Basic Gameplay of Scrabble

Translated into 29 different languages, Scrabble is one of the most widely played board games the world over. The game, created in 1938 by Alfred Butts, was unsuccessful at first. Yet, when units were sold to Macy’s department store, Scrabble fever began to take hold. With tournaments organized regularly, and online play challenging the popularity of face-to-face gaming, Scrabble continues to enjoy a status among board games that few can match.

Scrabble is a game of words; players each get seven letter tiles and take turns making words on a board. Each letter has a value assigned to it based on its frequency of use: Q’s and Z’s are high point tiles, vowels are low. The object of the game is to score the most points by arranging high-scoring words around the board. There are also squares on the grid that double or triple a letter value or the overall score of a word. Therefore, Scrabble is as much about strategy as it is about having a good vocabulary.

In this free video introduction to Scrabble, learn the basic rules of game play, like how to keep score, or how to challenge a word, as well as tips and techniques for winning, with suggestions and strategies once you get your feet wet. Enjoy!