Word games for the mind

Playing word games is one of the most excellent ways to exercise the brain. Besides being fun and beneficial, brain words games improve verbal intelligence, memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. It also boosts intellectual ability and stimulates creativity! ✨

The Best Brain Words Games

There are many online brain words games, but which ones offer the benefits you need? We’ve collected the best brain words games samples to expand your brainpower to the maximum. Challenge yourself and enjoy training your brain with the most effective games! 🚀

Top 8 Word Games to Play at Home

Are you looking for an entertaining game for the next family game night? Playing word games can be more fun than you think! Discover the most engaging brain words games to play at home with your loved ones in light of our list. ✨

1. Scrabble

There is no doubt that Scrabble is one of the most popular word games for developing vocabulary, strategic thinking, and verbal memory.

These are what make Scrabble excellent, but there is one more advantage of this word game that will teach you how to think faster. Scrabble can be played with a wide range of age groups. Even grandparents and grandkids enjoy doing their bests against each other!

2. MentalUP

The award-winning MentalUP offers 150+ word games to maximize your skills while having so much fun!

All the games of MentalUP are created by academicians, scientists, and game developers. That’s why they are that entertaining and beneficial! The word games aim to develop not only your verbal intelligence but also your visual intelligence, attention, memory, and logic skills.

3. Words Within a Word

Here is another perfect word game, Words Within a Word! It is so easy to play this game at home or in the classroom. You just need some paper and a pencil, then think about a long word.

For example, the determined word is “unadulterated.” Now, the players should create new words from the main word, like “adult, deal, tear, dune, etc.”. Set the timer for 5 minutes, and let’s see which player will list more words!

You may count only 4-letter words or more to make this game more challenging. Good luck!

4. Synonym Hunter

The best brain games words list must include Synonym Hunter! This game is suitable for both kids and adults.

Choose a word like “happy,” and then find its synonyms like “joyful, cheerful, merry, etc.” You can count them in turn with the other players one by one or grab a piece of paper and pencil, then make a list to see which player will have the highest word number!

5. Storytelling & Order of Words Game

Brain games order of words can create a real difference to support a healthier brain. All the players should order the words so carefully to create a beautiful story.

Some people prefer to play it sentence by sentence, but building a sentence with each word of different players is much more challenging.

This game is not only great for verbal intelligence but also for creative intelligence.

6. Hangman

Who could need a detailed introduction to Hanging Man? It’s one of the most popular word games ever!

You need some paper, a pen, and another player to play this game. Choose a word in your mind, and draw short lines as much as each letter.

The player starts by picking a letter. If he/she finds a letter from the word, you write it. If it’s a wrong guess, you should start drawing the platform step by step, the rope, and body parts such as the head, torso, two arms, and two legs.

When the player reveals the word before the body drawing ends, accepted as the round winner! If you want to make it more difficult, Hangman can be played as one of the words and numbers brain games

7. Bananagrams

Bananagrams is quite a simple but challenging game. You don’t need any paper or board to play it; only the bag of tiles is enough for spending a great deal of time.

2 to 6 players are allowed, and both adults and kids can enjoy playing it. Basically, you pick your starting tiles according to the number of players and start making their intersecting word grid!

The first one who ends their tales will be the winner. Remember to call out “Bananas!” when you’re done!

8. Letter Jungle

Here is an easy game to play, but it doesn’t mean that Letter Jungle is easy!

All you need is some paper and a pen. Choose 7 random letters with 2 vowels at least. Then set the timer for 3 minutes. Now it’s time to start creating words from the Letter Jungle!

According to the difficulty level you want to play, you can decide 3 minutes is enough or not. It’s one of the brilliant brain words games to play at home or even on a bus or airplane!

How Words Games Work Out Your Brain

Do you wonder what makes brain words games such a perfect workout for the brain? There are many beneficial features to talk about, but here are the most effective ones:

• Word Games Improve Vocabulary

The best part of word games is that they encourage you to think deeply, remember the words you don’t use often, or learn new words to use them. After a while, players can feel that finding words are easier, which is perfect for their daily lives to express themselves better too.

• They Strengthen Memory

Short-term memory and long term memory are skills you must use when playing word games. If you want to get a good score, you should remember all the complex, uncommon, maybe too old words. Players easily observe that they start remembering all these “impossible to recall” words in time if they keep playing memory games. This benefit is essential, especially for memory games for seniors.

• Brain Words Games Support Thinking Strategically

Have you ever realized that you are getting a significant improvement when you play the same game over and over again? This is normal because word games support strategic thinking. It makes players’ performances get better and is also pretty useful for daily life problems and be better at exams such as 8 plus.

• People of All Ages Can Play Word Games Together

The great advantage of these games is anyone can play them if they have basic literacy. It means that grandparents can play these games with their grandchildren, or these games can be the star of family game nights.

FAQ About Brain Words Games

Have you ever thought you could improve your IQ level and word knowledge while chilling and playing fun games? I guess your answer is “Nope.”

If it’s “Nope,” then let me tell you the amazing hack by which you can improve yourself, your IQ, word knowledge, spelling accuracy, and many more aspects.

While researching human IQ, I got to know that we can very easily and effortlessly work on our IQ and intelligence and literally can improve these things just by playing word games.

Yes, you got me right, but now probably the question is arousing in your mind “HOW?”. I found out that various word association games use can make used to improve your IQ and intelligence.

Wow, isn’t it so cool? So, to get more information about this, I started researching and finally landed on the 15 best word association games, which are the best and help you gain IQ and intelligence while you chill and play games.

You can try these word games to pass the time with acquiring knowledge. So, let’s proceed with the list.   

Best Word Association Games – Our Top Pick👌

1. Word stacks 

 So, guys, the first name of our list is Word Stacks. Among all the other word association games, word stacks are one of the best. Word Stacks helps you efficiently improve your IQ with all its unique tasks.

If you want to quickly improve your word power and IQ, you should try Word Stacks for some days. With Word Stacks’ help, users can train their brains easily and become more genius.

Word Stacks has got a huge number of activities and levels which are so beneficial for improving word knowledge. You can play more than 5000+ levels of word games and get better.

All those people who are willing to learn new words and improve their vocabulary knowledge should try the Word Stacks app. You’ll get lots of fun puzzles with awesome and beautiful UI, which will help you learn and solve new words daily.

To make sure you get fun, Word Stacks has arranged all these cool UIs. Word Stacks doesn’t need you to play this word game all day to improve your ability.

You can improve all your vocabulary and spelling skills by playing Word Stacks for at least 10 minutes. Play Word Stacks and give relaxation to your brain.

Word Stacks provides more than 5000+ levels and daily challenges to make you a word genius, which is very beneficial. Word Stacks has 50 million downloads on Play Store, and all the reviews are positive.  

Features:-

• IQ tracker 
• More than 5000+ levels 
• Daily Challenges 
• Fun Puzzles  
• Beautiful Themes 
• Brain Training  
• Mind Exercises 

Devices:- Android, IOS 

Ratings:– 4.7/5 On Android, 4.6/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

2. iAssociate – Fun mind-teasing puzzles

To enrich your vocabulary and spelling skills, iAssociate has got some cool kinds of stuff that you can make use of.

All the levels of iAssociate are designed and built to make you more efficient and genius in terms of spelling and vocabulary.

While playing on iAssociate, you’ll be improving your IQ unconsciously, which is the main goal of iAssociate. All the activities and levels of iAssociate challenge you and make you think, which helps you to get efficient over time.

There are more than 4000+ mind-blowing and interesting puzzles to keep you interested in word learning. You can also search for new word puzzles on iAssociate, leading you to that word.

Many more effective activities on iAssociate are designed for your improvement. You’ll get 100s of hilarious levels on iAssociate that will make you joyful while playing this game.

You’ll also get the spinning feature on iAssociate, spin to get rewards, and do other interesting things. By completing stages on Associate, you can earn rewards and recognitions.

iAssociate provides many customized themes with various interesting UIs, which will increase your learning mentality.   

