Scrabble is a classic game with lasting popularity. Gather your tiles, form words, and fill the word grid, all in pursuit of high scores. It’s no wonder that Scrabble has inspired loads of board games over the years.
If you’re searching for board games like Scrabble, I recommend Boggle. It’s also a timeless classic but more convenient for travel and is faster-paced. It’s fun for all ages and doesn’t require any set up.
But Boggle is just one of many board games like Scrabble that are worth considering. I’ve shared the highlights, details, and mechanics of each game below.
Which word game will become your next favorite? Read on to learn more.
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Scrabble-Like Games: At a Glance
If you like building words using letter cards, tiles, or cubes, you should consider Upwords, Boggle, Big Boggle, or Dabble.
If you like coming up with new words or unique words, you might like A Little Wordy, Tapple, or Last Word.
If you prefer letters to have point values, you should consider Word Spin, Big Boggle, or Boggle.
Playing with children? You might prefer Scrabble Junior, Upwords, or Dabble.
Word Game Reviews
Boggle Classic: Best Overall
Players: 1+
Playing time: 15 minutes
Age: 8+
Boggle is a classic and one of the best word games like Scrabble. It’s fun, easy to play, and only takes a matter of minutes per round.
If you’re unfamiliar with Boggle, it’s simple. Shake the 4×4 grid to mix up the letter cubes. Then lift the lid to reveal the letters and flip the timer.
Players have 90 seconds to write down as many words as they can find on the grid before time is up. If you want to extend the round to 3 minutes, simply flip the timer a second time.
At the end of the round, score the words. If two or more players find the same word, that word doesn’t count. The player with the most points wins.
Boggle comes in an easy to store travel case for both the timer and the letter dice. The plastic lid can be tricky to remove. But after removing it a few times, it should be easier.
This game is good for solo play, but it’s also a lot of fun in a head-to-head match or among a group of friends.
Boggle is sturdier than other board games at a similar price point. It’s a fantastic value.
Pros
- For single or multiple players
- Quick playing time
- High replay value
- Easy to transport
- Simple rules
- Affordable
Cons
- Plastic lid can be difficult to remove
Upwords: Best for Family Game Night
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 20 minutes
Age: 8+
Upwords takes word games to the next level… literally. This is a high-stacking, world-building game where the higher you your highest scoring word stack, the higher you score!
In Upwords, each player starts with seven letter tiles. Build words across, down, or stack tiles on top of a word to change it. Earn points for each tile you play.
Score points for a single tile high and for any letter tiles stacked underneath. You can even earn bonus points if you use all seven of your tiles in a single turn.
This is a great game for 2-4 players. It requires strategy as players compete to spell words and win the game. It’s possible to play solo, as well.
Upwords includes a rotating game board with a lazy Susan design. This allows players to easily place their tiles on the board. Simply turn the game board in your direction to play your word.
The game comes with a game board, 100 letter tiles, four tile racks, a tile bag, and an instruction sheet.
Be forewarned. The tile bag is basically a plastic Ziploc bag. No fabric or drawstring closure. Also, the tiles have indentations that are supposed to make it easier to stack. But it can have the opposite effect. The original game had higher-quality pieces.
But this version is inexpensive, so the quality correlates with the cost. The game mechanics were a big hit with buyers in spite of that, earning great user reviews.
If you can get over the fact that it’s cheaply made, this game is a lot of fun. It deserves a place on my recommendations for best board games, like Scrabble.
Pros
- Fast-paced game
- Easy to learn
- Great for families
- Rotating game board
- Affordable
Cons
- Cheaply made
- Reports of missing letter tiles
Dabble: Best Educational Game
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 10 minutes
Age: 8+
Dabble is a word game and brain teaser full of excitement and fun. This game is suitable for ages 8+, and a single round can be played in just a matter of minutes.
In Dabble, each player gets 20 letter tiles and a five-tier tile rack. The rest of the letters are placed in the center, face down.
One player says, “Go!” and flips the 2-minute sand timer. Players race to spell five words using all their letters. The first person to finish wins the round.
If you get stuck, you can switch out one of your tiles for a letter tile in the center.
If no player can use all the letters, the round ends when the timer runs out. Several buyers opted not to use the timer and go as long as it took for someone to complete their five words.
You can make that adjustment based on the age and language development of the players in your group. This game is popular among teachers for building their students’ vocabulary and spelling words.
Dabble is quick to play and easy to learn. It’s designed for 2-4 players and is great for families or the classroom.
Buyers enjoyed this word game and said it was fun for the whole family.
