Word games to play at parties

One category of games that has been popular for a very long time is Word Games. While there are some great mass market games out there that everyone knows, like Scrabble, Scategories and Boggle, today I want to highlight some lesser-known word games. We will be looking at a mix of mass-market games and games that are limited to the hobby supply chain. 

---

Word Games can be perfect for a gaming event or party where there’s a mix of gamers and non-gamers present. So here is a list of what I think are the best word-based party games. 

---

Uncle Rico is looking for some word driven party games:

Today’s topic comes from an unusual source. While I normally get questions all the time through the questions@tabletopbellhop.com email address or by people clicking on Ask The Bellhop at the top of the webpage, today’s question comes from a new source. 

Uncle Rico tagged my @Tabletop_Deals Twitter account to ask:

“@Tabletop_Deals any good word based party game recommendations?!? I LOVE Decrypto”

@Tabletop_Deals is a Twitter account where we share deals on board games, card games, miniatures, gaming accessories, RPGs and more. It’s not where I usually answer gaming questions.

That’s not going to stop me though, so below you will find my recommendations for word-based party games. 

I limited my choices to games that involve words in some way, word guessing games, spelling games, etc. I also specifically picked games that played with higher player counts. For example, A Little Wordy, which we reviewed recently, is a great quick word game but it’s two-player only, so I didn’t put it on this list.

I also specifically looked for games that are social and get people interacting and having fun together. While Scrabble may be the world’s most popular word game, staring at letters and looking at a board trying to figure out how to maximize your points, isn’t what I call a party.

For a more in-depth look at this topic, be sure to check out Episode 140 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast – What’s in a Word?

---

What are the best word-based party games?

The following list is in no particular order.

Codenames – When talking about party games, this is one case where I’m going to actually recommend the base game of Codenames over the cooperative Codenames Duet version. While Duet works great as a team game with two or three players per team it falls apart after that. Once you get to higher player counts the original Codenames is the way to go.

This is a game you can really play with any number of people as long as they can see the cards on the table. 

For those that don’t know this game, it’s a team based word guessing game where code givers are trying to get members of their team to guess specific words in a grid of cards on the table before the other team guesses their own, different, set of words, with both teams trying to avoid the dreaded assassin word.

Trapwords – This is another team based word game that is also from CGE, the same publisher as Codenames. One unique part of this game is that it’s a word game with a dungeon crawl theme.

Teams advance through the dungeon by guessing clue words given by members of their own team. The twist in Trapwords is that the other team gets to set a number of trapped words, if your team uses one of those words while trying to guess a clue the trap goes off and you fail to advance through the dungeon.

There is also a system of curses that act as a catch-up mechanic as well as end game boss fights with additional limitations added to gameplay. If your team manages to get to the boss monster and defeat them before the end of the game they win.

This one sounds more complicated than it actually is and ends up being rather simple to play once everyone is on the same page. 

You can read more about this word game in our Trapwords review. 

Taboo – Taboo is obviously the game that inspired Trapwords and while I personally would rather play Trapwords, I can’t discredit Taboo as a great word game.

Where Taboo differs from Trapwords is that the words you can’t use are on the clue card and not determined by the opponent’s team. When playing this I’m always shocked by how hard it is to come up with clues while not using any of the taboo words. 

While I prefer Trapwords, this word guessing game is much more accessible to a broader range of players and better for non-hobby gamers. 

Balderdash – This classic game from the 80s is still a ton of fun today. Part of that is because at some point they updated the rules with the release of Beyond Balderdash. This new version became so popular that it replaced the original and now every version of Balderdash you can buy is actually a copy of Beyond Balderdash. 

This is a game where everyone gets an obscure word and has to write down their own definition for that word. Then everything is shuffled up and players vote for the definition they think is correct including the actual dictionary definition.

While there’s a bit of a meta game here in writing down definitions that sound like they come from the game, and the game doesn’t work all that great with younger kids or with people with limited vocabularies, I still have fun playing this classic.

Bananagrams – When I started making this list I didn’t think I would be mentioning Banangrams. I always think of this game as being a great two-player or low player count game and was surprised to see that it actually plays up to eight players.