Features:-

• Various Vocabularies and Spellings 
• Word Search 
• 4000+ Mind-Blowing Puzzles 
• 100+ Hilarious levels 
• Spin the wheel & Earn a Reward 
• Various Topics 
• Beginners to Experts

Devices:- IOS 

Ratings:- 4.5/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Apple App Store

3. Word in Pieces  

Word in pieces is a great relaxing, simple, and interesting word game that you should try to experience the fun of word learning.

This word game is immensely helpful and valuable for all those people trying to learn new words and spelling and improve their IQ. Especially to improve word power, Word in Pieces comes in so handy.

With the help of this word game, you can work on your vocabulary and reflections. On word in pieces, you’ll find more than 16 different languages to practice word games. You’ll also get mini collectible cards and rewards with this word game.

Word in pieces provides you with a worldwide ranking by which you can easily learn about your progress. In every language, you’ll get 1000+ Levels to play word games.

Your word games become hard as you proceed to go ahead by clearing each level. This is a tough word game, and you’ll compete with all the players internationally.

The developer of this word game develops many more interesting and cool word games; you can look at those games.

This is a very good word game; you can definitely consider Word in pieces as your word game.    

Features:-

• Mind Relaxing  
• Vocabulary improvement exercises 
• 16 different Languages 
• 1000s of levels 
• World Ranking  
• Get other Word games 
• Worldwide support  

Devices: Android, IOS 

Ratings: 4.6/5 On Android, 4.5/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

4. Word Trip 

Another great word app is Word Trip. Only a few word association games help improve your word knowledge, spelling, and IQ, and Word Trip can give you all these supports.

Play Word Trip to increase your word power, grammar, and intelligence while relaxing and chilling. On Word Trip, you’ll get lots of daily brain training to help you become a word genius.

All those daily Yoga are the reasons behind your word improvement. Word Trip also helps you get familiar with many new words, which will keep moving the cycle of your learning.

You can swipe the unorganized words to create a valid word, and that’s how Word Trip works. By swiping and finding all those new words, you get a clarity of words that leads you to perfection.

There are various other aspects as well that help you in your word-learning journey. There are more than 6000+ puzzles and many other practices on Word Trip for your betterment.

You can also track all your training progress and game improvement on Word Trip, which is very helpful for long use. Word Trip keeps your brain active and functions in a certain way.

It increases your brain’s activity level and increases blood circulation. You’ll find all types of levels, from easy to hard. Word Trip is the winner of the Academic’s choice Mind Spring Award.   

Features:-

• Brain Relaxation 
• Daily Brain Yoga 
• Helpful Word Exercises  
• 6000+ Puzzles 
• Knowledge Checker 
• Easy-to-Hard Levels 
• Amazing Backgrounds 

Devices:– Android and iOS

Ratings:- 4.6/5 On Android and 4.7 on Apple App Store

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

5. Word Spark 

The next name on our list is Word Spark. Word Spark is one of the easy word association games, but as time and level go on, this game becomes tough.

Word Spark is very easy to start, but all this game’s levels and activities have something in them.

The most important part of Word Spark is that it doesn’t make you addicted, so you can play only as much as you want. Word Spark helps you to become a real word expert with all its valuable games and exercises.

You’ll get more than 30 amazing packs on Word Spark, which you can make use of, and you’ll also get more than 580 well-designed puzzles to get more efficient in word learning.

This word game has almost all the features common to other word games, but some of its features make this one of the best. Word Spark is a different word game with various features, slightly different than traditional crossword games.

This word game is something you can make yourself of if you are trying to improve word power and IQ effectively. With Word Spark, you’ll get daily word exercises to keep your brain active and keep exercising.

This word game is so amazing and has over 500k+ downloads on Play Store as well.  

Features:-

• No-Addiction Game 
• 30 Amazing Packs 
• 580 Well-designed puzzles 
• Vivid graphics and interesting UI 
• Brain Exercises 
• Smart Training 

Devices:- Android, IOS 

Ratings:- 4.6/5 On Android, 4.5/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

6. Word Mind: Crossword puzzle

The word mind is another cool and interesting game that you can play to get enjoyment and also improve your intelligence.

Word Mind helps you relax and chill by playing the game, and you’ll be getting better and better at words with the help of this word game.

Improve your mindfulness, and get relaxed and stress-free with all the amazing and cool word games of Word Mind. Word Mind is a brand-new crossword game, and you’ll get lots of new word game features on this new version of the word game.

On Word Mind, you can rearrange all the mixed words and complete levels, and that’s how Word Mind works. By arranging those mixed words, you can improve your word power and IQ unconsciously.

This word game is easy to start with, but with time, it gets tough, so it has a perfect balance.

There are tons of interesting and cool levels on this word game that you can make use of, and every level has got something special and unique in it.

You can find over 1000+ puzzles and various amazing challenges on the Word Mind game. The graphic of Word Mind is brilliant, and it doesn’t need any permission, which is a big plus for security. The downside of this word game is that it contains lots of ads.  

Features:-

• Brand-new Crosswords 
• Easy-to-Play 
• Tons of Levels 
• Over 1000+ Puzzles 
• Awesome Challenges 
• Super cool Graphics 
• Brain Training 
• No permission Required 

Devices:– IOS and Android

Ratings:- 4.6/5 On IOS and 4.5 on Google Play Store

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

7. Word Panda Farm 

While searching for word association games, I came across this cool and awesome word game. This word game is fun-based, and you’ll enjoy the vibe while playing the game.

You can find any word you want and get that word displayed on your screen. Moreover, there are 2400+ levels and challenges in this word game, and you’ll be able to use those levels to get better in Words and spelling.

All the games of Word Panda are creative, and those puzzles are really hard to solve; by solving these problems, you’ll get better with your IQ.

Word Panda Farm has millions of users, and you’ll be playing with all those players worldwide.

The level of this word game increases when it gets international. By competing with international, you’ll automatically increase your Word power and IQ. All the words of Word Panda are completely valid and totally from the dictionary.

By practicing this word game, you can easily train your brain to get better. You’ll be able to get better in vocabulary, concentration, and spelling skills, which will help you in the long run.

With the well-designed UI and amazing puzzles, you going to enjoy this word game. All the different levels are simple, hard, or master.  

Features:-

• Word Finding 
• 2400 Levels 
• Puzzle games 
• Easy Training 
• Brain Exercises 
• Based on Dictionary 
• Different Levels 
• Challenging Puzzles 
• Relaxation Features 

Devices: IOS 

Ratings: 4.6/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Apple App Store

8. WordScapes 

To get better in terms of words, grammar, and spelling, WordScapess is a great game to play. This word is so cool; all its levels are designed and built to give you the best game-playing experience.

Get a sharp mind and high IQ with all the practices of the WordScapess game. With the help of WordScapes, you can easily and unconsciously train your brain to get better.

This word game helps you to get challenged by various tough games and words which are designed to make you efficient. To keep you interested and keep you learning WordScapes has got various themes and UI with attention-grabbing attributes.

You don’t have to be addicted to WordScapes; you can get with words and spellings just by spending 10-20 minutes daily on this word game. Get modern word puzzles, daily challenges, and word-searching features on the WordScapes game.

You’ll also get the support of anagrams and crosswords in this word game. Just give your brain relaxation and play the WordScapes game.

You can also check your word power, vocabulary power, and concentration on this word game.

Moreover, there are 6000+ crossword puzzles and various challenges on the WordScapes game, which will help you get efficient. Challenge your brain and play with over 10 million users.  

Features:-

• Brain Training 
• 10-minute exercises 
• Daily Challenges 
• Modern Puzzles 
• Word search, Anagrams, Crossword 
• See your word power, Spelling Efficiency 
• 6000+ crossword puzzles 

Devices:- Android, IOS 

Ratings:- 4.5/5 On Android, 4.2/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

9. Word to Word: Fun Brain Games, Offline Puzzle Game

Another great word game among all the other association games is Word to Word. Various interesting features of this word game will help you improve at words and spelling.

On Word to Word, you can match words, solve interesting puzzles and practice other exercises to get more efficient. You’ll get lots of exercises that will help you improve while playing the game.

This word game is unique and valuable as other word game lovers develop it. This word game will check all your knowledge of English synonyms, antonyms, grammar, etc.

To ease your word-learning process, Word to Word also provides some related hints and clues by which you can track the word even faster.

