Scrabble, along with all of its offshoot games like Words with Friends, can be considered as the ultimate board game. I hear you wonder though, why? Well, the strategies and concepts involved in the game are similar both in life and war. Though its game play may seem simple, the tactics involved are rather complex and involves huge gambles in order to receive massive payoffs. So, let’s dive into the fireworks: why should Scrabble be considered as the ultimate board game?
#1. It involves more brainpower than chess
Although some would definitely say that chess is the best board game, others would beg to differ and give Scrabble that honor. In playing chess, you need a keen eye and a truckload of common sense. Meanwhile, in Scrabble, you need all of the qualities of a good chess player and possess a wicked vocabulary in order to rack up wins. This in turn makes Scrabble able to squeeze out all of your brain juices. Winning is relatively easy: just score more points than your opponent, but the ways and means on how to do it is filled with complexities.
While playing Scrabble, you’ll tire pretty quickly. However, remember that regardless of the results of the game, it’s a mutual benefit for you and your opponent. Both of you get to pick up new words and learn all new tactics every time you play the board! You’ll also learn more in playing Scrabble than in chess.
#2. It involves taking advantage of the playing field
If you look at the Scrabble board, you’ll probably just see a bunch of white and colored squares (the bonus squares). Oh but it’s more than that: you need to play each square to have a situational advantage. This makes Scrabble the only board game that gives you the upper hand in certain parts of the playing field, which isn’t present in chess nor checkers. As you may already know, the hot spots give players extra points, and the outcome of the game highly depends on how the players maximize them.
Placing the words on the squares is comparable to the field of war – it’s like placing your units on where their strengths are. Put the cavalry on flat plains, while you place the archers on high ground. Just imagine that the words you’re playing are military units and the bonus squares are the places where they’re strong.
#3. You’re making your own weapons
In other board games, especifically chess, you’re given 10 pawns, two knights, bishops, rooks and one king and a queen. All of your units and weapons are already given to you, while in Scrabble, you have to create your own weapons which take the form of words. Creating a word means making use of the tiles you’ve drawn, which are decided by the draw (remember, you are required to have seven letter tiles on your rack). Your path to victory depends on how you craft and create words, as well as studying the playing field. This in turn makes the game a lot more exciting.
#4. You don’t rely on luck
Unlike most board games, Scrabble does not make the players rely on the role of the dice, a coin toss or the luck of the draw. It requires pure skill, ability and intelligence. If you’re smarter than your opponent, then you’re bound to win, as compared to other board games that are dictated highly by luck. You learn nothing if you play games of chance and luck. Better to be good at something than to be lucky.