even the biggest of word geeks entertained. So if you love word games and are looking to diversify your game nights, make sure to check out any of the games on this list!

Are you looking for more games similiar to Scrabble? Have any suggestions that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments!

We know if it were up to you, Scrabble would be the only game played during family game night. But if the crew is asking for new suggestions, consider these word games. They offer everything you love about the classic crossword game, but with a few added twists.

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1

Take a Letter

Think of Take a Letter as Monopoly meets Scrabble. Players move around the board collecting and trading to get the letters they need to form a word. You’re awarded points based on the length, verb tenses, and letters used.

BUY NOW: $15, amazon.com

2

Typo

This card game focuses on the power of using just one letter to expand on a word already on the board. If a player can’t, he has to take the longest row of cards already played into his hands. The first one to put down all their cards, wins!

BUY NOW: $40, amazon.com

3

Dabble

Players start with 20 tiles and the timer set to five minutes. The first player to create a two, three, four, five, and six letter word using shouts out «DABBLE!» to win the round.

BUY NOW: $22, amazon.com

4

Juego de Palabras

Players have two-minutes to piece together as many palabras (words) as they can using color-coded letter rods.

BUY NOW: $29, amazon.com

5

Pass the Pen

If your biggest turn off in Scrabble is waiting for your turn, try Pass the Pen. Each player starts to draw the clue, but a built-in timer causes the pen to retract. Once it disappears, you pass the pen and let the next player continue drawling. Whoever is drawling when the clue is guessed wins the points!

BUY NOW: $16, amazon.com

6

Set

Take a break from creating words and create patterns instead. Players keep tabs on their cards throughout the game and match similar cards together to make sets of three. The goal is to have the most sets when the timer runs out.

BUY NOW: $12, amazon.com

8

Quiddler

Quiddler challenges players to create longer words on their turn to get rid of as many cards as possible. The dealer delves out more and more cards as the rounds go on. The longer you wait to play, the more you’re stuck with at the end.

BUY NOW: $9, amazon.com

10

Big Boggle

You start by shaking up the letters in this portable game, so every round is different. Once the cubes settle, set the timer and see who can find the most four letter words in the scramble.

BU NOW: $18, amazon.com

11

Crazy Letters

This mind game forces contestants to second guess what they’re reading. The first one to decipher the word on the card wins the round. Because the rules are so simple, last-minute players are always welcome!

BUY NOW: $25, amazon.com

12

Tick-Tock Boom

The goal of the game: Don’t get caught holding the bomb. While the explosive is in hand, players draw a card with three letters and have to think of a word that contains them. Only then, they can pass the bomb and breathe a sigh of relief.

BUY NOW: $19, amazon.com

13

Bananagram

It’s a classic, but we have to include Bananagrams for being a version of Scrabble you can literally play ANYWHERE.

BUY NOW: $20, amazon.com

16

Last Letter

This game is sure to bring the giggles thanks to the quick pace that challenges people to blurt out the first word that comes to mind. An added challenge: It has to start with the last letter of the previous word said.

BUY NOW: $13, amazon.com

18

Latice

In Latice, the more matches you have on the board, the more turns you get. Play all your tiles before everyone else and you’re the champion!

BUY NOW: $20, amazon.com

19

WordSpiel Card Game

The length of your word doesn’t matter as much here, but the person after you has to start their word with the last letter of the word you played, so try to make it tricky!

BUY NOW: $13, amazon.com

20

Tapple

Quick thinkers are the kings of Tapple. Choose a category card and answer with a word that starts with the letters on the board in 10 seconds or less. Each can only be used once, so rounds get harder and harder as you go.

BUY NOW: $25, amazon.com

Scrabble has been the essential word game for almost a century. A competitive crossword that rewards players’ extensive vocabularies and tactical tile placement, the family board game has remained the go-to board game about spelling words for most players.

