Upwords
$16.00
Upwords at a Glance
| Game Type Word Skills Vocabulary | Play Time 30 - 90 mins + | Skill/Complexity (2 - 5) Light |
| Age 8+ | Publisher(s) Hasbro | Published 1983 |
| Categories Classic / Word / Family | Players 2 - 4 | Cost $16 + |
| Our Rating 8/10 | Instructions/Rules Upwords Rules PDF |
About – Description
Designed by Elliot Rudell, the Upwords board game was first published by the toy company Milton Bradley (now part of Hasbro) and has been on sale within the marketplace since 1983. It’s now sold in over 20 countries worldwide, although named differently in many countries.
I have been emailed a few times about the original Milton Bradley Upwords board game. It can still be bought second hand, but the original classic looking one that’s now branded by Hasbro is the same (see picture below).
Upwords has similarities with the classic Scrabble game and has proven to be a top seller along side Scrabble for some years. There are also differences including the scoring and overall Upwords seems more simpler.
The main difference and this is where it got its name is that letters can be stacked upwards on top of each other. Hence the name Upwords!
I was not going to get through this article and review without mentioning Scrabble. It had to be done, but that’s enough of Scrabble for now. Buy and play both if you’re unsure which will suit you best.
Let’s move on to who the Upwords board game is best suited for……..
Who’s it best suited for?
Upwords is of course suitable for word buffs, crossword enthusiasts, pedagogues (google it) and for those that wish to practice increasing their vocabulary including children.
Families with younger children (6+) can and do play Upwords, and have a lot of fun. Playing can help improve learning words in a different sort of way, and improves vocabulary. Unfortunately, with this type of game some kids are just going to find it too boring, and they just want to go where there is more fun (that was me, and still can be).
It’s always worth testing and seeing if kids can get into word board games, and there are ways of making them simpler, more fun and rewarding (offer prizes may encourage – or any other bribes will do).
Skill – Complexity
The skill involved in playing Upwords the board game is all about word knowledge. A little luck may be involved in letters drawn, although that small amount of luck can run out quickly if your competitors are well worded up.
It seems simpler to me to play than Scrabble, however, I like both in there own way. Scrabble gets the upper hand which is because of growing up and seeing my grandma play.
Set Up – Playing Rules & Instructions
Setting up is very straightforward. You will use a board, letter tiles, note pad and pen for scoring, and tile holders for placing letters. This will take a minute to set up.
A dictionary is useful to stop those who seem to make up new non-dictionary words. Use the dictionary to confirm the word is made up or real.
You can play with 2 – 4 players, and 4 makes it more fun.
Rules – Basics of Play
Each player draws seven letter tiles from the bag to place in the holder and then they need to draw a letter each to decide who is first to play.
First person begins with trying to form a word with at least 2 letters, and then the next player(s) takes their turn building on the letters and words that exist already.
Each word successfully created by a player gives that player a score. The highest scorer wins the game. How score amounts given are explained in detail within the instructions.
You can also stack letters on top of others which changes the first word (the word under the new letter) in to another. This is the Upwords aspect of the game that is different from Scrabble and makes it a lot of fun, and stacking brings in more points.
The added cool slant on stacking up is towards the end of the game a player can grab a lot of points, so the ending can become a big game changer.
The game ends when a player has no more letters and the letter bag is empty, or no more words can be created from the tile racks and letter draw bag. You can also choose to put a time limit on the game if your time is limited.
Tally up the scores and try not to have many tiles left over. Each tile left on your rack deducts 5 points from your end total.
This how to play video is very useful…….
Versions – Editions
There are various Upwords game versions and some have different names for the particular country it is sold and played in.
The classic edition, vintage (8×8 Board), deluxe and various year editions are available to purchase.
Final Thoughts
Upwords is a lot like Scrabble and then a few interesting differences. The stacking up and the ability to increase points near the end of the game is fun.
If you’re a fan of word games, crosswords or words are important to you in any other way, then get yourself a copy of Upwords.
And…..
If you are confused about whether to get Scrabble or Upwords I would go for both as they are similar but different in a good supportive way. Variety of word games is the spice of vocabulary, I say.
