Word games that make you think

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

Вследствие своего обобщенного характера пословицы и поговорки можно использовать на всех уровнях обучения иностранному языку при обучении искусству иносказания, умению иллюстрировать свою мысль и обобщать ее в краткой форме.
Ресурс, составленный в формате онлайн игры в программе https://wordwall.net/ , представляет двенадцать пословиц на английском языке. Цель ресурса – развитие языковых компетенций. Рекомендуется использовать при работе с любым УМК.

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There are a number of free online games one of them is fun word games to play with friends. Word puzzle games are the new trend. Rather than doing indulging into pass time entertainment activities, a lot of people prefer online word games. That’s the best way to utilize your time effectively.

Passing time is just one of saying it. But playing free word puzzle games has a long list of benefits. To name a few, online crosswords can help reduce stress, chances of mental diseases like dementia, improve vocabulary, social bonding, as well as mental health.

Isn’t that amazing that playing online word games can be that beneficial? We believe that you already know these facts. So without further ado, let’s get straight to the point.

Best List of Word Game Available on the Internet

This internet era has something for all of us. Earlier we had to pay to play some of the best word puzzle games. But now, we have a long list of free word puzzle games that are great Here they are.! These are fun words game to play with friends.

Wealth Words – Free Online Games

Wealth Words is a word puzzle platform that gives the opportunity to the players to play games for free. Anyone from a novice to a puzzling enthusiast can try the game. The platform offers free word puzzle games across multiple categories “crosswords, poems, stories and event” based puzzles.

Recently, Wealth Words has launched a new section of puzzles “quick game” that lets users complete free crosswords under 60 seconds and win up to $100 instantly. It makes the game interesting, exciting, and one of the best money-making games.

Play Online Game – Word Wipe

It is one of the most famous word search games. In order to play you need to swipe along the line of at least 3 letters to form a correct word. Select the letters by tapping them once at a time and submit by tapping the last letter.

If you want to play online games and earn money then grab the opportunity of getting more points by submitting more complicated words. You need to submit the words until you achieve the goal. Receive bomb power and use them in harder levels to win. The game is simple but the barrier is its time. In order to advance your levels, you have to beat the clock, forming as many words as possible.

Enjoy the collapsing experience by playing this interesting game.

Fun Word Games for Group – Boggle

Boggle is an entertaining game in which you have to find as many connected words as possible in the time limit of 3 minutes. You have to compare your list of words and remove the redundant words found by other players.  

You will be scored on the basis of the remaining words depending upon the length of the words.

Group Word Games for Adults – Bonza Word Puzzle

Bonza Word Puzzle is an engaging mixture of crossword and puzzle genres. You will get jumbled words and a clue which you have to understand to make a correct word. The game is easy to play and is children friendly. Every player gets a starter pack along with two puzzle packs that are totally free!

The best thing about this game is its daily free word puzzle games. Some puzzles are even based on current events. So, playing this popular word game is a great learning experience. Check out yourself and decide.

Play Online Game – Letter Press

The game involves strategy where it meshes colors with letters and words. It is another exciting addition to the word puzzle games category.  Play the game by typing the letters into the five-by-five grid.

There is no rack of letters to shuffle, instead, enter up to 25 letters and get the highest scoring results. There are certain rules in the game. You can play this free word puzzle game with another player or with one of the four bots.

In order to win, you must claim more letters or ‘territory’. Play the game and have fun!

Free Online Game – Words

As the name suggests, it’s a classic word search puzzle game. You get a grid of letters where you need to trace the words. The words can be formed diagonally, horizontally, or vertically. The game ends when you’ll find all the words. The game has various difficulty levels, languages, and game modes.

It’s the best among the free word puzzle games.

Play Online Game – Wordscapes

Wordscapes is a mix of group word games for adults, search games, and a crossword puzzle. While playing this game, you will be given a few letters from which you have to form a meaningful word. If you are unable to guess, you can shuffle the letters or purchase hints. You can guess as many times as you want.

To reveal the word definition, you can click on the button below. It has around 5,000 puzzles available with different game modes. To end the game, you have to find all the words. As you proceed in the game, your levels will advance and you will get more difficult words to solve.

Fun Word Games for Groups – Jumbline 2

Jumbline 2 is another word search game with the same old concept. It’s a hybrid of Boggle and Scrabble.

You have to move the squares to form an appropriate word that has a meaning. You can play 5, 6, or 7 letter word puzzles as per your interest. The game has around 20,000 puzzles with words having American spellings.