Best word games

• Paperback
• Letter Jam
• Bananagrams
• Wordsy
• Letter Tycoon
• Spell Smashers
• ELL deck
• Letterpress

Scrabble isn’t the only brilliant word game to emerge on the tabletop in the last eight-plus decades, however. More recent word games have put their own modern twist on the classic, while others have opted to approach the timeless challenge of coming up with the longest or most impressive string of letters from a completely different angle.

So whether you prefer to use your lexicon to outspell your opponents, combine your consonants and vowels for a cooperative spellathon, or are looking for something that doesn’t require swallowing a dictionary to have fun, there’s a word game out there for you to replace that dusty copy of Scrabble in the cupboard. Word up!

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1. Paperback

Build up your deck of letter cards to spell more valuable words

What do you get if you cross Scrabble with Dominion? The answer is Paperback!

Tim Fowers’ deckbuilding word game swaps letter tiles for cards, with players spelling words using the letters in their hand in order to purchase more valuable combinations of letters — and, ultimately, the victory points needed to win.

The letter cards vary from the single consonants and vowels essential for any word to more complex combinations such as ‘ING’ and ‘ED’ that help you spell longer words and boost your score. Meanwhile, wild cards help avoid being unable to spell anything, but aren’t worth points by themselves.

Adding to the tactical wordplay are various special abilities on some cards, which offer bonus money, extra cards and other helpful effects when they’re used, encouraging players to not just spell the longest word they can but be clever with their letter placement, too.

Paperback takes the proven formula of Scrabble and mixes it with one of the most popular genres of recent years in deckbuilding to create a word game that has the best of both. Engaging but not intimidating, competitive without being punishing, it’s a game that doesn’t come down just to your vocabulary, but how well you play your cards.

Buy Paperback from Fowers Games and Zatu (UK).

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2. Letter Jam

Give your friends clues to work out your secret words together

Cooperative word games aren’t as prolific as their competitive brethren, but Letter Jam shows that spelling words together is just as enjoyable as showing off your own impressive lexicon.

A little bit Hanabi, a little bit Decrypto — and just as good, if not better, than both of those beloved party games — Letter Jam sees players working together to figure out the letter cards in front of them. Each player can see everybody else’s card, but can’t see their own — meaning they’ll need to rely on their companions’ careful clue-giving to score.

Players take it in turns to spell words by using the letters around the table, placing fruit-slice chips to mark out which letter goes where. The players must then use their knowledge of the other letters used to deduce the letter in front of them — if someone just spelt ‘D?G’, could it be an “O for dog”, an I for “dig” or maybe even a U for “dug”? As more words give each player extra hints, they will be able to narrow down what their card could be.

Players don’t just have a single letter to work out, either. Each player starts the game by being passed a randomised stack of letter cards facedown that spell a word picked by their neighbour; their ultimate objective is to decode all of the letters and spell the secret word.

Letter Jam is a sticky, tricky word game that will satisfy avid puzzlers looking for something a bit different from the classic spellathon of Scrabble. With the best words being those that your teammates can guess, it’s also less demanding of players’ ability to think up complex spellings. A delicious, sweet concoction, you’ll soon be back for more.

Buy Letter Jam from Amazon US and Amazon UK.

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3. Bananagrams

Scrabble without the board — and no waiting for turns

Bananagrams is now almost as much of a classic as Scrabble itself, despite being a much more recent addition to the word game genre.

It’s one of the more straightforward word games on this list, best being described as Scrabble minus the shared central board. Rather than placing letters in specific squares to rack up multipliers and bonuses, players create their own criss-crossing web of words to use up their letter tiles as fast as possible.

Turns are the other thing that Bananagrams removes from the Scrabble formula, with players racing in real time to arrange all of their letters ahead of their opponents before shouting “Peel!” — forcing everyone to take an extra tile. Once someone has used up all their tiles and there aren’t enough left in the middle to peel, they win.