Various activities on these word games will keep you engaged in word learning.

On Word to Word, you’ll get fun trivia facts, crossword puzzles, mixed words, etc., and by solving those problems, you get better and, in time, become a word genius.

Word to Word has got various levels of word puzzles; you’ll get puzzles from easy to hard mode, which will help you to progress daily.

There are 1000s of puzzles with no time limit on the Word-to-Word game, and you can easily train your mind with those games. Play Word to Word daily and improve brainpower.  

Features:-

• Various Quizzes 
• Brain Exercises 
• No time Limit 
• All-round fun based 
• Brain Games 
• Easy-Hard levels 

Devices:– Android, IOS 

Ratings:- 4.4/5 On Android, 4.6/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

10. Word Link Game Puzzle 

Word Link Game Puzzle is a classic word-searching puzzle game. If you want to increase your word power and spelling skills with all-around IQ improvement, then you are reading the details of the right game. 

Word Link game Puzzle is a very exciting game, and this word game is easy to practice too. Become the true word genius by practicing and playing all the fun games of Word Link Game Puzzle.

On Word Link Game Puzzle, to find the correct and valid word, you have to concentrate and focus on the puzzle. Word Link Game Puzzle has various modes; you’ll find easy-hard modes in this word game which is helpful in learning.

Simply improve your vocabulary and spelling skills by rearranging those puzzles and mixed words. Word Link Game Puzzle has some effective workouts for the brain, which will keep your brain active and increase blood flow.

Download Word Link Game Puzzle freely and start your word game journey fast. There are more than 2000+ journeys with no time limit, which greatly helps.

The graphic of the Word Link Game Puzzle is awesome, and you’ll also get light music for better engagement.  

Features:-

• Classic Word Search 
• Easy-to-Play 
• Challenging Modes 
• Brain Exercises 
• Free Download 
• Word Hints 
• 2000+ Levels 
• No time limits 
• Classic graphics with light music 

Devices: Android 

Ratings: 4.4/5 On Android 

Download the App from Google Play Store

11. Crossword Jam 

Crossword Jam is designed and builds to your mind relaxation during gameplay. This Word game is unique and has got various important features that will help you to learn new words fast.

Play this word game, test your memory power, and see all the scopes of improvement. With the help of Crossword Jam, you can build your scrapbook to get more from this game.

You can search for words and also guess any word. Play Crossword Jam freely and get smarter by playing overtime. You’ll get levels divided by easy-to-hard modes.

Get mastered words, grammar, and spelling with the help of the Crossword Jam game. All the puzzles of Crossword Jam are challenging, and you must be fully focused on getting past those puzzles.

You have to swipe through those unorganized words and guess the right words on Crossword Jam; that’s how you’ll be able to pass the levels. Get daily word challenges and tasks to perform, and by performing those tasks, you’ll get more efficient in word learning.

You’ll get 250 free coins to start with the Crossword Jam game, and then you’ll earn those coins by completing those levels. Train your brain through all these high-quality brain exercises and get a better IQ. 

Features:-

• Brain Tests 
• Word Searching and Word Guessing 
• Easy-to-Hard modes 
• Challenging Puzzles 
• Any time gameplay 
• Daily Rewards 
• Fun and Relaxation

Devices: Android, IOS 

Ratings: 4.7/5 On Android, 4.8/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

12. Crossword – Improve your word power

Crossword is the next name in our list of the 15 best word association games. Words games are always known for interesting puzzles and engaging activities, and Crossword is one of them.

There are various activities and puzzles on this Crossword game that you can make use of. You’ll get over 100s of free puzzles on the Crossword game, which will help you improve in words and spelling. 

You can also get over 10000 unique clues to help you understand and guess the valid world. This world game is a completely new version, and you’ll get many new and updated puzzle versions.

There is always a quest, challenge, or event going on in Crossword games where you can participate and learn more. This game is considered one of the most interesting and downloaded word games.

You can find the world’s biggest and tallest crossword on this crossword game, which is also an interesting thing.

Get 950+ puzzles, 45 trophies, and 57 quests on the Crossword game, and use them to get efficient. Train your brain with Crossword and improve your IQ unconsciously.  

Features:-

• 100s of great puzzles 
• 10000 unique Clues 
• New and Updated Puzzles 
• Quests, challenges 
• 950+ unique puzzles 
• Mind training

Devices: IOS 

Ratings: 4.4/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Apple App Store

13. Word Trio 

Another great game among all the other word association games is Word Trio. To improve your word power and IQ, you should try Word Trio.

All those people who are willing to learn new words and improve their vocabulary knowledge should try the Word Trio app.

You’ll get lots of fun puzzles with awesome and beautiful UI, which will help you learn and solve new words daily.

To make sure you get fun, Word Trio has arranged all these cool UIs. All the Word Trio activities and levels challenge you and make you think, which helps you get efficient over time.

There are more than 2000+ mind-blowing and interesting puzzles to keep you interested in word learning. You can also search for new word puzzles on Word Trio, leading you to that word.

Many more effective activities on Word Trio are designed for your improvement. Word Trio provides more than 1000+ levels and daily challenges to make you a word genius, which is very beneficial.

All these features make Word Trio one of the best word association games. Simply get benefitted from practicing activities on the Word Trio game.  

Features:-

• IQ booster 
• Daily Challenges 
• 2000+ mind-blowing and interesting puzzles 
• 1000+ levels 
• Easy-Hard Modes 
• Brain Training

Devices: IOS 

Ratings: 4.3/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Apple App Store

14. Word Association!

So, the last name of our list is Word Association Game. This word game only functions on IOS devices.

The word Association game has something different in it, making it one of the top among all the other word association games.

This word game intends to build and increase your overall word skills. Simply improve your brain and your IQ with all the activities and games of the Word Association Game.

Word Association Game helps you to track your word learning process and see all your improvement stats, which can help you to observe your learning.

You can swipe the unorganized words to create a valid word, and that’s how the Word Association Game works.

By swiping and finding all those new words, you get a clarity of words that leads you to perfection. There are various other aspects as well that help you in your word-learning journey.

You can also track all your training progress and game improvement on Word Association Game which is very helpful for long use. Word Trip keeps your brain active and functions in a certain way. It increases your brain’s activity level.

This word game has almost all the features common to other word games, but some of its features make this one of the best.

Word Association Game is a different word game with all the various features, slightly different than traditional crossword games.  

Features:-

• On all IOS devices 
• Tops Puzzles and games 
• Various Levels & stages 
• Progress Tracker 
• Brain Exercises 

Devices: IOS 

Ratings: 4.5/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Apple App Store

15. Guess The Word Association 

Another great game for word learning is Guess the Word Association. Like all the other games, this word game also provides all the word and spelling learning features.

Still, I guess the word Association has something different, making it one of the tops among all the other association games.

Get tough, scrambled, and interesting words to solve, and while solving those scrambled words, you’ll be improving your overall word and spelling skills.

In a level or a series, you’ll get a full set of interconnected and related words, which will help you to get clues and references. This word game intends to build and increase your overall word skills; to do so, those scrambled words get in the business.

Simply improve your brain and IQ with all the activities and games of Guess the word Association. Guess the word association game helps you to track your word learning process and see all your improvement stats, which can help you to observe your learning.

This word game has 20 levels; at every level, you’ll get more than 10 fun games. You have to pass a level with only 50% to get to the next level, which is pretty amazing, but you can beat and enjoy the full game only by scoring 100%.    

Features:-

• Tough, Scrambled Words 
• Related and Inter-Connected Words 
• Spelling Checker 
• Brain Improvement Exercises 
• 20 Levels with 200 games 

Devices: Android, IOS 

Ratings: 3.7/5 On Android, 4.8/5 On IOS 

Download the App from Google Play Store

Download the App from Apple App Store

📗FAQ

Conclusion 

So, guys, this was the list of 15 best word association games that are the most popular and most downloaded. All these games can transform you with total word knowledge and improve your IQ.

Take this opportunity to learn and improve yourself while playing games; I don’t think there is any other learning process cooler and better than word games. 

Of course they are! While the concept of word games might sound kind of dull, take a second to think about all the kinds of great word games that you played growing up. Games like Word Search and Hangman are absolute classics that almost everyone has played and loved! 