Now I will admit I haven’t tried it myself with that many players. However, I do dig this quick tile-laying game and am willing to admit that it might play well as a party game. It plays a lot like Scrabble, except that players are taking letters from a central word pile and making their own crossword of completed words. 

Medium – This is one of my favourite games on this list. One issue with Medium is that we’ve found it to be best at a maximum of six players through you can play with eight. The problem is downtime between turns. Each pair of players is going to play up to three guesses and that can take a while to get around the table with the higher player counts.

This is a game where players have a hand of cards and pick one to play face down in front of them with a partner. Then both players try to make a psychic connection and say the word that is the medium between the two words on their cards. They do this simultaneously and if they say the same word they win the round and get points.

If they fail to make a match they get a second chance but this time they are working off of the words that they just said and if they win they will get fewer points. If they fail again, they get a third shot using the words from their second guess.

Check out my Medium review for more information on this party game that gets us laughing every time.

Tapple – This is the most toyrific game on my list today.

Tapple features this rather large disc-shaped thing with a big button in the middle and a set of lettered switches around the outside. A category is drawn from a deck (we usually skip this and just come up with our own geeky categories like Star Trek Alien Species). Then the game turns into word-based hot potato.

When you get handed the Tapple disc you say a word that matches the category, press down the letter that word starts with and pass the toy on. You can only say words for letters that are still up and there’s a timer. Eventually, the game will buzz and the player currently holding the Tapple disc gets eliminated. 

This simple gimmicky game is way more fun than it has any right to be and I love it.

Knit Wit – This is a two to eight player word game that really reminds me of Venn diagrams.

At the start of each round players place down a numbered spool and then place a string around it and clip a random word to that string. Each new string placed has to loop over the spool just placed but can also surround any number of other spools already on the table. In the end, you end up with a table of spools each of which is inside the loop of one or more strings. 

Next, players need to come up with a word for each spool, and this word must fit all of the words tied to the strings that the spool is surrounded by. 

While this one isn’t very highly rated and you don’t see it on many word game recommendation lists, I really dig it. I love trying to come up with words that fit multiple incongruous categories like Cute, Purple, and Sharp.

To me, this is the biggest hidden gem on this list. 

Apples to Apples – In a game of Apples to Apples you start each round by drawing a random description card. Then every player secretly chooses the thing card from their hand that they think best matches that description. The active player gets to pick what they think is the best pairing. That’s pretty much it.

This classic word game has gone on to inspire any number of knock offs and variants including almost all of the popular white text on black background party games, many of which are NSFW. I personally have had way more fun with the original, where any “adult” connections are implied and not overt.

Train of Thought – In this sadly out of print game, two six word clue cards are drawn at the start of each round. One goes on the table and the other the clue giver keeps a secret.

A die is rolled and the conductor (the clue giver) looks at the two clues at that number both on their card and on the face up card. They then need to make a train of clues from the word on the face up card on the table to the word on the card in their hand.

They create the train by giving a three-word clue that has to include the face up word. People then guess the word. After the first guess, the clue giver gives another three word clue this time having to include at least one of the guessed words. This train of words continues until the timer runs out or the conductor gets someone to guess the destination word on their in-hand card.

Letter Jam – When working on this list I wasn’t sure if I was going to include Letter Jam or not. Once I realized just how few great word games I’ve played I decided to include it, despite the fact that it can be rather thinky and only plays up to six players.

Letter Jam is a mix of a spelling and a word guessing game and also includes deduction aspects.

In this cooperative game, players can’t see their own letter cards.  Each round someone gives a clue word and players try to guess what that word is using the letters they can see, knowing only what order the letters in the clue go in.

In addition to guessing the clue, players are also working to figure out what their own personal letters are.  At the end of the game if everyone can spell a word with their personal letters you all win.

---

Honourable Mentions, More Great Word-Driven Games:

The games below didn’t make the main list. For most of them, this is due to the fact I haven’t gotten to play them myself. 

Just One – One of these days I’m going to get myself a copy of Just One or get to play it myself so I don’t have to keep tossing it into the honourable mentions section of these game recommendation lists.