With no extra points for complicated words or difficult letters, speed is the name of the game in Bananagrams — spelling words with only a couple of syllables is just as effective as somehow managing to pull off “antidisestablishmentarianism”. While needing to think fast comes with its own tension, nobody should need to search a dictionary for 20 minutes or feel frustrated that they can’t use all their letters at once.

All this, and the game comes in a fabric case shaped with a banana. Bananagrams has become a modern successor to Scrabble for a good reason — and it’s still one of the best of a bunch.

Buy Bananagrams from Amazon US and Amazon UK.

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4. Wordsy

You’ll always have the letters you need in this flexible word game

Not having the letters you need is one of the more frustrating feelings in Scrabble. “If I only had an E!” “I could spell dysentery with an extra Y!” Wordsy solves the age-old problem by allowing players to use as many letters as they need to spell their perfect word.

On the table are eight letter cards — consonants, specifically — that players are looking to string together into the highest-scoring word possible. Each pair of cards in a column are worth a different amount of points, so using higher-value cards can be as beneficial as lots of less valuable letters. What you put between those letters doesn’t matter — you can use as many or as few extra letters as you need, as long as you include the letters from the table.

You might have all the letters you need, but time is a different matter. Players only get 30 seconds to put together their combo of letters once one player has come up with their best effort, giving them an extra bonus if they outspell the speedy speller (who also gets a bonus for being so quick).

Seven rounds are played in total, with players scoring for their five best words — allowing a comfortable bit of space to catch up if you struggle to think of the right letter combo during a couple of turns.

With fewer restrictions on the letters at your disposal, Wordsy manages to offer a fun, fast word game that’s ideal for those who’ve grown tired of suffering the luck of the draw in Scrabble or the pressure of coming up with obscure letter combinations.

Buy Wordsy from Formal Ferret Games and Amazon UK.

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5. Letter Tycoon

Patent letters and make money from your opponents’ spelling

You can’t spell capitalism without capital (letters)! Letter Tycoon introduces an economic layer to word games of strategic spelling by letting players stake their claim to letters of the alphabet.

Like a number of word games — including several on this list — players use the letter cards in their hand to spell words. What makes Letter Tycoon different, however, is the chance to patent specific letters from the words you’ve spelt. Some letters grant specific special abilities, but all of them will see you profit when your opponents use the letters you own to spell words on their turn — meaning you can benefit even if your own word isn’t as high-scoring.

Letter Tycoon’s unique twist on word games is combined with a colourful art style that manages to make simple letters look exciting. With players looking to not just spell the most valuable word for themselves, but also avoid handing extra money to their rivals, it’s a game that goes beyond having the biggest vocabulary to allow players who are clever with their investments to profit from others’ way with words.

Buy Letter Tycoon from Amazon US and Zatu (UK).

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6. Spell Smashers

Use the power of spelling to battle monsters

The most famous letter in fantasy gaming might be D (and D), but Spell Smashers is here to give the rest of the alphabet its chance in the spotlight.

Spell Smashers blends the dungeon-crawling of RPGs and adventure games with the word-making of Scrabble and its ilk, as players use the literal power of words to battle monsters, complete quests and gather precious gear for their adventures.

Like a classic dungeon-bash, players equip weapons and armour before entering into combat with a number of monsters ripe with glory, gold and victory points. First though, they’ll need to decide who gets to swing first.

Replacing the initiative rolls of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop RPGs, players use the letter cards in their hand to spell the longest word possible. The bigger the word, the higher their initiative, letting them get first dibs on which creature to face in a fight. Letter cards also deal different amounts of damage, so balancing your word between speed and power is key to racking up the greatest trophies ahead of your rival adventurers.

Between rounds, players can turn in complete quests and pop to the local town to upgrade their gear for future fights, hoping to amass the most victory points by the end of the seventh round.