There are plenty of riffs on word games on our Word Games Playlist! Pretty much all of our playlists on Coolmath Games have fun spins on the ordinary genre, and the Word Games Playlist is no exception. Several titles are more like regular games that happen to have words as a part of them. As mentioned before, the game Misspelled is a game where you use magic to get through the levels. By spelling words correctly, you will be rewarded with abilities like extra platforms and more jumps. A few other games like this include Candy Word and Word Worm, both of which make spelling a whole lot more fun than you would think possible.

Maybe best of all, word games will improve your spelling without it feeling like school. Getting to learn while having fun can often be difficult, but word games are a great way to learn in an exciting way. Who knows, maybe playing something like Grabble or Word Detector will help you get a little bit better of a grade in your next spelling test without even feeling like you were studying. 

FAQ: Vocabulary Games

Here are answers to common questions about vocabulary games and activities.

What are vocabulary games?

Vocabulary games are word and language games you can play with students, coworkers, or family and friends. These games challenge players to hunt for words or definitions, brainstorm terms, deduce phrases based on clues, or create words under certain conditions. Language games are a great way to teach new vocabulary and help students practice recognizing and using new words. These activities are also known as “vocabulary building games” and “vocab games”, and are similar to “word games” and “letter games”.

What are some fun word games for groups?

Some fun word games for groups include Pictionary, Tree or Bob Ross, and word scrambles.

What are some online vocabulary games?

By using virtual meeting software like Zoom, you can play any word game online. Some good virtual vocabulary games include Scrabble, Scattergories, and online crossword puzzles.

What are good ESL word games?

The best ESL word games are easy to understand and play yet expand the vocabularies of participants. Good ESL word games include word association, word searches, and hangman.

What are fun ways to teach vocabulary?

Word games are one of the most fun and easy ways to teach vocabulary. While some kids get frustrated with straightforward reading or language exercises, word games disguise vocabulary lessons as a fun challenge. Plus, playing language games together is a great teamwork exercise.

Word games have broadened widely since the first crossword puzzle showed up in a 1913 British newspaper.

We researched the best word games besides Scrabble, considering the duration, difficulty level, and player count.

Here are the best word games.

Number of Players

If you’re going to have a one-on-one word battle, a game requiring four or more players isn’t going to work. Try to think ahead about how many people will be playing with you, and pick a game that works best. Maybe you and your friends want to have a word frenzy, or maybe something more challenging and personal is your move.

Occasion

Are you in search of a game for a specific event? Or something themed? You want to be on the lookout for something that you can either use at home or out with people or something for an event like bridal showers or birthday parties. Some themed games will make the night at parties.

Game Duration

If you are at an event, knowing how much time a full round of a game will take can help you schedule other activities throughout the night. Or, if you’re at home, you’ll know whether or not a game is going to take up most of the evening or just last for a few minutes. Sometimes quick games are a nice change of pace.

KJ Callihan writes for The Spruce and has created numerous shopping and gift guides for several publications. A former counselor and educator, she loves searching for just the right gift for her friends and family. Additional contributions for this guide came from Austin Fracchia, a freelance writer, avid do-it-yourselfer, and teacher, and Katie Pittman, a lifestyle and digital media writer and expert for MyDomaine.

The benefits of playing word games and games for seniors are pretty significant, even without considering how fun and entertaining they can be. In addition to being amusing and a great pastime, word games are educational and can be used to improve oneself.
Most word games need the players’ full attention. A player must be highly focused, whether actively searching for a word on a game board or searching their minds for a solution to the given letters. Therefore, word games for seniors can serve to practice concentration skills.
This article is what you need if you want to check the magic of word games for seniors for yourself.

Why Word Games?

Apart from the significant improvement in concentration and focus, there are far more reasons for seniors to play word games. Before moving on to the popular word games, let’s review some of the benefits of word games for seniors:

1. Word Games for Seniors Can Reduce the Risk of Dementia

On April 1, 2011, my career of 35 years in teaching came to an end. I had trouble meeting deadlines and could only concentrate on one thing at a time. My inability to retain what I’ve just been told was frustrating for me. The staff were getting worried. At first, I didn’t face up to the fact that I had Dementia. I thought of it as ‘forgetful’ and ‘scatty,’ but I could no longer deal with shopping or money. The less I could do, the more restless I became. My needs were becoming more demanding, as I needed increasing help with dressing, toileting and bathing.

Anna’s sad story is just one of the thousands of stories told by seniors who have Dementia and are unaware of the healing power of word games for seniors. Statistics show that 1 out of every 14 people over 65 in the UK has Dementia, which significantly impacts their lives and society. In 2015, more than 50 million people were living with Dementia, and unfortunately, as the population grows and ages, the number of people affected will likely surpass 130 million by 2050.

Memory loss and behavioural changes are the first signs of Dementia. Slowly but relentlessly, cognition declines, language is disrupted, and behaviour changes occur, diminishing a person’s independence. Many people think there’s no escape at this stage, and their lives have ended. However, we are here to tell you Dementia is not an end. By keeping the mind active, Dementia’s adverse effects can be kept at bay or minimized.

Word games are among the top activities that can actually prevent the eventual onset of Dementia in seniors. A Harvard study has shown that you can help prevent cognitive decline with good health practices such as playing word games. Indeed, word games reinforce your ability to retrieve memories and think; they also involve employing mental skills at once: memory, visualization, and sequencing; this clearly explains why seniors playing word games have improved their attention, reasoning, and memory test scores.

2. Games for Seniors Help Build Social Bonds

Word games are fun to play with a group. Even amid a competition, players and spectators can exchange ideas and learn new words and meanings by simply conversing. You’ll always play against friends, family, or others. Spending time competing and trying to solve word puzzles with your friends is always a good time to strengthen your bonds or even form new ones.

Here is our top word game suggestion that you can play with your friends that can bring a lot of fun to your circle:

Funnector

3. Word Games Help Seniors Relieve Stress

Unfortunately, stress may remain a constant concern as we age. Even more competitive word games, such as Scrabble, can help relieve stress by having a soothing quality. Players can quickly forget about their problems by immersing themselves in the letters and words. Playing word games aids in the reduction of their anxiety and stress.

Furthermore, because players must use all of their cognitive skills while playing rather than serving as an escape, these games can help people unconsciously organize and calm their minds.

4. Word Games Help Seniors Boost Self-Esteem

Word games are an excellent way for seniors to keep their minds active while encouraging them to maintain their language skills. Besides, we all enjoy winning! And solving a puzzle or coming up with an impressive answer is a great mood booster. It can also aid in developing self-esteem and the reduction of boredom and anxiety.

5. Games Can Help Stimulate New Learning

Most word games stretch your mind and force you to think outside the box. Solving a word game is difficult because you must make numerous trials and errors. Playing games for seniors will force you to formulate bizarre theories, then test them to determine whether you are right or wrong. Your brain will be equipped with creative and innovative ideas due to solving problems. Solving a word game will help you improve your memory and thinking skills. In other words, playing word games is one of the best ways to keep seniors mentally active.

6. Playing with Words Improves Strategic Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Word games for seniors are a great way to sharpen and improve our problem-solving abilities. Word games can assist in the development of mental agility and strategic thinking. You can improve your problem-solving skills by playing word games. Making a new word out of a jumble of letters requires mental strength, and it necessitates applying your mind to tasks that require you to excel as a problem solver. And this is how word games can stimulate your brain while also encouraging you to solve problems independently.

7. Word Games are the Best Entertainment for Seniors

Word games are unquestionably one of the most engaging and entertaining ways to pass the time. Alongside their numerous cognitive and mental health benefits, word games can also be super fun. Board games, based on the principle of surfing, allow you to test your cultural knowledge and compete against friends or strangers for a common goal. Whether you play aggressively or defensively, at your own pace or quickly, conquering the unoccupied premium squares, word games can become engaging as soon as you master the basic principles, resulting in hours of fun and new strategies.

16 Best Word Games for Seniors

With all these reasons in mind, we have listed the top 16 word games for seniors that can help them in preventing Dementia. Moreover, if you enjoy games and are looking for new ways to spend time with your loved ones, check out top games for seniors to entertain themselves.

