What started as a dangerously addictive mobile game that was just like Scrabble, is now a physical board game that's . . . just like Scrabble.
In a lot of ways, Zynga's megahit Words With Friends had a leg up on the classic. It brought the best of word-game fun together with the best of the Internet, letting users talk trash to opponents via chat, compete with strangers, and take as long as they want on turns. So when we heard that the gaming company teamed up with Hasbro to create a Words With Friends board game, we felt a little conflicted.
On one hand, it's great that mobile-app addicts are peeling their eyes away from their phones and interacting with, well, real people, in real time. But on the other hand, what about Scrabble — the O.G. (original game), the classic, the one that started it all?
OK, so maybe the two games are slightly different: the letter "H" is worth four points in Scrabble, and only three in Words With Friends. And Words With Friends positions bonus squares in a diamond shape, while Scrabble's are placed in an X-type thing. But still, the essence is the same, and we'd like to hear from fans of the mobile app and traditionalists alike — will Scrabble be replaced by the Words With Friends board game? Or will the classic stand the test of time against its social media counterpart?
