There are a lot of vocabulary games (word games) out there that just aren’t that fun because they are based completely on vocab. Whoever has the larger vocabulary is going to win. The games below attempt to level the playing field by adding additional dimensions to the gameplay. Even people that don’t find Scrabble or Boggle exciting should consider taking a stab at these.
Word on the Street
Out of the Box Publishing Inc.
Word on Street pits two people, or teams, against one another. The letters of the alphabet (17 of them to be exact) are laid down in the middle of the ‘street’ and teams try to come up with the most advantageous word for the category card turned over on their turn. After they decide on the word, they then need to spell it out correctly to move the letters of the alphabet closer to their side, and eventually capture them. The game requires not just a good vocabulary, but the ability to think quick and strategize over which words would give you the most bang for the letter. Knowledge about random things comes in handy too, quick, name a piece of camping gear. The one downside to this game is that it sometimes drags on near the end when both teams are focused on 2 or 3 letters to win the game. Its kind of like tug-a-war and each team is looking for that killer word with 3 p’s to capture their 8th and final letter…puppy anyone?
Ratings:
Vocabulary: 3.5 out of 5
Strategy: 3 out of 5
Fun: 4 out of 5
Playing time: ~30-40 minutes
Best played in teams of at least 2.
Konexi
The Wonder Forge
Konexi is a game that attempts to marry Jenga with Boggle. You’re required to pull a letter off the table, based on the roll of a die, and add it to a structure without causing it to fall. If you want points though, you have to form words using the letter you add and the ones it now connects to. Concocting the longest possible word for a given letter doesn’t always give you an advantage. If you happen to knock over the tower you lose points and possibly the game. Most words used are between 3 and 5 letters with a 6 letter word once in a while. So the vocabulary is not too challenging.
It may look like a difficult task at first, but the letters are sturdy and the connections not too difficult. We have on at least 1 occasion been able to build a tower with all the letters. If you really get into the game you can even add some strategy. If I can’t make a word here…I’m going to throw the Q into the mix and hope you knock it over.
Ratings:
Vocabulary: 2 out of 5
Strategy: 3 out of 5
Patience: 5 out of 5
Fun: 5 out of 5
Playing time: ~20-30 minutes
Typo
University Games
Typo is a vocabulary game that requires some strategical thinking and knowing your opponent. Four letters are placed on the table and each player handed a set of cards with a letter on each one, of course. You have to combine a letter in your hand with a set on the table to form the beginning of a new word. Of course, if you want to add a T after an A to make ‘attic’, best hope that your opponent doesn’t throw a wrench in your plans and add a U to the A for ‘auspicious’. That’s the strategy of the game, what word(s) are they thinking of and can I block them, forcing them to take more cards. It helps to have a great vocabulary, but a good strategy goes a long way in neutralizing that advantage.
Another good aspect to this game is that the number of cards never increases. They go from your hand to the board. From there, if you are required to pick any up, you only pick up half of what is on the table. So the quantity of cards in play is always shrinking, making for a not-too-long game.
Ratings:
Vocabulary: 4 out of 5
Strategy: 4 out of 5
Fun: 4.5 out of 5
Playing time: ~20-30 minutes
* The playing times quoted are for games played where you really set a time limit for each player to come up with a word. If you are playing with younger children it would be worth it to take a bit longer and give them a chance to think each move through. In that case, the games will take a bit longer to be played.