Here are the top 16 word games for seniors:

1. Words in Words

A fun brain game for seniors! As well as providing mental stimulation and social interaction, it helps promote self-esteem. This game keeps seniors entertained and exercises their minds. Brain games can improve cognitive function, slow cognitive decline, and possibly prevent degenerative diseases such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and Dementia.

To play Word in Word, First, you need a large piece of paper or a whiteboard. Ask a player to think of a word for the game. You can choose any word as long as it is not too short. Then, write the words on a whiteboard and ask participants to make other words using the same letters.

2. Scrabble

One of the best word games for seniors! Games such as Scrabble are excellent for increasing brainpower. You can play Scrabbles with just two players or more. And it can be an excellent way of improving your vocabulary. Make sure to get a large-letter version of scrabble if you have eyesight problems. You play this classic word game on a board with squares marked with letter tiles. The frequency of the letters determines their point value (Some letters will score more points). In the end, scrabble will look like a crossword: a collection of words overlapping one another.

3. Boggle

Boggle is a two-player game with no maximum. This word game uses 16 letter cubes, a cube grid with a dome on top, and a 3-minute timer, which should all come with your game. In this game, the highest point total wins. The game’s objective is to create words from the randomly sorted letters in the grid by fitting them together. Boggle’s rules state that words with a longer length have a higher point value.

4. Big Letter Bananagrams

A Bananagrams is a fast and easy word game that doesn’t require pencils, papers, or a board, and the tiles are packaged in fabric banana bags. Similar to some card games for seniors, you can play one hand in just five minutes.

To play this word game, put all 144 tiles face down in the middle of the table. They make up the “Bunch.” Now, each player takes their ‘Starting Titles’ from the Bunch:

• Start with 21 tiles each for 2-4 players.
• Start with 15 tiles each for 5-6 players.
• 7-8 players: each player starts with 11 tiles.

Any player can start by calling out “Split!” Each person turns their tile face up simultaneously, arranging it in their intersecting word grid. Horizontally or vertically, words must be readable from left to right. Whenever you like, you can rearrange your grid. Big Letter Bananagrams is one of the best hobbies for seniors.

5. Complete the Saying

By using famous sayings, idioms, and proverbs from their past, seniors will be able to play a matching game. It can result in pleasant reminiscences and conversation. It can be adapted to suit various abilities, and even people living with Dementia disease can play it. Depending on the level of the players, cut each proverb or saying in half or leave out the last word.

6. Upwords

This brain game is on the list of fun brain games for seniors. The Upwords board game is a three-dimensional Scrabble-like game for two to four players. As well as a plastic game board, 100 plastic letter tiles, and four plastic tile racks, the game includes a label sheet. As in a crossword puzzle, players stack the tiles to spell out words by playing letters across or down. In Upwords, players can also stack letters on top of each other to make new words. With Upwords, you can build your vocabulary while having fun with your family.

7. Hangman

You only need paper and a pen to play this fun brain game for seniors. Two to four people can play this game.
The first person comes up with a word or phrase, and the others guess it one letter at a time. The player draws several dashes equal to the number of letters in the word. After that, other players suggest letters that occur in the word and try to fill in the blanks with the suggested letters in the right place.
If the word they choose doesn’t contain the suggested letter, the other player draws an element of a hangman’s gallows. A segment of the gallows and a victim is added for every suggested letter not found in the word. A character in a noose provides a minimum of six incorrect guesses to the players until the game ends. The first player to guess the correct answer thinks of the word for the next round.

8. Word Search

Playing Word Search puzzles is a fun and relaxing activity for seniors. The rules are simple. An alphabet grid and a word list accompany each puzzle. Locate all the words and phrases that are hidden in the grid and circle them. In addition to horizontally and vertically, forwards and backwards are possible directions to hide the words. You can play this game solo.

9. Crossword Puzzles

This classic word game is one of the most popular hobbies for seniors since it stimulates the mind. In this activity, seniors look at clues and then try to think of words that match the clues to use their language and memory skills. This word game engages more than one area of the brain simultaneously, as seniors need to consider both word length and letter positioning. Therefore, you can create your crossword puzzle for your loved one if regular crossword puzzles are too complex.

10. Rhyming Ball

Playing this game keeps your brain and thinking skills sharp. The Rhyming Ball game is a simple word game that seniors can play in groups of 2 to 20 people. It begins when players throw a ball to a player, who then has to say a word. Using the ball, players throw it to other participants, who have to rhyme every following word. You can use this game to enhance your loved one’s vocabulary and critical thinking skills.

Top 6 Free Online Word Games for Seniors

Thanks to the internet, seniors can avoid loneliness by socializing and using technology. Online games are a great way to keep seniors entertained and allow them to interact with friends and family. You can find various games for seniors, ranging from games that enhance your cognitive skills to simple, fun games that you can play independently. Here is a list of the top five free online word games for seniors.

11. Witty Words

”Witty Words‘ is a word game developed especially for seniors to improve cognitive function, combat dementia, and stimulate the brain. This game allows seniors to test their vocabulary and brain with word connections and daily crossword puzzles. Each new chapter and word becomes more difficult as the game progresses.
Witty Words can even help you combat Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Just download, play, and enjoy the mind-sharpening word riddles.

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12. Eight Letters

Eight letters is a fun brain game for seniors. You’ll have to create words using the eight letters presented to you on the screen to earn points. The longer the word, the more points you will earn.

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13. Daily Quick Crossword

The classic crossword puzzle is a popular word game among senior citizens, but that is more a stereotype than real. AARP Games features several online crossword puzzles, including a daily crossword solution. This game has an intuitive interface that makes clues easy to read. It’s possible to reveal letters, words, or the entire puzzle if you’re stuck.

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14. Cryptogram Quotations

This game is a lot like starring in a Hollywood thriller when you play the role of an international spy. In Cryptogram Quotations, you have to decipher the secret message using a substitution code. The message has been encrypted, with letters substituted for each other. To solve this clue, you will need to use your knowledge of spelling patterns and sentence structure.

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15. CrossCraze Pro

CrossCraze Pro is a fun word game for seniors similar to Scrabble. The generic mode requires linking new words to existing words on the board. The second mode is to drop new tiles over existing ones to create words in that way. You can play with friends or an AI with ten difficulty levels. Furthermore, nine languages are supported, as are 12 board themes and 28 layouts. A hint system is also available for those who need it.

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16. The Word Search

Word search puzzles have been among the top hobbies for seniors for years with paper and pencil. Seniors can also enjoy word searches digitally as fantastic online games. You can find many different types of word search puzzles over one The Word Search website.

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Final Words

It’s an old myth that you only use 10 percent of your brain. You actually use all of it, even when you are sleeping. Neurologists verify that your brain is always active, and you need to keep it that way. Environment, exercise and healthy eating are all involved in this journey, and the numerous benefits of games for older adults are tested and proven.

Word games for seniors are a great way to socialize and reduce stress levels, so give them a try and come back here to share your experience and questions with others in the comment section.

If you want to improve your writing, maybe it’s time to ditch all the writing books and podcasts and play some word games instead.

Yes, seriously! Word games and writing games are great ways to develop your vocabulary, to help you think more deeply about words, to have fun with story and structure, and to get a lot of fun out of writing.

But games can be a great way to:

• Develop your vocabulary
• Help you think more deeply about words
• Become more fluent in English (if it’s a foreign language for you)
• Invent and develop characters

… and much more.

After the list of 50 writing games, I’ve given you a top ten that I think are particularly great for kids who want to practice their writing skills. Many of the other games are suitable for children, too, so by all means try out other games as a family if you want to.

Of course, there are loads of online games (and quizzes and tools) that you can use to improve your writing skills, and I will be talking about some of the best of those. But there are also lots of tried-and-tested classic games that you can play with pen and paper, or using cards and dice … and we’ll be taking a look at those first.

5 Pen and Paper Word Games

I’ll start with the simplest games: pen and paper ones that you can play pretty much anywhere, so long as you have a pen.

All of these are suitable for children, and some (like crosswords) are enjoyed by many adults too.