This is a party game where one player is trying to guess a word and everyone else is giving clues, with the trick being that each clue given has to be unique. If two players give the same clue they cancel out.

This game sounds great. I have heard pretty much all positive things about this game with one caveat, I have heard that it may not work well when playing with younger kids due to them having a more limited vocabulary.

Decrypto – When Decrypto came out at cons back in 2018 there was a ton of buzz and, unlike many games, that buzz hasn’t completely died down.

This quick party game plays with up to eight players, broken into teams. Each round one player on each team is trying to pass on a secret code to their partners with the opponents getting a chance to potentially intercept that code between rounds.

This is another one I would love to try out at some point.

Werewords – Long-time Bellhop readers or listeners to our podcast know why I haven’t played this one myself.

This is a word guessing game based on the social deduction party game Werewolf, or Mafia.

Werewords is basically a game of twenty questions, where one of the players is the werewolf who knows the answer and is trying to mislead the rest of the players. If players don’t guess the word before time runs out, they get one more final chance to win, by identifying the werewolf.

Honestly, I should give this one a shot at some point, it sounds like it’s different enough from Werewolf or Mafia and that I might actually enjoy it. What I will say is that there are a large number of people out there that love this game, and I know I’m the outlier when it comes to the original Werewolf game as well.

Spell Smashers – As implied by the name, this is another word based spelling game, where you combine letter cards to spell words.

What’s interesting in this game is that those words are used to battle monsters and acquire treasure. You get coins for damaging monsters and if you manage to defeat a monster you get more letter cards to use in future rounds. Between rounds, you can even go shopping in town.

This sounds like a rather fun word game, though without having played it I can’t tell you how much of a party element it has. It is only listed as playable with up to five players. 

When I Dream – This dream-based game plays up to ten players in under 40 minutes. This is the most unique game on my list today.

In each round of When I Dream, one player is the dreamer who is blindfolded while other players play sprits. The spirits draw dream cards and give one-word clues describing their cards while the dreamer tries to guess what dream elements these represent.

After each round, you get a very improv storytelling element where the dreamer will now use the words guessed to tell the story of their dream. There are also some rules where there are different types of spirits and they have powers that can impact the gameplay.

This is another one that seems like it would make a lot more sense seeing it in person. The combination of word guessing and storytelling elements is really appealing to me.

Word on the Street – This is a lightning-quick, simultaneous play, team based word game where there’s a street board with most of the English consonants placed down the centre. Each round the team is given a category and sets a timer. For each word that they say before the timer runs out they move the letters in that word one step close to their side of the street. If they manage to get a letter off the board they claim it. The first team to claim eight letters wins.

---

All of the games above seem to me like they would be great party games. For a similar list of great word games without a focus on them also being party games, check out my 18 of the Best Word Based Board Games article here and/or check out Episode 75 of The Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, Can I Have A Word?

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.

If you want to enhance your writing skill, it is high time to skip all typical writing books and podcasts and play some word games instead. Word games are great ways to elaborate your vocabulary, enjoy a story and have a lot of fun writing.

Word games are the best way to:

• Develop vocabulary
• Be proficient in English like natives
• Helps you to think more enormously about words
• Find and develop new letters and so on.

Following is a list of 7 best word games to play with friends:

1. Scrabble

Scrabble, the quintessential crossword game, is definitely fun for family and friends. Once your letters are racked you may get excited, pick a good word and go down to a triple word score. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, play the popular Scrabble game excellently with your opponent to have a challenging and fun time.

Scrabble is the ultimate crossword game that counts each letter. Grab your friends and shape the words on the board. After playing your part, calculate the value of all the letters in each new word that you form.

Scrabble is one of the best word games to play with friends, played with letter tiles on a board marked with various squares. Here some squares give extra points. Characters have different point values ​​depending on how common they are. Scrabble’s end result looks like a crossword as many words overlap each other. There are tools like scrabble word finder, which you can use to unscramble words. Additionally, sites like Unscrambled Words provide lists of strategic 2 letter and 3 letter words that will come in use during the game. Learning these words can significantly elevate your Scrabble skills.

