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Usefulness:
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Most of us are somewhat familiar with the classic board game Scrabble, so I don't think it would be too surprising if I said that its usefulness came in the form of learning and entertainment. In general, most games cannot be measured through usefulness, however, for our purposes when reviewing games, usefulness will mainly address entertainment value and any other appropriate uses. SCRABBLE Free brings you the board game in an electronic and online format in which you still form words with letter tiles for different point scores. Overall, the SCRABBLE Free application is a very entertaining and has a few different play options depending on your situation.
When using this application you can choose to play a random opponent over the internet, play a friend over the internet, or go into "Pass N' Play" mode in which you and a friend can play against each other by passing the tablet to the other person on alternating turns. You also have an option to create an online account on which it can keep track of your scores, games, and provides a username for opponents to identify you by. An account is required for playing a friend online, buy not for playing a random opponent or Pass N' Play. You also need an account to activate the chat features of the online games.
Overall, all of the options are fun and entertaining in their own way. Playing a random opponent is usually a slower game and you cannot guarantee that your opponents will finish the game or make speedy moves because you can easily leave the application and come back to your games later. However, there are a few options to speed up game play like giving an opponent a "nudge" after a certain amount of time has elapsed. Playing a friend online is nice too because it gives you a chance to connect with friends or family through a classic board game who is too far away to play a regular game of Scrabble. There is also a chat option so that you may hold a conversation while playing against your friend online. Pass N' Play is fun for home use with another person or it could be an easy educational entertainment solution for children, teens, and even adult passengers on a long trip.
For online games you get a chance to delete the game without penalty to your record before you reach three turns or you can forfeit at any time after three turns if the game is stagnant or boring. If you don't like your letters you can randomly re-shuffle them to see new combinations or exchange them for other tiles, but you lose your turn. You can also look up words to see if they exist in either the Merriam-Webster dictionary or the Tournament Word List. There is a "Teacher" button that compares your word choices with the best words from your tiles, a great way to teach vocabulary. For Pass N' Play games you can use the "Best Word" option if you are stuck and it will place the highest scoring word on the board for you but you will lose one of your four hearts that you have in the game. There are also various guides available to explain each feature with more detail in the Help section of the application, as well as many setting options from which to choose.
One downside to the application is that because it is a free app, you must endure a few advertisements at the bottom of the screen and occasionally in between turns, and that can become irritating when you're in the middle of an intense game. On the other hand, it is a small price to pay for free entertainment. The application would sometimes become glitchy after a long period of use, and there were a few times when it would unexpectedly quit or freeze. In general, there were few serious problems with this application.
This game app is appropriate for most ages and it provides some great learning opportunities like critical thinking to form words and strategy, math skills to calculate possible scores, and, of course, spelling and vocabulary. However, if you are a parent and you let your children/teens use this game app, always be cautious of internet safety and your child/teen's maturity level because there is the possibility for online chat with an account. There will also be an occasional inappropriate word or two that could appear on a game board, so use your best judgement or supervise.
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