#1: Hangman (2+ players)

Hangman is a classic word game for two players. One player thinks of a word and writes down dashes to represent the number of letters. The other guesses letters of the alphabet. Correct letters are inserted into the word; incorrect letters result in another segment of the “hangman” being drawn.

This is a great game for developing spelling and vocabulary. If you’re playing it with small children, you can do it without the perhaps rather unpleasant “hangman” element, and just count how many guesses each player takes!

#2: Crosswords (1 player)

A crossword is a grid of white and black squares, where each white square is one letter of a word. The words intersect. You can find crosswords in many newspapers and magazines (on all sorts of subjects), and you can buy booklets and books full of them. Some crosswords are “cryptic”: great if you like brainteasers. Others have more straightforward clues.

Crosswords are great if you want to learn new words and definitions, or (at the cryptic end of the scale) if you enjoy playing with words and language. Simple ones are suitable for fairly young children, with a little help.

#3: Word searches (1 player)

A word search has a grid (often 10×10 or more) filled with letters, and a number of words written alongside or beneath the grid. The person completing the word search needs to find those words within the grid.

Most word searches are easy enough for children, though younger children will struggle with backward and diagonal words. They’re a good way to get used to letter patterns and to improve spelling – and because word searches rely on matching letters, even children who can’t read well will be able to complete simple ones.

#4: Consequences (2+ players, ideally 4+)

This is a fun game with a group of people, as you get a wild and wacky mix of ideas. Each player writes down one line of a story and folds the paper over before passing it around the table to the next player. The very simple version we play has five lines: (1) A male name, (2) The word “met” then a female name, (3) “He said …” (4) “She said …” (5) “And then …”

Once all five stages are complete, the players open out the papers and read out the results. This can be great for sparking ideas, or as a way to encourage reluctant writers to have a go.

#5: Bulls and Cows (2 players)

This game, which can also be called “Mastermind” or “Jotto” involves one player thinking up a secret word of a set number of letters. The second player guesses a word; the first player tells them how many letters match in the right position (bulls) and how many letters are correct but in the wrong position (cows).

Our five year old loves this game, and it’s been a great way to develop her spelling and handwriting as well as logical thinking about which letters can or can’t be the correct ones after a few guesses.

10 Board and Dice Games

These are all games you can buy from Amazon (or quite probably your local toyshop). They’re fun ways to foster a love of writing within your family, or to share your enjoyment of words with your friends.

#1: Scrabble (2+ players)

A classic of word games, Scrabble is a game played with letter tiles on a board that’s marked with different squares. (Some squares provide extra points.) Letters have different points values depending on how common they are. The end result of scrabble looks like a crossword: a number of words overlapping with one another.

If you want to develop your vocabulary (particularly of obscure two-letter words…) then Scrabble is a great game to play. It’s suitable for children too, particularly in “Junior” versions.

#2: Boggle (2+ players)

This is less well known than Scrabble, but it was one I enjoyed as a child. To play Boggle, you shake a box full of dice with a letter on each side, and the dice land in the 4×4 grid at the bottom of the box. You then make as many words as you can from the resulting face-up letters.

Again, this is a good one for developing vocabulary – and it can be played by children as well as by adults. You need to write down the words you come up with, which can also be good for developing handwriting.

#3: Pass the Bomb (2+ players)

It’s very simple to play: you deal a card for the round pass a “bomb” around the table and when it goes off, the person holding it loses. Before you can pass the bomb on during your turn, you need to come up with a word that contains the letters on the card.

It’s a fun family or party game, and can work well with a wide range of ages. It’s a great way to help children think about letter patterns, too, and to develop vocabulary and spelling.

#4: Story Cubes (1+ players)

There are lots of different versions of these available, and they all work in a similar way. The open-ended game has a set of cubes that you roll to create ideas for a story that you can tell along with the other players. If you prefer, you can use them to come up with stories that you’re going to write on your own.

There are lots of different ways you can use them: as writing prompts for a school class or group, to make up a bedtime story together with your children, for getting past your own writers’ block, or almost anything you can think of.

#5: Apples to Apples (2+ players)

Apples to Apples has red cards (with the name of a person, place, thing, etc) and green cards (with two different descriptions): the player with a green card selects one of the descriptions, and others have to choose a card from their hand of red cards. The judge for that game decides which red card best matches the description.

If you want to develop your vocabulary (or your kids’), this could be a fun game to play. There are lots of expansions available, plus a “junior” version with simpler words. (If you’re playing with adults, you might also want to consider Cards Against Humanity, a decidedly not-kid-friendly game that works in a very similar way.)

#6: Letter Tycoon (2+ players)

In this game, you have a hand of 7 cards which you can use in conjunction with the 3 “community cards” to create a valuable word. It’s a more strategic game than some others, with aspects of finance (like patents and royalties) involved too – if you’re a budding tycoon, you might really enjoy it.

Because not all the game strategy depends on simply being good with words, it doesn’t matter if some players have a larger vocabulary than others. It’s suitable for children, too, so you can play it as a family game.

#7: Dabble (2+ players)

Dabble is a family-friendly game where you compete with other players to be the first to create five words (of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 letters) using your 20 tiles. It’s very simple to get the hang of … but coming up with the words might be more challenging than you expect!

If you enjoy Boggle or Scrabble, you’ll probably have fun with Dabble. It’s a great way to develop both spelling and vocabulary, and to have fun with words.

#8: Upwords (2+ players)

Upwords is like 3D Scrabble: you can stack tiles on top of other tiles to create new words. The board is smaller than a Scrabble board (and doesn’t have double and triple word score squares) so it’s not as complex as it might initially sound.

Like similar games, it’s a great one for building vocabulary and for developing your spelling. It’s suitable for kids, too, so it could be a great game for the whole family.

#9: Tapple (2+ players)

Tapple has a wheel, with most of the letters of the alphabet on it, and lots of different “topic cards” that cover 144 different categories. There are lots of different ways you can play it – the basic rules are that each player has to think of a word that fits the topic within 10 seconds, but that word can’t start with a starting letter that’s been used previously.

While small children might find it a bit too challenging or frustrating, due to the short time limit, this could be a great game for older children looking to extend their vocabulary. All the categories are suitable for kids.

#10: Last Word (2+ players)

In Last Word, players have to come up with answers to “Subject” and “Letter” combinations, racing to get the last word before the buzzer. It works a bit like a combination of “Tapple” and “Pass the Bomb”.

You can easily play it with a large group (there are tokens for up to 8 players, but you could add more without affecting the gameplay). It’s a great way to develop vocabulary and, to some extent, spelling.

5 Roleplaying Games

While my geeky tendencies have been reined in a bit since I had kids, I’ll admit I have a great fondness for roleplaying games: ones where you come up with a character (often, but by no means always in a magic-medieval setting) and play as them. These are some great ones that you might like to try.

#1: Dungeons and Dragons (3+ players)

Although you might never have played Dungeons and Dragons, I’m sure you’ve heard of this classic roleplaying game that’s been around since 1974 and is now onto is 5^th edition. It takes rather longer to get to grips with than a board or card game: to play, you need a “Dungeon Master” (essentially the storyteller of the game) and at least two players (who each control a character), plus rulebooks and a lot of different dice.

It’s a great game for developing the “big picture” aspects of writing, like the ability to construct a plot and a story (if you’re the Dungeon Master) and the skills involved with creating a character, giving them a backstory, and acting “in character” as them (if you’re one of the players).

#2: Amazing Tales (1 parent, plus 1 or 2 children)

This is a kid-friendly RPG aimed at parents who want to create a story with their child(ren). It’s like a very simple version of Dungeons and Dragons, and has straightforward but flexible rules. You can play it with a single six-sided dice – though it’s better if you have four dice (with six, eight, ten and twelve sides).

If you want to encourage your child’s creativity and have fun creating stories together, this is a wonderful game to play. The rulebook contains lots of ideas and sample settings, with suggested characters and skills … but you can come up with pretty much any scenario you like.

#3: LARP (Live Action Roleplay) (lots of players)

Over the past decade or so, LARP has become a bit more mainstream than it once was. It’s short for “Live Action Roleplay” … which basically means dressing up as your character and pretending to be them. It’s a bit like Dungeons and Dragons crossed with improv drama.

