Boggle is yet another variation of a word game. This time it is quite a different set up to any other word game but just as much fun to play.


You have a small board with 16 square compartments in it making a four by four pattern. You then have 16 dice like pieces but instead of dots or numbers on them you have letters on all sides. Then you have a lid that goes on top. The lid is quite high so that once you put the letter cubes inside the base you can hold the lid on and give it a good shake up.


The idea is to make up words using the letters that are face up in the container. If when you have shaken them some are not quite in the holes you need to do a bit of wiggling about so that they all lay down flat.


To make up a word you start at one letter then have to use a letter that is next to this one (can be left, right, up, down or in any diagonal direction) and so on. The words have to be at least three letters long but you can use as many letters as you want as long as you don't use the same cube face more than once per word.


Everyone needs to write down as many words as they can find while the egg timer that comes with the game is going. Once the time has run out you need to stop writing. Then you go around the table and the first person reads out their list of words. If any one else has the same word then it is crossed out on everyone's list. You do this with everybody who is playing until all you each have left is a list of unique words to that player. Then you score each word that is left, for a three or four letter word you get 1 point per word, five letters gives you 2 points, six you get three pints, seven you get five points and eight or over you get 11 points. Then you add up all your points and someone keeps a score sheet showing how many points you each have.


You can keep playing for as long as you like but it is best to have a set limit like may be play for an hour and then highest score wins or may be have first to reach 200 points is the winner.


It is also a good idea to have a dictionary handy as then if someone says a word isn't right you can look it up and see if its spelled correctly or not.


The game is very easy to play and once you get started it is a very satisfactory game to play. I love trying to make up words using the diagonal directions as well as the other ways. Sometimes you can be sitting there thinking you can't find anything then all of a sudden a big word with come into your head and you just hope no one else has the same word.


I found that this game is better played with more grown up children as the younger ones do find it hard to follow the letters to make the words but its not a bad idea to let them have a play about and see if they can do it or not. You can keep one amused on their own by giving them the boggle and getting them to shake it up and then write down as many words as they can and then you checking them, bit like a spelling test at school.


The game is very robust and made to last as long as you don't lose one of the cubes as then you wouldn't be able to play any more.


I looked on Amazon and they have some independent sellers selling the game for £4.25 but you would have to pay pp on top of this. On Toys R Us they have a newer version called Boggle Reinvention for £14.99 which from what I can make out is now an enclosed capsule thing that has the cubes inside and you just shake it up the same but you can't take the cubes out which would stop you losing them. (Amazon have it for £11.99 with free delivery!)

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