Boogle
Word games are very entertaining and can be of immense educational value to its players. One of the best ways of improving the vocabulary knowledge base of your kids and friends is by introducing them to word games.
Word games test the depth of your vocabulary knowledge base, and stimulate you to acquire more vocabulary knowledge so as to remain competitive. Currently, one of the best word games you can use to relax as well as develop your vocabulary is “Boogle”.
What is Boogle?
It is a word game that involves the use of dice. It was originally distributed by the Parker Brothers but designed Allan Turnoff. This highly educative word game basically involves players attempting to find words in sequences of adjacent letters using a plastic grid of lettered dice.
This word game was launched in 1972 and has since then captivated the minds of its players all through these years. What makes “Boogle” appealing to players is the simplicity of its design as well as the playing process.
History and development
The game was designed by Allan Turnoff and was given to the Parker brothers, who chose to distribute and market it in the early 70’s. However, during its original launch, its generally acceptance at the market was quite abysmal. The Parker brothers didn’t give up on marketing the game and decided to market it again 4 years later, and this time around, it was warmly accepted in the market. Currently, it’s being produced by an American toy giant – Hasbro.
The success of this word game has given birth to other ideas, one of which is the introduction of a smaller and more compact game known as “Boogle Travel”, which is suitable for players who love to embark on trips without carrying bulky luggage. There is also an easier version known as “Boogle Junior”, which features smaller letter combinations and it’s suitable for beginners as well as kids. The bigger version of this amazing game included more dice but required a minimum of 4 words and up to play.
The original game had a red “Boogle” challenge cube as part of its set of dice. This challenge cube featured uncommon letters that are quite difficult to use when forming words. Players who are able to construct words using the uncommon letters in the challenge cube are given extra points.
Game Play
The game of “Boogle” is governed by certain rules that must be adhered to. There is a covered tray containing 16 cubes of dice, which you’ll need to shake. Each dice contain different letters on each side, and these dice will have to be placed in a 4 X 4 tray, showing only the top letters. Once all the dice are in place, a 3minute sand timer is activated and the players are expected to commence play immediately.
The players would have to form words from sequentially adjacent cubes, which means that cubes must be arranged in a Vertical, horizontal or diagonal format and must be very close.
The words constructed separately may be plural or singular and must be at least 3 letters long. In addition, the players are not allowed to use the same letter cube more once per word. While the game is on, the players are expected to record their findings or constructed words on a piece of papers.
On expiration of the 3minute timer, the players are expected to stop writing words immediately, and the game’s scoring phase commences.
Scoring
At the commencement of the scoring phase, the players are expected to read their list of discovered words. If two or more players read off the same word, the word is taken off the entire players list. If for any reason a player challenges the validity of a word, a dictionary previously agreed upon will be used to verify or refute it. Points are awarded based on length of word and only for words remaining after duplicates have been removed.
The official scrabble player’s dictionary, published by the North America scrabble association, is suitable for “Boogle”. All forms of word up to 8 letters in length are included in this dictionary. The scores are rated using the following criteria:
- 3-4 word length = 1points
- 5 word length = 2 points
- 6 word length = 3 points
- 7 word length = 5 points
- 8+ word length = 11 points
“Boogle” provides an excellent way to sharpen your vocabulary skills. Its educative value is one of the things that makes this wonderful word game indispensable.
It’s highly addictive, yet very educative. There are several versions of the game, all of which combine effectively to make “Boogle” one of the most successful word games in the last 4 decades.