The nature of LARP is that it needs quite a lot of people, so unless you have loads of friends to rope in, you’ll want to join an organised LARP – there are lots out there, covering all sorts of different themes, from traditional fantasy ones to futuristic sci-fi ones. Some are suitable for children, but do ask event organisers about this. They won’t necessarily involve any sort of writing, but can be a great way to explore characters and dialogue.

#4: MUDs (lots of players)

MUDs, or “multi-user dungeons” have been around since the early days of networked computing in the ‘70s, and are the forerunners of games like Fortnite and World of Warcraft. They’re now distinctly retro-looking text-based online games, where players create a character and interact with other characters and the world.

Like other types of roleplaying game, they’re a great way to practice storytelling and character-development skills. They also involve a lot of writing – so they can be useful for things like vocabulary and spelling. Some are suitable for children, but as with anything online, do ensure your children know how to be safe (e.g. by not giving out their full name, address, etc).

#5: Online Forum Games / Forum Roleplaying (2+ players)

Some fan communities write collaborative fanfiction through forums (here’s an example), with different people posting little pieces as different “characters” to continue a story. These can be quite involved and complex, and they can be a great way to learn the skills of telling a long, detailed story (e.g. if you’re thinking of writing a novel).

They’ll probably appeal most to writers who are already producing fanfiction on their own, and who have a fair amount of time for the back-and-forth required for forum roleplaying. Again, if your child wants to get involved with this type of roleplaying, do make sure you monitor what they’re doing and who they’re interacting with.

10 Word Games You Can Play on Your Phone

These days, many writers are more likely to have their phone to hand than a pen and paper … and to be fair, there’s nothing wrong with that. You can easily make notes on a phone, whether by tapping them in or by recording them. If you find yourself with a bit of time on your hands, why not try one of these writing-related games?

Note: all of these are free to download, but most allow in-app purchases, and you may find you need to make a purchase to get the most out of them.

#1: Bonza Word Puzzle

This game is a bit like a deconstructed crossword: you get bits of the puzzle and you drag them together to form words that will all match with the clue. If you’re a fan of crosswords and want something a bit different, you might just love it.

It’s a great way to think hard about letter patterns and how words are put together, so it might be a good game for older children who’re looking to develop their spelling and vocabulary, too.

#2: Dropwords 2

Dropwords 2 (a rewrite of the original Dropwords) is a word-finding puzzle where letters drop from the top of the screen: if you remember Tetris, you’ll get the idea. It’s a bit like Scrabble or Boggle, and you have to race the clock to make letters out of the words on the screen.

With six different modes (“normall”, “lightning”, “relax”, etc), it’s suitable for children and for people who are learning English, as well as for those wanting to really challenge their vocabulary skills.

#3: Spellspire

Spellspire is a fantasy-style game where you select letters from a grid to create words: the longer the word, the bigger the blast from your magic wand! You can kill monsters, buy better equipment, and make your way to the top of the Spellspire.

If your kids aren’t very motivated to practice their spelling, this could be a great game for them. (Or, let’s face it, for you!) You can also choose to play it against your Facebook friends, adding a competitive element.

#4: TypeShift

This is a relatively simple game that lets you create words from letters arranged on different dials. There are a couple of different ways you can play: by trying to use all the letters on the dials at least once to create words, or by tackling the “Clue Puzzles”, which are a bit like crossword clues.

Again, if you want to develop your spelling and vocabulary, this is a straightforward game that you can use to do so. You can buy extra puzzle packs at a fairly reasonable price, if you find that you want to play it a lot.

#5: Wordalot

This crossword app uses pictures rather than written clues, which is a fun twist. You can use coins to get hints (you can earn these through the game, or purchase them with real money).

If you enjoy doing crosswords but want something a bit different, give this one a try. You might find that as well as helping you develop your spelling and vocabulary, it’s a great way to develop your lateral thinking as you puzzle out the clues.

#6: WordBrain

This game is another one where you have to find hidden, scrambled words within a grid. There are loads of different levels (1180!) and so this could keep you busy for a long time. You can purchase hints – this could potentially see you clocking up quite a spend, though.

All the words are appropriate for children (though some are tricky to spell), so your kids might well enjoy this game too, as a way to develop their spelling and vocabulary.

#7: Ruzzle

Ruzzle works like Boggle, with a 4×4 grid of letters that you use to make words (the letters must be adjacent to one another). You can play it against friends, or simply against random players.

Like the other apps we’ve looked at, it’s a good one for developing your vocabulary and spelling. Some players said it included too many ads, so this is something to be aware of if you plan to use the free version rather than upgrading.

#8: WordWhizzle Search

This is a word search type game with loads of different levels to play. If you enjoy word searches, it’s a great way to carry lots around in your pocket! You can play it alone or with Facebook friends. It’s easy to get to grips with, but the levels get increasingly tricky, so you’re unlikely to get bored quickly.

As with other apps, this is a great one for developing your spelling and vocabulary. Each level has a particular description (words should match with this), so you have to avoid any “decoy” words that don’t match.

#9: 7 Little Words

This game works a bit like a crossword: each puzzle has seven clues, seven mystery words, and 20 tiles that include groups of letters. You need to solve the clues and rearrange the letter types so you can create the answers to the mystery words – so it’s also a bit like an anagram.

There are five different difficulty levels (“easy” to “impossible”) and each game is quick to play, so this could be a good one for kids too. Again, it’s a great way to develop vocabulary and spelling.

#10: Words With Friends

This classic word-building game is hugely popular, and you can play against your Facebook or Twitter friends, or against a random opponent. It works just like Scrabble, where you have seven letter tiles and add them to a board.

You can chat with the opponent in a chat window, so do be aware of this if you’re allowing your kids to play. The game is a great way to develop vocabulary and spelling, and you can play it fairly casually because there’s no time limit on your moves.

10 Word Games You Can Play in Your Browser

What if you want a writing-related game you can play while taking a break at your computer? All of these are games that you can play in your browser: some involve a lot of writing and are essentially story-telling apps, whereas others are essentially digital versions of traditional pen and paper games.

Unless otherwise noted, these games are free. With some free browser games, you’ll see a lot of ads. If this annoys you, or if you’re concerned that the ads may be unsuitable for your children, you may want to opt for premium games instead.

#1: Wild West Hangman

This is a digital version of Hangman, which we covered above. You choose a category for words (e.g. “Countries” or “Fruits And Vegetables”) and then you play it just like regular Hangman.

It’s simple enough for children – but it only takes six wrong guesses for your cowboy to be hanged, too, so it could get frustrating for younger children.

#2: Word Wipe

In Word Wipe, you swipe adjacent tiles (including diagonals) to create words, a bit like in Boggle. The tiles fall down a 10×10 grid (moving into the blank spaces you’ve created when your word disappears from the grid) – your aim is to clear whole rows of the grid.

Since the easiest words to create are short, simple ones, this is a great game for children or for adults who want to get better at spelling.

#3: Sheffer Crossword

As you might expect, this is a crossword game! There’s a different free puzzle each day, and you can choose from puzzles from the past couple of weeks. It looks very much like a traditional crossword, and you simply click on a clue then type in your answer.

The clues are straightforward rather than cryptic, though probably not easy enough to make this a good app for children or for English learners. If you’re a fan of crosswords, this will definitely be a great way to develop your vocabulary, though.

#4: Twine

Twine is a bit different from some of the other games we’ve looked at: it’s a tool for telling interactive stories (a bit like the old “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, or a text-based adventure game). You lay out your story as different cards and create connections between them.

If you want to experiment with interactive fiction, this is a simple, code-free to get started – as reviewer Kitty Horrorshow puts it, “if you can type words and occasionally put brackets around some of those words, you can make a Twine game”. It’s a great way to deepen your understanding of story, plot and narrative.

#5: Storium

Like Twine, Storium is designed to help you tell stories … but these stories are written in collaboration with others. (There’s a great review, with screenshots, here on GeekMom.) You can either join a story as a character within it, or you can narrate a story – so this is a great game for building lots of different big-picture fiction-writing skills.

It’s suitable for teens, but probably involves a bit too much writing for younger children. If you’d like to write fiction but the idea of creating a whole novel on your own seems a bit overwhelming, or if you enjoy roleplaying-type games (like Dungeons and Dragons), then you might just love Storium.