Some did point out that the tiles are semi-transparent, so it’s easy to see the letters when they’re flipped over. If you have a cheater on your hands, they might be tempted to choose the letter they need. Most didn’t find it to be a problem, however.
The tile stands could also use an upgrade. They get stuck and are difficult to break down. You’ll have to use finesse or force to get them back in the box after playing.
But if you enjoy word-building and racing against other players, this game is a good choice.
Pros
- Quick, fast-paced
- Easy to learn
- Competitive, exciting
- Builds vocabulary
- Great for practicing spelling words
Cons
- Tile stands could use an upgrade
- Tiles are semi-transparent
A Little Wordy: Best for Couples
Players: 2
Playing time: 15 minutes
Age: 10+
From the creators of Exploding Kittens comes A Little Wordy. It’s a 2-player tile-unscrambling game for anyone who loves word games. This game is clever because it doesn’t require a large vocabulary to outwit and defeat your opponent.
In a Little Wordy, you and your opponent are given a pile of letters. Rearrange the letters until you form a word. Be sneaky and try to come up with a word your opponent won’t guess. Write down your secret word.
Use the clue cards to try and guess your opponent’s word. The first person to guess the other player’s word is the winner.
A Little Wordy is like a mash-up of Scrabble and MasterMind. It’s great, too, because longer words don’t necessarily win. Sometimes players overlook easy words. Anyone can win!
This game is easy to learn and easy to transport. It comes with a travel-friendly board, playing cards, letter tiles, drawstring bags for vowels and consonants, two dry-erase player shields, and two dry-erase markers.
Buyers enjoyed playing this with their spouse or partner, and they found it to be a great time-filler. Each round lasts a matter of minutes, so you don’t have to commit to a long gaming session to enjoy the fun.
The only drawback is the dry-erase “secret word” shield. It’s difficult to erase and stains easily. I recommend investing in some board cleaner or just using a notepad and pencil instead.
It would be nice if you could adapt the game to accommodate more players. But if you enjoy 2-player games or guessing games, A Little Wordy is for you.
Pros
- Short playing time
- Easy to learn
- Fun for all vocabulary levels
- Great for couples
Cons
- Only supports 2 players
- Player shield stains easily
TAPPLE: Best Runner-Up
Players: 2-8
Playing time: 15-20 minutes
Age: 8+
TAPPLE is an award-winning fast-paced word game that pits players against the clock and each other. This game is suited for kids, teens, and adults alike.
The rules are fairly simple. To play, take a category card from the stack and choose a category for the round. Announce the category and tap the timer button in the center of the TAPPLE wheel to begin the round.
On your turn, you have 10 seconds to name an answer for the category. Your answer must start with an available letter on the TAPPLE wheel.
Press the letter of your first answer, tap the button to reset the timer, and pass the turn. Pressed letters are no longer available to use for that round, so it becomes more difficult as the letters are eliminated.
The last player standing collects the category card. The first person to collect three cards wins. To play longer games, you can predetermine the number of cards required to win.
All you need is the portable TAPPLE wheel and the category cards, so this game is great to take with you on the go. It’s perfect for road trips, vacations, class trips, or even game nights at home.
Buyers gave rave reviews to TAPPLE. They had so much fun playing with their spouses, families, and friends. I like this game’s ability to adapt to different group sizes.
There were isolated reports of a faulty built-in timer, so I recommend checking that first upon receipt.
But other than that, it’s nothing but praise for this word game. TAPPLE is one of the best games like Scrabble for quick thinkers and those who want something fun for their next family game night together.
Pros
- Portable, easy to carry
- Fast-paced
- For 2-8 players, for flexible gaming groups
- Easy to learn
- Intense, race against the timer
Cons
- Reports of faulty timer
Last Word: Best Party Game
Players: 2+
Playing time: 30 minutes
Age: 14+
If you got into trouble for blurting out answers in school, Last Word is the perfect game for you. This game will have you blurting out like you’ve never blurted before!
Last Word is a timed game played in rounds. There are two stacks of subject cards and letter cards. To start the round, players each take a subject card and keep it to themselves. One player flips over the top letter card.
Everyone looks at their subject cards and tries to think of a word in that category that begins with the letter shown. The first person to think of a word places the card down, hits the timer, and says a word that fits.
All other players must blurt out words that fit the subject until the buzzer rings. The last player to say a correct word wins the round.
Advance your pawn on the game board for each round you win. The first player to advance to the finish line wins the game.
