Retrocon 2024

Why Scrabble Has Remained Popular Over the Years

There is no better way to spend free time than playing games. This not only means the usual outdoor sports such as soccer but intellectual indoor games. There are many games which put your mind to the test. Scrabble is one such game. It helps you jog your mind as you try to create words from a group of tiles. It is played by two to four people hence making you also spend quality time with family or friends.


Scrabble was invented in 1938 by Alfred M. Butts. It was an advancement of a game he had created earlier called Lexiko. Since then, the game has evolved with new rules emerging. In the late 20th century, the number of its fans increased and later started being aired as a television game show in 1984. It was a highly rated program for NBC which ran for 6 years and over 1,300 episodes. Scrabble is still popular, bringing along many benefits to players. Here is why Scrabble has remained popular over the years.

Popularity Through Game Shows

Scrabble was well received in America during it's initial run as a television game show. After being licensed to produce the TV program, it gained an official platform at NBC. Scrabble was a break-though for Exposure Limited and Reg Grundy Productions. No-one could afford to miss an which was hosted by Chuck Worley who simultaneously hosted the dating show Love Connection. Scrabble would welcome different competitive contestants with each episode with champions able to return until defeated or retired. The longevity of its initial run from 1984-90 and a brief return in 1993, allowed for many fans to become more interested in the game. In all, Scrabble ran for an impressive 1,335 episodes.

The popularity of the game show gave birth to related board games through the years. An example is Upwords which was a Scrabble like game that was created just before Scrabble went on the air in the early '80s. This game just like others last century games have improved.

With new technology coming in, games have revolutionized into apps such that you can play at the comfort of your phone. With the app, you can compete with other players online. Some sites may also allow you to do gaming with different online users. This makes the game more relevant in the modern world.

Scrabbles Improves Intellectual Capacity

Research shows that most indoor games put the brain to test in a great way. Scrabble is one of those type games which make you think harder. While trying to figure out certain words to form through the tiles, makes you boost your intellectual abilities. By developing your cognitive capacity, you become a better problem-solver in real life.

Some findings show that such cognitive exercises are capable of slowing down the development of mental disorders and diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and certain types of dementia. The game also introduces you to rare words or the ones in specific disciplines. This may prompt you to do more research on them hence boosting your knowledge.

Teaches Vocabulary

The game also helps with expanding vocabulary and boosts your words-derivation capacity. Through consistent playing, you become better at adding suffixes and prefixes to words. It is a good option for school-goers as they may end up improving their English through playing. The game has a lot to do with getting a word and finding the meaning.

This offers players the chance to play and learn new Words. The game evolution has made it global with different translations. Therefore, for each language, the players enjoy the same luxury of learning. A dictionary should not be used in the game but for the children, an exception can be made. These days we have online scrabble word finders. Folks at unscramblex.com offer advice on how you can solve your scrabble game. It is possible to not only scrabble but unscramble as well. Most allow only a maximum of 15 words while searching.

People Find the Game Strategic

Scrabble has exciting features which make it challenging. Some of the letter combinations are rare yet time is limited. The risk remaining with the tiles when after the game ends. The match ends when there are no options for letters to be drawn. The second determinant of the end of the game is when the players have to use all their letters. Thirdly, if no one creates a word after one round it is called done. The letters remaining are deducted from the player’s scores.

For you to stand a chance, you need to plan for the different words. In mind, know that the opponent may predict this and do some blocking moves. This needs you to create a working plan to stand a chance of winning. The players need to also target the double and triple wins through the placement of the right word combinations on the square board. All these train you to sharpen your strategy developments.

Helps in Working on Personal Confidence and Emotional Well-Being

In the game, you need to offer a logical solution to a problem. It means that even after losing, the excitement you get through your tactics brings satisfaction. This makes you feel more motivated to try again. In the process, you develop persistence rather than discouragement. This is the way to achieving confidence. The challenges sometimes are complex. Making efforts and solving them will make you believe in yourself even more.

Find better players than you for more stiff competition. It makes you grow your desire to face challenges. You will find the lessons from the game being impactful in your day-to-day life. You will face the problems head-on and try to come up with solutions to them. The setbacks will be a thing of the past.

Trains Children for School Setting

The game is not limited to age. The children in all grades have played it in most parts of the world. A player has to think critically before deciding on where to place the words. This requires a lot of concentration. It helps in properly analyzing the letters in hand and spaces available. The school children need to have a high concentration in their classwork for the understanding of concepts.

It fosters learning through creative playing. Kids tend to understand more when the environment is jovial and friendly. The game makes them learn new words as they play. It makes them gain much without even knowing it. Through playing the game over and over again, the kids improve their creativity skills.

Over the years, many games have been invented and improved on. Some of them are relevant even today. Scrabble ranks high on the list. The game has revolutionized in several ways to the advantage of players. It has many people globally playing it. There are many reasons which make it popular in the modern generation.

Post a Comment

0 Comments

Close Menu