#6: Words for Evil

This game combines a fantasy RPG setting (where you fight monsters, get loot, gain levels and so on), with word games to play along the way. It could be a good way to encourage a reluctant young teen writer to have fun playing with words – or you might simply enjoy playing it yourself.

The word games work in a very similar way to Word Wipe, so if you found that game frustrating, then Words for Evil probably isn’t for you!

#7: First Draft of the Revolution

This game is an interactive story, told in the form of letters (epistolary). It comes at writing from a much more literary angle than many of the other games, and if you’ve studied English literature or creative writing, or if you teach writing, then you might find it particularly interesting.

The graphics are gorgeous – playing the game is like turning the pages of a book. To play First Draft of the Revolution, you make choices about how to rewrite the main character (Juliette’s) draft letters – helping you gain insight into the process of drafting and redrafting, as well as affecting the ongoing story.

#8: Writing Challenge

Writing Challenge can be used alone or with friends, creating a collaborative story by racing against the clock. You can use it as an app on your phone, as well as on your computer, so you can add to your stories at any time.

If you struggle to stay motivated when you’re writing, then Writing Challenge could be a great way to gamify your writing life – and potentially to create collaborative works of fiction.

#9: Plot Generator

Plot Generator works a bit like Mad Libs: you select a particular type of story (e.g. short story, movie script, fairytale) then enter a bunch of words as prompted. The website creates the finished piece for you. There are also options for story ideas (essentially writing prompts), character generators, and much more on the site.

If you’re stuck for an idea, or just want to play around a bit, Plot Generator could be a lot of fun. Some of the options, like Fairy Tale, are great to use with young children – others may not be so suitable, so do vet the different options first.

#10: The Novelist ($9.99)

The Novelist follows the life of Dan Kaplan, a struggling novelist who’s also trying to be a good husband and father. You can make choices about what Dan should do to reach his goals in different areas of his life – and the decisions you make affect what happens next in the game. You are a “ghost” in the house, learning about and influencing the characters.

While there’s not any actual writing involved in the game, it could be a thought-provoking way to explore how writing fits into your own life.

10 Games to Help You Learn to Type

Typing might seem like an odd thing to include on a list of writing games. But so much of writing involves being able to type – and if you’re a slow typist, you’ll find that your fingers can’t keep up with your brain! While most people find that their typing does naturally improve with practice, these games are all quick ways for you (or your kids) to get that practice in a fun way.

Obviously, all of these games should help to improve typing skills: those which involve whole words may also help with spelling and vocabulary. Unless otherwise mentioned, they’re free.

#1: Dance Mat Typing

This game is designed to teach children touch type (type without looking at the keyboard). It starts off with Level 1, teaching you the “home row” (middle row) keys on the keyboard. Other letters are gradually added in as the game progresses.

It’s very much aimed at kids, so teens and adults may find the animated talking goat a bit annoying or patronising! Unlike many other free games, though, it doesn’t include ads.

#2: Spider Typer

This typing game took a while to load for me: you too many find it’s a bit slow. In the game, you type the letters that appear on chameleons that are trying to catch a spider (the chameleons disappear when you hit their letter). The spider keeps rising up into a tree, and if it safely gets there, you move on to the next level.

It’s suitable for kids, and starts off very easy with just letters: if you set it to a harder difficulty, you need to type whole words.

#3: NitroType

This is a competitive typing game where you race a car against friends (or total strangers) by typing the text at the bottom of the screen. It’s a good one for practicing typing whole sentences, including punctuation – not just typing letters or words.

Older children might enjoy it, and any adults with a strong competitive streak! You can compete as a “guest racer”, or you can create an account and login so you can level up and gain rewards like a better car.

#4: TypeRacer

TypeRacer is similar to NitroType: you control a racing car and the faster you type, the faster your car moves. You can practice on your own, enter a typing race, or race against your friends if you prefer.

If you create an account and login, other users can see your username, score, average speed and so on – and they can also send you messages. This could potentially open you up to receiving spam or unwanted communications, so do be aware of this, particularly if you’re allowing your child to play.

#5: The Typing of the Ghosts             

In this game, you destroy ghosts by typing the word on them. The graphics are pretty rudimentary, though it is a free game and a good way to practice quickly typing words. It’s suitable for children, and the sound effects (there’s a noise for every letterstroke) may appeal to kids.

You don’t need to create an account or login: you can simply start playing straight away.

#6: Typing Chef

In this game, you type cooking-related words (usually types of equipment). It involves single words and a few double words with a space between at the early levels.

There’s nothing particularly unusual about this game compared with others, though it wasn’t so ad-heavy as some and doesn’t require any registration. It’s good for teaching words and phrases, but not for helping you to learn to type whole sentences.

#7: TypeTastic

This is a fun typing game aimed at young kids, so it starts with the fundamentals. You start by building a keyboard from letter blocks, then learn how to spot letters on the keyboard quickly before learning where those letters are located.

Teachers or parents might be interested in reading about why the game starts with mapping the keyboard. The interface and graphics are pretty good, given that it’s a free game, and it’s designed specifically with young children in mind.

#8: Typer Shark! Delux

This is a free typing game, where you’re a diver exploring the seas. You can choose from different difficulty levels, and – in a mechanic that’s probably by now quite familiar if you’ve played any of the other typing games – you get rid of creatures like sharks by typing the word written on them.

Again, this can help you with your typing speed and accuracy. I found it was a bit slow to load, but it’s not full of ads like some other games.

#9: Typing Attack

In this game, you’re a spaceship, facing enemy spaceships – each with a word written on them. I expect you can guess what you need to do: type the word correctly to destroy the spaceship. Some words are shorter, some longer, and as with other games, there are multiple difficulty settings.

You’ll need to watch an ad before the game loads, which can be annoying, and means that it isn’t necessarily suitable for children.

#10: The Typing of the Dead: Overkill ($14.99)

This game is definitely aimed at adults rather than kids, because it’s a bit gory. It also costs $14.99, so it’s probably one that’ll suit you best if you’re really keen to improve your typing speed – perhaps you do transcription, for instance, or you’re a freelance writer.

To play the game, you type the words that appear in front of the enemies and monsters: each type you type a letter correctly, you send a bullet at them. If you like horror games and films, it could be a fun way to learn to type faster – but it won’t necessarily improve your accuracy with whole sentences.

10 Word Games that Are Particularly Suited to Kids

While I’ve tried to indicate above whether or not the games are suitable for kids, I wanted to list the ten that I’d particularly recommend if you want to help your children get a great start as budding writers.

Several of these are games I play with my five-year-old already; others are games I’m really looking forward to using with her and my son as they get older. I won’t repeat the full descriptions: just scroll back up if you want those.

#1: Word searches (pen and paper) – you can buy whole books of these, or print off free ones. Older kids might have fun creating their own for their friends or siblings.

#2: Bulls and Cows (pen and paper) – you can play this with just a pen and paper (or if you’ve got a really good memory, with nothing at all).

#3: Boggle (board game) – this is simple enough for quite young children to get the hang of it: my five-year-old enjoys playing it with her Granny.

#4: Story Cubes (dice game) – your child can use these on their own to come up with ideas for a story, or you could use them with a group of children – e.g. in a classroom or as part of a club.

#5: Amazing Tales (roleplaying) – this child-friendly RPG is a great way to introduce big-picture storytelling skills, particularly developing a character.

#6: Spellspire (phone app) – a fun spelling/word-creation game your child can play on your phone (and probably a bit more educational than yet another game of Angry Birds).

#7: Wild West Hangman (browser game) – if your child likes hangman but you don’t always have the time to play it with them, this is a good alternative.

#8: First Draft of the Revolution (browser game) – if your teen is interested in writing and/or the French revolution, they might really enjoy this intriguing game based around redrafting letters.

#9: Dance Mat Typing (typing game) – this game from the BBC is high-quality, and designed to appeal to young children. It teaches good typing practice from the start, by explaining correct finger placement on the keys.

#10: TypeTastic – this is another typing game aimed at young children, and this one starts with putting together a keyboard – a great place to begin.

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Do you have any favourite writing games – of any type? Share them with us in the comments.