What Are Some Fun Word Scramble Games You Can Play Online?
Remember your childhood days when simple word puzzle games were all the rage? We carried around magazine-like books filled with all kinds of mind challenges, from traditional crossword puzzles and word searches to word jumbles and scrambles, and pulled them out pretty much anytime we had to be quiet. The love affair with words even popped up in the 3-D world in the form of the family favorite Scrabble board game.
Years later, the transition to high-tech devices dampened our traditional fascination with puzzles, but that doesn’t mean wonderful options no longer exist. You just have to go digital to find plenty of sites and apps that will challenge you to unscramble letters to your heart’s content. If you’ve got a way with words, don’t miss this roundup of some of our favorites, complete with links to help you find them.
Jumble
Jumble is far from new to the word puzzle stage, as hardcopy editions of the game have been appearing in newspapers since 1954. To play classic Jumble, you unscramble letters to make words that reveal a “punny” caption. Part of the fun is that the caption is connected in some way to a cartoon that appears alongside each puzzle. While the connection isn’t always obvious at first, it’s sure to give you a chuckle if you ponder it long enough to get it.
You can still find books of jumbles in bookstores and via online retailers as well as at some vintage shops and maybe even at garage sales. The game has proven addictive to fans for more than 60 years, so you will have plenty of puzzles to explore. If you want to play online, then visit the Jumble website or download the Just Jumble app on your smartphone.
Scramble Words
Scramble Words is a free online game that’s like a mixture of Scrabble and Wheel of Fortune. You start with a set of letters that you unscramble to make a word. The trick is you then use the same letters to find other words to complete the puzzle. Fill the blank slots above the tiles with the words you form.
You score points based on how long it takes you to unscramble all the words, and the higher your score rises, the more difficult the words will become. Best of all, Scramble Words remembers your score for next time, so you never have to start over. A variety of different websites host the game, including AARP.
Outspell
If you’re a fan of Scrabble, then Outspell is a great online word game for you. Completely free, this brain challenging game lets you compete against the computer to unscramble words and letters to score points. Much like the Scrabble board game, Outspell has letter tiles with different values, and bonus spaces are spread across different parts of the board.
The game lets you choose easy, medium and hard skill levels and offers a built-in dictionary for checking both routine and questionable words to make sure they are actually valid. No matter what your skill level may be, Outspell is a great way to keep your mind and spelling skills sharp. Check it out on Washington Post games.
Word Wipe
Word Wipe is another cool word game you can play on the Washington Post game page. This one features various rows of what appear to be random letters. The goal is to unscramble those letters to find a word that you form by using your mouse to link the letters together. Once the word is formed, it will disappear, and the letters on top of it will drop down to the next row.
Think of it as a cool mixture of a word unscrambling game and a puzzle game like Collapse! Remember to work as quickly as possible to clear as many rows as you can before the time runs out — and watch your score climb the ranks.
Word Blitz
Looking for a fun word game you can play with friends? Check out Word Blitz, which you can access through Facebook’s game section. Challenge your social media friends to see who can unscramble the most words the fastest or let the game automatically set you up against other random players who are online.
No matter which option you chose, you start with a grid of seemingly random letters. Your job is to unscramble them to form words in a crossword puzzle style. The trick is you only have a minute to do it. The player who finds the most words by the end of each round wins trophies that add points to their score. The more rounds you win, the higher you will move up in a series of increasingly difficult leagues.
Words with Friends
No “unscramble the word” game list would be complete with mentioning the now iconic Words with Friends that rose to fame thanks to Facebook. One of the most popular multiplayer word games on the market, Words with Friends is kind of like an online version of Scrabble that you can play solo or with your family and friends.
The game was recently updated, and additional features include themed challenges, lightning dual rounds and daily goals to keep your learning on track. The game lets you track your progress, unlock rewards and even play against a series of fun fictional characters.
You can check it out on Facebook or download the app on either Google Play or the Apple Store. Not only does it offer a fun way to interact with friends, but you may be surprised by how much it helps you increase your vocabulary!
Kitty Scramble
Kitty Scramble is another word scramble game, but this one has the added twist of an adorable cartoon cat for all those feline fanatics out there. It’s the perfect brain stimulator after hours of watching all those cute cat videos. When you log on, an extra-fluffy feline appears and presents you with various rows of letters.
Much like Word Wipe, you have to unscramble the letters to form words in a series of rows. Once you unscramble a word in one row, it will disappear so the letters above it can drop down. If you get stuck, you can always reach out for some “kitty help,” and your furry partner in unscrambling will supply you with a helpful hint. Check it out on Facebook, where a large group of cat loving word nerds are ready to welcome you to their community.
