It Boggle's the Mind
Written: May 04 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Teaches spelling, quick game
Cons: Not particularly exciting
|
|
|
| msavere's Full Review: Boggle |
Introduction
Dictionary.com lists the following definitions for the word boggle:
* To hesitate as if in fear or doubt.
* To shy away or be overcome with fright or astonishment
* To botch; bungle.
I don't know how many times someone has left the game boggle with intense fear, but I can attest to the fact that most people who have played the game have bungled once or twice. This cross between scrabble and yahtzee pits anywhere from 2 to as many players as you can fit around at table against each other. It's literally nothing to be afraid of, but the fast paced action and quick thinking can lead to frustrating results.
How to Play
The Boggle "board" is made up of a four by four grid of sixteen squares. There are also sixteen dice to go along with this board. Each dice has six different letters on them (each dice has a different six letters, however). The game starts by putting a lid on the board with the dice inside, shaking it until each die fits into a slot in the board, and then uncovering the board and starting the timer.
The object of the game is to find as many words as possible in the grid of 4 X 4 letters which are on the board. Players only count three letter words or more, and letters cannot be used more than twice. For that reason, the longest word you could have would be sixteen letters (although no one would ever play you again if you were that good). At the end of three minutes, players count up how many words they created, and the highest score wins. Players get more points for making longer words.
Example
Just to give an example, this could be the layout of the board after you have shaken it up and started the timer:
S S H R
K O T E
R C A D
C H I S
So, you'd look at the board and try to form words. You can move up, right, left, diagonal, but you cannot repeat letters.
Let's see, if you look at the S in the lower right hand corner, you can spell S-I-D-E
S S H R
K O T E
R C A D
C H I S
Aha, another one. If you start with the O in the second row, you can spell O-T-H-E-R.
S S H R
K O T E
R C A D
C H I S
Time's running out ... oh, here's another C-R-O-S-S
S S H R
K O T E
R C A D
C H I S
And finally, do you see it? C-H-I-C-K
S S H R
K O T E
R C A D
C H I S
A classic joke and a challenging game, who can beat that?
Durability, Who Would Like It?
As you can see, the game is word intensive. Obviously a child who does not know how to spell any words could not play this game. The rules can be modified somewhat to allow two letter words if you have a child that is just learning how to spell.
Although it can improve your spelling and your logical thinking, it is not a game solely geared toward children. I know many adults which call this game their favorite. A round only takes about five minutes, and so, unlike scrabble, it is a word game that one can play without devoting hours (days if you play scrabble like I do!).
If you lose a die, however, you can no longer play the game anymore. Especially if you plan on letting a child keep this in his/her room, the game probably won't last more than a year or two. In my life, I've had about three different games of Boggle and currently do not have a complete set. I keep telling myself: find those dice, and I'll find those missing socks as well.
Conclusion
Boggle is a fun game, but it has never been one of my absolute favorites. There is hardly a limit on the number of people who can play, and with the only age restriction being knowing how to spell, it is very versatile and appeals to a large group. A solid classic to add to your board game collection, but it is not necessary to go out and buy it right now if it doesn't particularly appeal to you.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
msavere
|
|
Member: Mike Rosensaft
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 66 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.