Free Online Games – Text Twist 2

Text Twist 2 is a sequel to one of the most popular word game. To play this game you will be given 6, 7 or 8 set of letters. You have to make as many words as possible in a time limit of 2 minutes. Words that contain every available letter are called Bingos. So, in order to advance your levels, you must score at least one Bingo.

Fun Word Games for Group – Word Yard

Word Yard is just like any other word puzzle game based on anagrams and crosswords. Half of the screen shows the letters in a circular form from which you have to select the letters. Whereas the other half shows the playing board which displays the correct words in appropriate slots.

In order to view the hints, you can get coins. You can earn coins through various methods, including inviting friends on Facebook, daily bonuses, watching ads, etc. The game has nice visuals and amazing sound effects. Try out yourself!

Crossword Puzzle Free

Crossword Puzzle Free has almost everything you are looking for on the web. When you talk about free online word games, crossword puzzles are the best amongst all. The best thing about this game is its free puzzles.

You can play a variety of puzzles even on offline mode and that too without any subscriptions! Daily around millions of users train their brains by solving the black and white grids. It’s the best free word game to enhance your vocabulary and increase your IQ both at the same time. 

Well, these are the top word search puzzle games that will charge your brain and make you think like Einstein!

What comes first to your mind when you hear the word “Puzzle”? Well, for me it’s definitely my childhood. The first puzzle I was being taught was a mathematical puzzle. 

“What’s one plus one?” At such a tender age, solving puzzles meant a lot. I remember there was a popular word game we used to play at my school.  You say a word and the other person has to tell a word starting from the last alphabet.

It goes this way “Yellow, Whether, Rapid, Dwarf and so on.”

I don’t think the magic was in the game. Certainly, it was the brain that was rapidly responding.

How Your Brain Works When you Solve a Word Puzzle?

Do you have any idea that how your brain is able to respond so instantly? Where all the words are stored? It’s called temporal lobe, it’s on the right side of your brain. Let’s get a little bit deeper.

Our brain has two sides or you can say two hemispheres. Each side of the brain has one temporal lobe. If you are right-handed, it might be interesting for you to know that your language is stored mostly in your left temporal lobe.

For the lefties, your language is stored in temporal lobes on both sides of your brain.

How the Words are Stored? 

Now the fact is words are stored in an organised manner. Generally, our brain recognises the words that have some correlations. Just say, 

• Cup and Saucer
• Bread and Butter
• Fun and Games

Our brain associates these words with a connections. These are associated and stored in the brain as it is. You hear any out of one and the other word will strike to your mind immediately. Let’s test your temporal lobe right now.

Now, it’s your brain that has to do the work. Find the third word that has a direct connection with both of the two words. Answer in less than 10 seconds!

• River – Money
• Flaw – Care
• Water – Down
• Mind – Sun

This is just an example to make you understand the functioning of your brain. If you were able to crack this easy one, then you can surely go ahead with solving some tricky brain-teasers. So, are you ready to experience the dynamic words of words?

Want to win real money instantly? Start your puzzling session now. Have fun!

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. 

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.

A list of fun English word games for kids to help improve children’s spelling, reading, and vocabulary. This list of word games for kids includes word games that encourage conversation and early literacy that you can play on the spot or prepare yourself with just some paper and pencil.

Why are Word Games Good For Kids?

Word games and vocabulary games for kids are great because they get kids talking and using language while having fun. When you make a learning activity fun, kids don’t realise they are learning.

For reluctant learners, playing these word games can help and motivate them to want to play and learn more.

*This post may contain affiliate links, read more here.

10 Fun Word Games for Kids

Many of these word games for kids can be prepared easily at home with materials you already have. However if you don’t have time to prepare your own, you can also purchase a range of fun word games for kids HERE.

1. Hang Man

Probably one of the most popular word games for kids is the popular Hang Man. Player 1 thinks of a word and Player 2 has to guess it before they get “hung.”

Player 1 writes spaces for letters are written on the page so they know how many letters there are in the word. Player 2 proceeds to choose a letter they think may be in the word.

If it is correct Player 1 writes the letter down where it goes. If it is incorrect Player 1 draws part of the “hangman”. If the drawing is complete by the time Player 2 guesses, then Player 1 wins.

2. I spy

A really easy and fun word game for kids is I spy. You don’t need anything for this game except your imagination.

Player 1 thinks of a word and tells the others the first letter. “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with __” The other players need to guess the word. Whoever wins gets to be the spy!