For Hot Potato cards, players must take turns in a clockwise order instead of blurting out all at once. This type of play is less chaotic, but the buzzer might go off before you get through everyone, so it’s not as much fun.
You might try to wait until the time is almost out to say your answers, but the timer is unpredictable, so you never know when the buzzer will go off.
For those who might try to sneak in a nonsense word, the group can challenge any bogus word. The majority wins.
This is a great game for large groups of teens or adults. The buzzer can go pretty quickly, so it moves too fast for young children.
But if you enjoy word games but not spelling, or if you just HAVE to get the last word, Last Word is the perfect game for you!
Pros
- Intense, requires quick thinking
- Doesn’t require spelling or writing
- Good player interaction
- Moves quickly
- Good for larger groups
Cons
- Not for kids
Scrabble Junior: Best for Kids
Players: 2-4
Playing time: 15 minutes
Age: 5+
If you need word games like Scrabble for kids, what better option than Scrabble Junior? In this kid-friendly game, players build as many words as they can with their letter tiles.
Scrabble Junior has a double-sided board. On one side, players match letters to form words. On the other side, players build their own words. Colorful picture clues help players as they’re building words.
The game is advertised as suitable for kids as young as five years old, but children need to recognize letters to play this word game. You can use your judgment to determine if your child can successfully participate in this game.
Scrabble Junior comes with character tokens to track points and blue tiles with yellow letters.
I like the double-sided board that can grow and advance with children as they become more proficient in their vocabulary and spelling skills.
However, the game components are not durable. The letter tiles are made of cardboard, and there is no tile rack. The board is on the thinner side, too. But the game is inexpensive, so you get what you pay for.
If you want a board game suited for younger children, Scrabble Junior is a great pick.
Pros
- Great for kids
- Easy to learn
- Quick playing time
- Double-sided board
- Colorful game pieces
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Game components are cheaply made
Big Boggle: Best for Solo Play
Players: 1+
Playing time: 15-30 minutes
Age: 8+
If Boggle leaves you wanting more, you should check out Big Boggle. It has a bigger 5×5 grid with more letters, longer words, and higher scores.
Just like the classic version, begin Big Boggle by flipping the 3-minute sand timer. See how many words you can find and write down.
Find words with the highest point value possible. Long words are worth more, so you’ll want to use all the letters you can.
At the end of three minutes, score your words. If two players find the same word, that word doesn’t count. The player with the most points wins.
Big Boggle adds a “double letter” cube with extra letters to make it easier to form longer words. For instance, one side shows “-er,” which you can use to make multiple words from one root.
There is a clear advantage if you have a larger vocabulary. So it’s probably not best to play with kids, unless the point is to help teach them new words.
In any case, this game is sure to be a family favorite among those who enjoy word games.
Pros
- Quick playing time
- High replay value
- Simple, easy to learn
- Extra double letter
- Larger grid
Cons
- Matchups can be lopsided
Word Spin: Best Variety Game
Players: 1-8
Playing time: 20 minutes
Age: 8+
Word Spin is an award-winning magnetic spin game released in 1995. This game has eight magnetic wheels with 10 letters on each wheel.
Spin the wheel to create words. Spin, switch, and rearrange them in any order to create more complex words to score more points.
Each wheel contains 10 letters, with each letter containing numbers between 2-10. Players agree on a time limit for each round. Form words, then add your points after each round. The player with the most points at the end is the winner.
Each Word Spin contains a mesh travel pouch to store the wheels when not in use. The instructions include rules for different games of varying difficulty.
I like the simplicity of the design, and the magnetic wheels that hold the discs together.
However, I just don’t see this as one of those games I would pull out for game night. If you like variety games and puzzles, you might enjoy Word Spin. But if you want more traditional board games, you might be better off with something else.
Pros
- Quick set up
- Adaptable to different levels
- Includes puzzle solving
- Easy to learn & play
- Includes mesh bag for storage
Cons
- Not like traditional board games
Word Game Buying Guide
When searching for the best word games, it’s important to look for the right elements.
First, you want a game that has a high replay value. Games like Scrabble are fun because you can play them over and over again. The high level of variation allows you to enjoy them repeatedly.
Secondly, look for quality game components. You won’t be drawn to word games that look and feel cheap.
Lastly, it’s important to look for games with solid mechanics. Timers, point values, taking turns or simultaneously play, all of these elements can make a game more exciting.
Best Word Games Like Scrabble: Conclusion
What’s the best word game like Scrabble? I would go with Boggle. It has great reviews and has all the elements that make Scrabble so great but in a more compact form.