Spell Smashers put an entertaining fantasy spin on word games. It’s an ideal way to mix up traditional Scrabble evenings with the family, or to stretch your vocabulary before your next epic roleplaying campaign.

Buy Spell Smashers from Amazon US and Amazon UK.

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7. ELL deck

Not just one word game, but infinite

Less a single word game, and more a platform for endless word games, the ELL deck is to word games what a pack of playing cards is to card games.

Originally released with five different games — including the fast-paced Wibbell, with which the deck originally shared its name — the ELL deck includes a deck of cards with pairs of letters on, along with a point value.

While the games in the box offer a selection of varied word games — ranging from classic spelling challenges to storytelling games and Dobble-like races to spot matching cards — a number of additional games have since been made available online for free. The simple nature of the cards makes them the perfect tool for players looking to come up with their own custom word games with friends.

If you’re looking for an instant collection of inventive word games — with limitless potential to add your own creations to the library — the ELL deck is a pocket-sized spark of inspiration that’ll put you under its spell.

Buy the ELL deck from Stuff by Bez.

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8. Letterpress

Draft letter cards to outspell your opponents

Named after Johannes Gutenberg’s revolutionary printing technique, Letterpress combines the familiar spelling challenge of word games such as Scrabble with the card-drafting gameplay of modern hits like Sushi Go and 7 Wonders.

Players start with five cards, choosing one to keep before passing the rest to their neighbour. This repeats until all of the cards have been drafted, giving players five letters to combine with three shared cards — including a guaranteed vowel — in the middle of the table, with the extra option to use a single letter card as a double of that letter.

Avoiding the long individual turns of Scrabble, in Letterpress everyone forms their words at the same time, before comparing their scores. The highest score in the first four rounds doesn’t net you points directly, but lets the winner choose a letter card to use in the fifth and final round. Everyone else still gets a card — although it might not be the one they wanted most — meaning that it’s very possible to catch up and win overall if you make the most of your letters at the end.

Bonus objectives during each round provide extra benefits, including additional letter combinations, but the game ultimately comes down to that final spelling battle. Pull off the most impressive word, and you take the victory.

Letterpress is a more traditional word game than some of the other entries on this list, but it puts a highly original twist on the challenge of spelling words that makes it stand out. It’s also fairly cheap and travel-sized, making it a good companion for word fans on the go.

Buy Letterpress from Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Putting a unique twist on the genre, some games seek to challenge icons like Scrabble and establish themselves as the best word games around.

Scrabble is one of the best-known word games out there. Players must create words on a board in a crossword-style grid using letters they draw from a letter pool. While Scrabble has sat at the top of the word-game popularity pyramid, there are other great word-based games that deserve a chance to shine.

Not every word game is based on constructing words from single letter tiles. The most creative ones have players working together in teams to guess specific words or build sentences that will cause laughing fits. Whichever version ends up on the table, wordsmiths of all sorts will find something that suits their vocabulary tastes.

10 Bananagrams: Scrabble On The Go

Bananagrams is fun, frantic at times, and remains a great exercise in imaginative vocabulary. Similar to Scrabble, this game proves much more spontaneous and portable. Players form words in a connecting grid pattern from their pool of letter tiles, trying to use up all the letters they can.

There is also a community letter pool, called a «bunch» to exchange tiles from should the players get stuck. Words can be altered and shifted in the grid pattern to make new words as additional letter tiles are acquired.

9 Tick-Tock Boom: A Test Of Players Vocabulary

Tick-Tock Boom is a fast and frantic word game that forces players to come up with words on the spot. While a player holds the bomb, they draw a card with three letters on it. The player must then think of a word that uses all three letters before they can pass the bomb to the next person.

If the timer runs out before a player can think of a word, the bomb explodes and that player loses. A pressure-filled exercise in vocabulary, Tick-Tock Boom provides loads of fun for quick-witted players.