This is a really great car game for kids too and helps to build vocabulary.

3. Bingo

Such an easy word game to prepare for kids. There are some really good versions on Amazon HERE. You can purchase the game, or use it as an example to make your own.

Draw a square grid on a page and choose a theme. Write out some words using the theme. Eg, beach: swimming, sand castles, water, sea shells, dolphin, sunbeds, picnic etc.

Make an extra copy of the words ensuring there are a few extra than the amount on the page. Cut them up into squares and put in a bowl scrunched up.

Take turns in pulling out a word and reading it out loud, then finding it on your page. The first person to find all of the words calls out Bingo and is the winner.

This fun word game for kids helps with reading and talking aloud.

4. Word Family Game

This game requires children to rhyme. Select one word and everyone needs to write as many words as they can that rhyme with that word. Eg. If the word is “Cat”, answers could be: hat, bat, rat, sat etc.

This is a great word game to help build kids vocabulary and help their language skills.

5. Word Search

Another fun but challenging word game for kids is a word search. Draw a grid of 10 x 10 squares and place as many words as you can within the grid. Words can go up, down, or diagonal, and letters can overlap to be used more than once.

Create a list on the side or bottom of the page of the words you have entered. Then once you cannot fit anymore words in, fill the blank boxes with random letters.

Kids will need to find the words as quick as possible. This can be a fun word game to do individually or as a team. For kids who like to compete, you can make identical grids and see who finishes first.

This word game encourages persistence and helps to improve their literacy skills.

6. Unscramble the words

A simple word game for children that will get them really thinking! Write a list of words down on paper but scramble the letter order while writing. Kids will need to look at the letters and try to work out what the word is and guess it.

This can be quite a competitive word game, but it helps to really get their mind ticking.

7. Scategories

While this is also an official board game, (which you can find online here) you can also make it yourself quite easily. Each player has a piece of paper and pencil.

Select 10-15 categories. These can be anything you like but remember they should be popular enough that you can guess something with most letters. Eg. Country, Movie, Body Part, Actor or Actress etc.

Once you have your categories it is time to choose a letter. Without a dice, the easiest way is to write the letters randomly on a piece of paper.

Then one person closes their eyes and points to a letter. When the letter has been chosen, players have 2 minutes to fill in the gaps with something in each category starting with that letter.

Winner is the one with the most filled in at the end, or the first to finish.

This is a really fun and competitive word game for kids that helps to improve their vocabulary, spelling, and conversation skills.

8. Words within a word

This word game requires kids to create their own words. Choose one really long word with at least 8-10 letters. The longer the better.

The aim of this word game is for kids to try to make a list of small words out of the letters of the long word. So for example the word COMPUTER includes: put, cot, term, core, mop, top, pet. Etc.

This is a really fun word game to help children’s spelling skills.

9. I am going on a picnic

A fun word game to help with your child’s memory and to get them talking.

One person starts and says “I am going on a picnic and I will bring some… fruit”

The next person says what the first person said, and adds something of their own. “I am going on a picnic and I will bring some fruit, and some sandwiches.

The next person says what the first, and second person said, and adds something of their own. “I am going on a picnic and I will bring some fruit, some sandwiches and some ice-cream.

You continue on and on and it gets more difficult to remember everything. We usually can get to at least seven or eight, and surprisingly my pre-schooler can often remember more than me!

This conversational game helps with memory, and also learning new vocabulary.

10. Story prompts

This word game involves making up a story by taking turns in saying sentences. One person starts the story, and says the first sentence. The second person continues the story with another sentence, and so on.

The stories can become very interesting as each person has different ideas. Bilingual flashcards are great for this or you can find a great version online HERE.

This conversation activity helps kid’s imagination, as well as building their vocabulary.

Other Fun Learning Resources for Kids?

If you love these English word games, check out these posts!

English Classroom Games – To play in class or at home
Knock Knock Jokes – To get the kids laughing
Best Board Games for Kids – Educational and fun
Top Book Sets for Kids – For all ages

Which English word games do you play with your kids?

These fun English word games for kids can be played with children of all ages and also with adults just by adapting certain aspects of the game to suit the age of the player.

This list of word games for kids will keep kids entertained for hours on end without feeling like they are actually learning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. A Classic Word Game

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

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

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

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

3. A Word Game That Can Be Played Solo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. A Cooperative Word Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. A Word Game That Takes Just Minutes To Play

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

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

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

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