Word game
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Word gamesare spoken, board, card or video games often designed to test ability withlanguageor to explore its properties.
Word games are generally used as a source ofentertainment,but can additionally serve aneducationalpurpose. Young children can enjoy playing games such asHangman,while naturally developing important language skills like spelling. Researchers have found that adults who regularly solvedcrosswordpuzzles, which require familiarity with a largervocabulary,had better brain function later in life.[1]
Popular word-basedgame showshave been a part of television and radio throughout broadcast history, includingSpelling Bee,the first televised game show, andWheel of Fortune,the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States.
Categories[edit]
Letter arrangement games[edit]
In a letter arrangement game, the goal is to form words out of given letters. These games generally test vocabulary skills as well aslateral thinkingskills. Some examples of letter arrangement games includeScrabble,Upwords,Bananagrams,andCountdown.
Paper and pencil games[edit]
In a paper and pencil game, players write their own words, often under specific constraints. For example, acrosswordrequires players to use clues to fill out a grid, with words intersecting at specific letters. Other examples of paper and pencil games includehangman,categories,Boggle,andword searches.
Semantic games[edit]
Semantic games focus on thesemanticsof words, utilising their meanings and the shared knowledge of players as a mechanic.Mad Libs,Blankety Blank,andCodenamesare all semantic games.
Word formation games[edit]
Games involving creating words that meet specific conditions, such asWordle,Word Ladder.
Modern word games[edit]
As part of the modern "Golden Age" of board games, designers have created a variety of newer, non-traditional word games, often with more complex rules. Games likeCodenames,Decrypto,andAnomiawere all designed after 2010, and have earned widespread acclaim.[2][3][4]Mobile gameslikeLetterpress,Words with Friends,andWord Connecthave also brought word games to modern audiences.[5]
In media[edit]
Many popular word games have been adapted to television and radio game shows. As well as the examples given above, shows likeLingo,Says You!,Catchphrase,andOnly Connecteither revolve around or include elements of word games. Word games have also been launched on the Internet and featured in major publications, such asThe New York TimesSpelling Bee,Connections,andWordle.
See also[edit]
- Anagram dictionary
- Double entendre
- Language game
- List of puzzle video games
- Phono-semantic matching
- Puns
- Puzzles
- Rebuses– picture puzzles representing a word
- Verbal arithmetic
- Word play
- Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics
References[edit]
- ^Gillespie, Claire (June 23, 2022)."The Science Is In: Crossword Puzzles Can Literally Make Your Brain Younger".Reader's Digest.RetrievedSeptember 10,2023.
- ^Dunbar, Makula (September 24, 2018)."The best games and gear for game night".TechCrunch.RetrievedSeptember 10,2023.
- ^Duffy, Owen (August 14, 2018)."Board games: Ticket to Ride New York and Decrypto".The Guardian.RetrievedSeptember 10,2023.
- ^Thrower, Matt (September 29, 2022)."The Best Trivia Board Games".IGN.RetrievedSeptember 10,2023.
- ^Tucker, Kevin (November 9, 2017)."Zynga Spells Out Sequel In Words With Friends".Shacknews.RetrievedSeptember 10,2023.