8 Quiddler: A Simple, Yet Challenging Experience

Quiddler is a lot of fun for wordsmiths and vocabulary aficionados. Players are challenged to create words from an increasing number of letter cards in their hands. Players start the game with a draw of three cards, but the number of cards drawn goes up by one after each round for up to eight rounds.

Each player must draw a new card and try to make a word of at least two cards per hand. Points are awarded based on the value of each card. The real gamble comes when players try to create longer words in each round by waiting it out, hoping to get a higher score.

7 Mad Gab: Deciphering Hilarious Phrases

Mad Gab is a game that’s more about what players hear than what they say. Players take turns trying to get their teammates to guess the actual phrase on a card they draw by speaking it aloud. The phrase on the card might be «Bat Tree Snot Ink Looted» which when said aloud, should sound like the answer «Batteries Not Included.»

There are versions of the game that include plastic mouth inserts that separate the lips and keep the mouth opened, like a dental apparatus. This makes it harder for players to speak, but possibly easier to understand. They also make the game more hysterical.

6 Big Boggle: Random, Competitive Fun

In Boggle, players shake up a grid full of letter cubes to randomize their placement. Once the cubes settle, the timer begins and players must find words by connecting letters on the grid. Letters must touch each other to form a word. Big Boggle adds an extra row of letters on each side of the grid for a total of 25 letters.

The extra letters allow for more word creativity and discovery. Big Boggle is simple, portable, and competitive, as players compare what words they found with each other, tallying up high scores based on the number of words they discover.

5 Codenames: Testing Players Communication Skills

In Codenames, players are divided into teams, and each selects their team leader. An assortment of cards with words and a hidden color are then spread around the table and organized into a grid. The leader must get their team members to pick the correct word cards by giving them clues as to which cards should be selected.

The game relies on players having the same train of thought when looking at and associating words. Not only must each team outsmart the other, both must keep avoid the assassin card lurking among the deck. Codenames also has several themed versions including Marvel, Harry Potter, and The Simpsons.

4 Taboo: Balancing Risk And Reward

Taboo is another game more about word association than building or spelling words. It plays similar to Codenames as a «Giver» player tries to get their team to say as many keywords on a card as possible. The Giver can’t use the keyword, and in a unique twist, they must avoid any of the associated «Taboo» words on the card when giving clues.

Giver turns rotate as the game progresses, so each player gets a chance to offer the clues. Points are awarded for each correct guess and subtracted for each taboo word uttered. The team with the most points wins.

3 Catchphrase: A Fast-Paced, Cooperative Guessing Game

In Catchphrase, players pass around an electronic disc with a screen that has over 5000 words and phrases loaded on it. The player holding the disc must get the group to say the word on the screen by giving clues connected to that word. Once the group figures out the word, the player passes it to the next person.

Adding to the tension of the game, there’s a timer that beeps faster as it counts down. The player holding the disc when the timer goes off loses. Catchphrase is great fun, especially when it gets stressful. Nothing says fun like mad shouting and frantic guessing.

2 Dirty Words Party Edition: A Twist On The Classic Crossword

Dirty Words is a dice game where players must create as many correct sentences as they can in the allotted time. Players begin by rolling all 23 dies and tipping the timer to begin. ​​​​​​

Players must use the face-up words to create sentences and each sentence must connect to others at one or multiple points, like a crossword. Points are tallied for each dice used at the end of the timer, and the winner is the player with the most points.

1 Cards Against Humanity: An Outrageous Twist On Apples To Apples

Cards Against Humanity is an extremely over-the-top, outrageous, and often politically incorrect game of fill-in-the-blank. Each player, in turn, places a blanks card on the table. The remaining players must use a card or cards from their hand to fill in the blanks.

The player who initially placed the blanks card gets to choose the winner, and the player who wins the most blanks card at the end wins the whole game. Cards Against Humanity is filled with all sorts of pop culture and historical references, and the expansions available offer even more ridiculous fun.

NEXT: The 10 Best Card Games, Ranked