Scrabble is an elevated game to play if you want to expand your vocabulary (especially for two letter words). It is worthy for kids too, especially in the “junior” versions.

2. Boggle

Although Scrabble is a kind of crossword game, Boggle is actually a word search game, and if you’re looking for an alternative game that is as fast and fun as Scrabble, this is the cool word games to choose.

It involves critical thinking and concentration. Boggle has long been a family favorite because it is portable and easy to play. The common postulate is quite straightforward – they consist of squares with letters, you can move them, rotate the timer‌ and the player who will find most of the words in 3 minutes wins the game!

Boggle is the perfect game to play if you do not stop after a round. It is also ideal for young players to develop their vocabulary.

3. Dabble

Here you have to compete with other players and have to create five words of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 letters using your 20 tiles to get the first place. Dabble is family friendly. It is easy to understand and play but coming up with words can be a lot more challenging than you might think.

If you enjoy Boggle or Scrabble, you can enjoy dabble as well. This is a considerable way to develop spelling and vocabulary and enjoy words.

4. Tapple

Tapple‌ has a wheel that contains many letters of the alphabet and several subject cards containing 144 different categories. There are many ways you can play it – the basic rules are that each player must think within 10 seconds of such a word that matches the topic, but that word would not start with the initial letter used before.

Although it may seem a bit challenging or frustrating for young children due to its short duration, it is a great game for older kids who want to expand their vocabulary. All the categorizations are suitable for children.

5. Quiddler

Quiddler is the best educational word game suitable for those looking for board games like Scrabble. One great thing about Quiddler is that it can hold up to 10 players, so for those who are very large in the group it is a great option to play Quiddler.

The goal of the game is very straightforward – each player receives a card with letters written on it, and the goal is to make as many words as possible from the cards you have. Each card has its own point value and the one with the most points at the end of the game wins. Quiddler allows words with 2 letters, however, all words must be considered valid in the dictionary.

6. Bananagrams

If you are looking for an amusing word game, Bananagrams is a great choice for you. This simple and fun game is a great way to play a word game like Scrabble – especially if you are on the go.

The Bananagram game contains 144 tiles engraved with letters (such as scrabble tiles) that come in a banana-shaped cloth bag. The game can hold 2-8 players and the number of tiles available to each player depends on the number of people playing. Each player starts by facing his / her tiles and the first player to use his / her tiles to create real words (which should be found in the dictionary) wins the match.

Bananagram is a great game to bring with you wherever you are, especially if you are really into word games.

7. Wordical

Wordical outlines itself as the dice-rolling, radical, word-building race and if you are looking for a fast and exciting word game like Boggle or Scrabble, this would be the best word games to play with friends for you.

Wordical is great for 2-8 players at a time, and the game introduction is effortless. Each player will get a certain number of cards constants enumerated in them and at each turn, players roll the dice with vowels and make as many words as possible using vowels and consonants of their cards.

The game is great for family game nights, especially if you are trying to learn new vocabulary words, and boosts creative thinking. Overall, this platform is one of the best and enjoyable word games.

These games narrated above are the best word games to play with friends. By playing these games is an eminent way to spend time with kith and kin, be it a gathering at home or a party at a friend’s house. This competitive word game makes any event more synergetic, fun, and exciting.

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.

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

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

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

🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Word Board Games

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

04/11/2023 05:30 pm GMT

When I Dream

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

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

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Werewords

Players: 4-10
Playing time: 10 min

Guess the magic word!

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

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

Trapwords

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

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

The timer can be tricky, especially for younger players.

Decrypto

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

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Letter Jam

Players: 2–6
Playing time: 45 min

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

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Bananagrams

Players: 1-8
Playing time: 15 mins

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Blank Slate

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

The game where great minds think alike. 

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Codenames

Players: 2-8
Playing time: 15 min

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

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

More versions of Codenames

Poetry for Neanderthals

Players: 2-12
Playing time: 15 min

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

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Just One

Players: 3-7
Playing time: 20 min

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Punderdome

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

A card game for the pun lovers among us. 

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Quiddler

Players: 1-8
Playing time: 30 min

Quiddler: Simply for the fun of words. 

