Cooperative Vs. Competitive Scrabble

Cooperative Scrabble is a variation of regular Scrabble, also known as competitive Scrabble. Played cooperatively, Scrabble is a team effort to gain collective points and build words instead of fencing off opponents to build your own score.

Differing Rules

Cooperative Scrabble uses all the same rules as competitive Scrabble with two differences. First, scores in cooperative Scrabble are totaled together instead of granted to individual players. Also, in cooperative play, players receive the benefit of a word score bonus when adding onto words, not just when words are initially formed over a bonus square.

Venues

Competitive Scrabble is usually the choice for venues such as tournaments and online game play against anonymous opponents, claims Scrabble Junction. Cooperative Scrabble, however, is often used in the popular Scrabble School program and among friends and even in solo play. Online venues such as Polo and Hasbro offer both types of play.

Players

According to Scrabble Junction, cooperative play allows for players of all skill levels, as there is no competition, and allows players to come and go as needed from the game. Hasbro's website claims they are encouraging schools to purchase Scrabble boards for classroom cooperative play by offering them special rates. Competitive play consists of two or more players who are ideally of a similar skill level.

References

• Ghana Scrabble: Benefits
• Scrabble Junction: About Scrabble
• Scrabble Association: About

Resources

• Hasbro: Scrabble