Word games (also called word game puzzles or

word search A word search, word find, word seek, word sleuth or mystery word puzzle is a word game that consists of the letters of words placed in a grid, which usually has a rectangular or square shape. The objective of this puzzle is to find and mark all ...

games) are spoken, board, or video games often designed to test ability with

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...

or to explore its properties. Word games are generally used as a source of

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

, but can additionally serve an

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

al purpose. Young children can enjoy playing games such as Hangman, while naturally developing important language skills like spelling. Researchers have found that adults who regularly solved

crossword A crossword is a word puzzle that usually takes the form of a square or a rectangular grid of white- and black-shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the ans ...

puzzles, which require familiarity with a larger

vocabulary A vocabulary is a set of familiar words within a person's language. A vocabulary, usually developed with age, serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Acquiring an extensive vocabulary is one of the la ...

, had better brain function later in life. Popular word-based

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...

s have been a part of television and radio throughout broadcast history, including '' Spelling Bee'', the first televised game show, and '' Wheel of Fortune'', the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States.

Categories of word game

Letter arrangement games

In a letter arrangement game, the goal is to form words out of given letters. These games generally test vocabulary skills as well as

lateral thinking Lateral thinking is a manner of solving problems using an indirect and creative approach via reasoning that is not immediately obvious. It involves ideas that may not be obtainable using only traditional step-by-step logic. The term was first u ...

skills. Some examples of letter arrangement games include ''

Scrabble ''Scrabble'' is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, read left t ...

'', ''

Upwords ''Upwords'' (at one time branded as ''Scrabble Upwords'' in the United States and Canada; and '' Topwords'' ''Crucimaster'', ''Betutorony'', ''Palabras Arriba'' or ''Stapelwoord'' in other countries) is a board game invented by Elliot Rudell ...

'', '' Bananagrams'', '' Countdown'' and ''Paperback''.

Paper and pencil games

In a paper and pencil game, players write their own words, often under specific constraints. For example, a

requires players to use clues to fill out a grid, with words intersecting at specific letters. Other examples of paper and pencil games include hangman,

categories Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally *Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) *Category (Kant) * Categories (Peirce) * ...

, ''

Boggle ''Boggle'' is a word game invented by Allan Turoff and originally distributed by Parker Brothers. The game is played using a plastic grid of lettered dice, in which players look for words in sequences of adjacent letters. Rules One player begi ...

'', and word searches.

Semantic games

Semantic games focus on the

semantics Semantics (from grc, σημαντικός ''sēmantikós'', "significant") is the study of reference, meaning, or truth. The term can be used to refer to subfields of several distinct disciplines, including philosophy, linguistics and comp ...

of words, utilising their meanings and the shared knowledge of players as a mechanic.

Mad Libs Mad Libs is a phrasal template word game created by Leonard Stern and Roger Price. It consists of one player prompting others for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story before reading aloud. The game is frequently played as a par ...

, ''

Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which started in 1979 and is still running today, albeit with some sizeable gaps. The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 un ...

'', and Codenames are all semantic games.

Modern word games

As part of the modern "Golden Age" of board games, designers have created a variety of newer, non-traditional word games, often with more complex rules. Games like '' Codenames'', ''Decrypto'', and ''Anomia'' were all designed after 2010, and have earned widespread acclaim.

Mobile games A mobile game, or smartphone game, is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any portable device, including from mobile phone ( feature phone or smartphone), tablet, PDA to ...

like '' Words with Friends'' and ''Word Connect'' have also brought word games to modern audiences.

In media

Many popular word games have been adapted to television and radio game shows. As well as the examples given above, shows like '' Lingo'', '' Says You!'', ''

Catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

,'' and '' Only Connect'' either revolve around or include elements of word games. Word games have also been launched on the Internet and featured in major publications, such as ''The New York Times ''Spelling Bee.

References

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