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Hot Words

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

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

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

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

What we liked

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

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

What could be better

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

Can you handle the heat?

Dabble

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Word a Round

Players: 2
Playing time: 20 min

Race to unravel the word! 

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Word on the Street

Players: 2-10
Playing time: 20 min

A hilarious tug of words.

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Wordplay: Family Edition

Players: 2

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Upwords

Players: 1-4
Playing time: 90 min

Upwords a game of quick stacking and word hacking. 

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Wordical

Players: 2-8

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

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Wordsmithery

Players: 2- 99
Playing time: 20 min

The game for every wordsmith, young and old.

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

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

What we liked

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

What could be better

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

Wrap-Up

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

Happy Wordsmithing!

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.

—

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

Word Games with a difference. Play them with friends or in teams. Increase your Vocabulary. Build team spirit. Spin funny stories

Play these
Word Games — Antakshari, Rigmarole, Memory, Dud, Atlas — with kids and have fun with vocabulary and spellings.

If you need more information about games other than the ones found on this page please use the
Contact Us Page.

© For the building blocks picture

If you would like to check out other kinds of games to play with kids, go to

• Paper-pencil games
• Acting games
• Board games
• Self-esteem Games

Word Games 1 : Antakshari. Antakshari is an Indian word which means the last letter. That is what the game is all about.

How many players are needed? The more the merrier. If there are eight players or more you can divide the group into two teams for the game.

How is it played? The non-team version.

1. Everybody sits in a circle.

2. Pick the denner (the player who will start the game): Recite a rhyme — one word per player. The person at which the rhyme ends will start the game.

Possible rhymes: You could choose any of the nursery rhymes that you remember. If not, you can use one of the following. The first one is an Indian rhyme usually used to find the denner. You can use it if you can get your tongue around the words. The second is an English rhyme.

Akkad bakkad bambe bo,
Assi nabbe poore sau,
Sau me laga dhaga,
Chor nikalke bhaga.

Inky pinky ponky,
Daddy had a donkey;
Donkey died, Daddy cried,
Inky pinky ponky.

3. Once the denner has been identified, she starts with any word. (You can decide in the beginning whether you want to use random words in the game or categories of words. The categories could be names of places, things, five-letter or bigger words)

4. You can decide to continue the game clockwise or anti-clockwise.

5. The next person in the circle has to say a word which begins with the last letter of the first word.

6. Like this the game goes on around the circle until the kids decide to stop

7. In the team version, the team thinks up the word. If a team is taking time to think up a word, the other team can use a countdown like the one in the game
Name, Place, Animal, Thing.

8. This game can also be used with songs (my children prefer to use peppy songs and have rip-roaring fun with the game). The players should think up songs which begin with the last letter of the previous song.

Word Games 2: Decode the Concept and Define (NEW)

Play it with any topic. Say you want to practice a set of concepts in Physics like:

• speed
• velocity
• mass
• acceleration etc

Instructions: Give students time, say 1 minute, to encode a concept of their choice. Following are some ways to encode the word ‘mass’

• Nbtt — Every letter in the code appears before the needed letter in the Alphabet
• Matter acts subtly substantial (beginning letter of every word)
• Emeralds say astute psychology  (second letter of every word)
• 1311919 (ordinal number of every letter in the Alphabet)

The student will choose one such code or make up something entirely their own. Then in turns, each will present their code to the class. The class has to guess the word and then define the concept. 

A student can choose any of the concepts that are being practiced in the class.

Word Games 3: Rigmarole: This is another example for ‘word games’ which is played in group setting. In this game the group spins a story. The more ludicrous the story more the fun.

1. The group sits in a circle and selects a denner using a rhyme (see Antakshari above for sample rhymes)

2. The denner begins to spin the story. The rule is everybody says a couple of sentences at a time and should end their spin with a conjunction.

3. The next person picks up the story and adds her spin. Again the norm is a couple of sentences ending with a conjunction.

Remember this is a word game and the aim of the game is to escape completing a word and becoming a ‘DUD’. If you complete the word three times in a row you are a ‘dud’.

