Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great game, but one complaint..., October 23, 1999
By A Customer
Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
I love Scrabble and bought this item to replace an older set. I'd give it five stars, and it probably should still get five since the game is the same, but.... Here are my aesthetic 'issues' with this newer release of the flat board and wood tile version:1) the playing area is not centered in the folding board; very displeasing 2) the tiles are made of lighter wood (pine instead of oak? I don't know my woods, but this one is light) 3) the tile trays are less rounded and more squared-off in profile (yes, this is very picky) This game mas previously been produced by both Milton-Bradley and Shelchow & Righter, and both did a better job than Hasbro with this one. Consider the small travel version with a plastic grid and small, thick wood tiles -- even for home use, that's how disappointing this one is.
|
|
|
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best games ever invented, June 28, 2000
By A Customer
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
Scrabble is one of the best, most challenging games invented. Up to four players choose seven letter tiles each, and they must use them to produce words that connect with other tiles already on the board to form horizontal and vertically arranged words -- like a crossword puzzle. Sound easy to play? It is. But it's not easy to master.I grew up playing this game, and now that my children are learning to read they are being introduced to the game. The only complaint I've heard about the game is that it can take a while to finish. That aside, this is an excellent game -- it makes players think not only about what words they can make with their letters, but about game strategy as well. That is, how to best use their letters to maximize their own score while providing as few opportunities for opponents to build. A great game for building critical thinking and spelling and vocabulary skills. 5 stars all the way!
|
|
|
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The classic word game, April 8, 2005
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
Scrabble is a word game that anybody can play as long as they can spell in the language in which the game is being played. It can be a lot of fun but it's wise to have a dictionary at hand to settle disputes that arise when somebody creates a dubious word or spelling. The dictionary should only be used to settle disputes - leafing through its pages trying to find a word that fits your letters is definitely cheating. The game is intended to be played by between two and four players but it is possible to practise alone and I'll explain how later, though it isn't as much fun as playing against another person. If more than four people are available, they can either team up or just find something else to use instead of racks to hold the tiles.
Scrabble comes in various editions but all of them have certain things in common. There are 100 tiles each with a letter on them, four racks (one to hold each payer's tiles) and a bag into which all tiles are placed at the start of the game and from which all players draw letters as the game progresses. The main playing area is a board of 15 x 15 squares, most of which are of a standard gray color. Some squares are red, pink, dark blue or pale blue - these are premium-scoring squares (triple word, double word, triple letter, double letter respectively).
To begin with, each player draws seven tiles from the bag. The first player makes a word from any or all of their letters and places it on the board, beginning, ending or crossing the central square, which automatically gives them a double word score. (it is pink) and replaces the used tiles with a corresponding number of tiles from the bag. Subsequently, players take turns to create a new word (thereby building a crossword on the board), attempting to score as many points as possible. Any tiles added must all form part of one word and link to tiles already on the board but strategy as well as vocabulary is useful.
Most of the time, you just place letters focusing on an existing tile on the board, using that tile as part of the word you create, However, if you have a letter S in your rack, you may be able to add it to the end of an existing word while also using it as part of a word of your own, if there is clear room on the board for you to do so. Thus, you score for your own word but you also score for the word that you made into a plural. This is just one example of how you can (sometimes) score for more than word while sticking to the rules, but it teaches you not to waste S letters - keep them for when they can be most effectively used.
When there are no more tiles in the bag, play continues until one player uses up all their tiles or nobody is able to. At that point, points on unused tiles still in players' racks are deducted from their score.
To play alone is quite simple, if less satisfying. The object is to score as many points as possible. Obviously, scoring is much easier since you can build the crossword in a very open design - you aren't trying to block your opponents - but if you find that those opponents usually beat you, a bit of practice on your own might improve your chances of beating them in future.
So, if you decide to buy Scrabble, it comes down to deciding whether to buy the Deluxe edition (if you can afford it), the Travel edition (for taking away from home with you) or the standard edition. Just make sure you have that dictionary at hand to settle disputes, otherwise it won't be much fun.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
