The ultimate game for impatient word lovers (Boggle)

Member Name: SophieRainbow

Product:	Boggle
Date:	28/07/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick, simple, fun, compact, suitable for 1 player+

Disadvantages: Loud, difficult to make longer words

Boggle, Scrabble's quicker, more exciting cousin, is a game involving spotting words in a 4x4 grid of letters.

To begin the game, 16 6-sided lettered dice are shaken in a tub and laid onto a 4x4 grid. Then, players attempt to find letters of 3 words or more within the 3-minute sand timer supplied. Words can be found in all 5 directions (forward, backwards, left, right and diagonally), and at the end of the game points are scored only for words that no-one else has, and the longer the word, the more points you get.

A good vocabulary is good for Boggle, though not essential as many of the words are short (3 and 4 letters), but this can put children at a disadvantage competitively. Another disadvantage is the loud sound that the dice make as you shake them up initially. There appears to be an imbalance in the number of vowels and consonants and often grids with too many vowels isolate the words that you are able to make, but over several rounds this is less of a problem. First-time players often find it difficult getting to grips with seeing words that can spiral and twist in all directions, but this comes with practice.

On the plus side, the game is quite compact, simple and quick to play. A round including scoring takes less than 10 minutes. To improve your vocabulary and game play, Boggle can be fun to play solo as well. People who enjoy word games but are impatient with scrabble, in which a lot of time seems to be taken trying to fit a word onto the board rather than think of words, will find a safe haven in Boggle.

Summary: Quick and enjoyable game, easier and more fun than Scrabble