The first time you complete a word you become a ‘d’. The second time you complete a word you become a ‘u’. The third time you complete a word, you become a ‘d’ and so as a ‘dud’ you are out of the game.

How is this word game played? Let’s imagine that a group of five is playing this word game.

A player begins with a letter (any letter) say ‘A’. The next person can add another letter to this say ‘l’. The third person starts to guess the number of words that could begin with ‘Al’, so she might add ‘t’ as her bit.

Suppose the fourth person says ‘a’, the fifth person has no option but to say ‘r’ and complete the word ‘altar’. As she has completed the word she is penalised by being assigned first ‘D’ of ‘DUD’. As she completes the word ‘altar’ she also calls out ‘D’.

A twist in the game: Suppose the fifth person says ‘i’ instead of ‘r’. The next person in the group might get suspicious that she is trying to bluff her way out of completing the word.

So the first person (remember we are using a group of five people and the person next to the fifth person is the first one) calls out ‘challenge’ to the fifth person.

Now the fifth person is obliged to complete the word or accept the first ‘D’ of the ‘Dud’. So if she knows that there is such a word as ‘altaic’ she can say it and escape being a ‘dud’, or if she was bluffing then she has to call out ‘D’.

After one word is complete the game starts again with another random letter. Whoever gets ‘d’, ‘u’ and ‘d’ first becomes the ‘dud’ and is out of the game. This way the game goes on and whoever remains finally is the winner.

Generally children have fun by bluffing their way through the game and avoiding the completion of a word. There is a lot of laughter when somebody’s bluff is called and she is challenged.

For younger children, have wordcharts displayed in the room, so that they will be encouraged to play. A sample word chart is shown above.

You can use it with any class of facts. You can use it for places, rivers, concepts etc.

A group of 8-10 kids is an ideal number to play this word game. If you have many more kids in your class you can make two to three teams.

The game begins by the group of kids spelling out the word ‘ATLAS’, one letter per kid. Whoever gets to say ‘s’ of Atlas begins the game.

The beginner picks a letter of the Alphabet say ‘A’ and names a place that begins with ‘A’. The next person also names another place beginning with ‘A’. Like this the rest of the group does the same, until the group feels it has exhausted all the places beginning with ‘A’.

Then the group starts the next round with another letter say ‘D’. In this manner the game goes on with the other letters of the Alphabet. Of course, if there are two or three teams, the teacher or the adult decides the letters of the Alphabet that the teams will play with.

The teacher or the adult keeps track of the number of places that each group has been able to recall from each alphabet. The group which is able to recall the most number of places is the winner.

The rules of the game:

1. The sequence in which the game will be played is decided in advance, i.e., group 2 follows group 1, which is followed by group 3 and then group 4, until all the groups have taken turns.

2. Each group gets only 30 seconds to answer. The group that does not answer does not get a mark/score. The next group gets the score, if they get the answer.

3. The facilitator initiates the game by a word, say, ‘dictionary’

4. The first group in the sequence has to look in the dictionary for the next word, but which begins with ‘dj’. Suppose the word is ‘djellaba’.

5. The next group has to look up a word which has ‘djf’ or the next possible third letter after ‘dj’

6. The third group looks up a word that is in dictionary sequence upto the 4th letter. The 5th letter is the last in that sequence of dictionary word list. If after the 5th letter there are still groups left, they should start with the next word.

7. The game continues until all the groups in the sequence complete 1 round. Scores are taken stock of at the end of the round. Two to three rounds are played in this manner. The winning group gets an applause.

I played this game for the first time in an English Language Teaching training in Nasik last week. The teachers went overboard over it. I hope you have fun.

Another kind of word game is to use ‘cross and dots’ grid. Here’s a video of this kind of game. Go to the following link on Youtube.

Also get a monthly e-zine ‘Stories for EL’ free for stories that you can use to emphasise experiential learning. Stories and their lessons are easily remembered.

They can also be used to communicate a concept effectively. They add the ‘aha’ or ‘Eureka’ or ‘got it’ factor to presentations and lectures. They are great tools to use in debriefs of games, to drive home a crucial point.

Fill in the form below and subscribe to the free e-zine.