Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Scrabble (Tabletop Game)

 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
type
TVTItem
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
label
Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
page
Scrabble
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
comment
Scrabble is a long-standing board game involving words and letters. The game traces back to 1938, when Alfred Mosher Butts invented Criss-Crosswords, a game with a 15×15 board and individual letter tiles. He tabulated the frequency of various letters to determine the frequency and letter value of each tile.James Brunot adapted the game into Scrabble and tweaked the rules somewhat, making them simpler. Although not a success at first, Scrabble allegedly gained popularity after the president of R.H. Macy’s played the game and was surprised that it wasn’t for sale in his stores. The game sold well there, and in 1952, Selchow and Righter picked up the rights to it. Since then, it has become an internationally popular game, with JW Spears picking up the international rights in 1955. 1986 saw the acquisition of Selchow and Righter by Coleco- which ended with them going bankrupt; Hasbro purchased the rights to it and Trivial Pursuit in 1989, and hence has seen different editions under both the Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers names. Hasbro has also invented multiple different variants and spin-offs of the main game, including an enhanced version called Super Scrabble. However, Hasbro's arch-rival Mattel holds the international rights, as they acquired JW Spears in 1994.Typically played by two to four players, Scrabble involves a 15×15 playing board and 100 letter tiles (98 letters and two blanks). Each letter has a point value assigned to it: common letters such as E are only one point, while Z and Q are the highest at 10 points each. The blank tiles are wild and can be used as any letter (but are not worth any points in and of themselves). The board contains squares that double or triple the value of each word or letter.Scrabble has also been adapted into two different game shows. First, an NBC series hosted by Chuck Woolery in the 1980s, which simplified the rules even further and set up each word with an Pun. 2011 saw the debut of Scrabble Showdown on Hasbro-owned The Hub; this version was hosted by Justin Willman utilized different mini-games (often based on some of the more arcane Hasbro-invented variants) before moving onto a final round more like the 80s series.The documentary Word Wars follows around high-level tournament players and came out in 2004.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
fetched
2024-03-14T04:15:58Z
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
parsed
2024-03-14T04:15:59Z
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
processingComment
Dropped link to Bowdlerize: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
processingComment
Dropped link to technicianvsperformer: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
processingUnknown
Bowdlerize
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
processingUnknown
technicianvsperformer
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_12ac916e
type
Score Multiplier
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_12ac916e
comment
Score Multiplier: There are four types of bonus squares scattered throughout the board: double and triple letter bonuses (which multiply the score of just the letter placed on top of them) and double and triple word bonuses (which multiply the score for the entire word). These stack multiplicatively with each other.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_12ac916e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_12ac916e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_12ac916e
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_39b8d3d6
type
Boring, but Practical
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_39b8d3d6
comment
Boring, but Practical: The two-letter words. Learning all 101 of them (124 in the international dictionary) and knowing when to use them correctly is the first and most important step if you want to play competitively. They allow to play words parallel to words already on the board instead of having to find a spot to intersect. To a lesser extent, learning the shorter words that use Q but not U can help immensely if you get stuck in such a situation.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_39b8d3d6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_39b8d3d6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_39b8d3d6
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_603f1a80
type
Pragmatic Adaptation
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_603f1a80
comment
Pragmatic Adaptation: Digital versions of Scrabble sometimes forgo the "challenge" mechanic, since the computer can easily validate words by referring to a built-in dictionary.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_603f1a80
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_603f1a80
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_603f1a80
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_66f763c0
type
Interface Screw
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_66f763c0
comment
Interface Screw: The Android Scrabble app will sometimes have the controls go beneath the advertisement at the bottom of the screen, making them impossible to use. Of course Electronic Arts doesn't seem keen on fixing this, as it means if you're not paying attention you'll be tapping the advertisement.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_66f763c0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_66f763c0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_66f763c0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_6ec989d8
type
Guide Dang It!
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_6ec989d8
comment
Guide Dang It!: Players not as versed as others will be consulting their Scrabble dictionaries a lot to find out if "that's a real word." Words like "CWM" and "TWP", for example.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_6ec989d8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_6ec989d8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_6ec989d8
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_75b669d7
type
Junior Variant
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_75b669d7
comment
Junior Variant: Scrabble Junior features a double-sided game board. One for the standard game, and one for a special crossword spelling game. It also has scoring tokens to track the player's scores.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_75b669d7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_75b669d7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_75b669d7
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9108b2c9
type
Grid Puzzle
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9108b2c9
comment
Grid Puzzle: The goal is to arrange letters on a 15x15 grid in order to maximize the amount of points. There are tons of possible solutions to the puzzle since it all depends on the arrangement of the other tiles and where the multiplier cells are.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9108b2c9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9108b2c9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9108b2c9
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_940a5958
type
Artificial Stupidity
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_940a5958
comment
Artificial Stupidity: Playing against the computer on the hardest level is only hard because the game only uses the highest-scoring word it can muster, clobbering the human through high-score brute force. The computer, however, utterly stinks at strategy. In its effort to lay down the highest scoring words that it can, it will open up plays a human would not — like ending a word on or one space away from the edge of the board is asking for someone to use a triple word score (or two!).
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_940a5958
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_940a5958
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_940a5958
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9b9397bb
type
Difficult, but Awesome
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9b9397bb
comment
Difficult, but Awesome: Learning the official two-letter word list can be this, but is basically a must for anybody who wants to be competitive at this game. For instance, X can make a two-letter word with every vowel: AX, EX, XI, OX, XU. You're welcome. Also, getting a "bingo" (using all seven of your tiles in a single turn), which awards a 50-point bonus on top of the score for all words formed. Hitting two word bonuses in a single play. You need a word of at least 7 letters to reach two Double Word squares, or 8 to hit two Triple Word squares. Better still if you do the latter AND pick up the Double Letter square in between them. And the granddaddy of them all: making a 15-letter word to hit all three Triple Word squares along one edge of the board.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9b9397bb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9b9397bb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_9b9397bb
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_a6e57875
type
Scrabble Babble
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_a6e57875
comment
Scrabble Babble: Besides being the Trope Namer, Scrabble itself is also the Trope Maker in that the official rules allow for players to "challenge" opponents' words if they are believed to be fictitious or otherwise invalid (see Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught above). Averted by both game show adaptations, however.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_a6e57875
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_a6e57875
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_a6e57875
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_aaaca277
type
Luck Manipulation Mechanic
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_aaaca277
comment
Luck Manipulation Mechanic: Instead of playing a word, players can choose to use their turn to exchange a subset of the tiles on their rack for new ones from the bag, in hopes of getting a more favorable combination of letters.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_aaaca277
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_aaaca277
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_aaaca277
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_b53d88da
type
Double Unlock
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_b53d88da
comment
Hitting two word bonuses in a single play. You need a word of at least 7 letters to reach two Double Word squares, or 8 to hit two Triple Word squares. Better still if you do the latter AND pick up the Double Letter square in between them.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_b53d88da
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_b53d88da
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_b53d88da
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_bdbfd01c
type
Perfectly Cromulent Word
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_bdbfd01c
comment
Perfectly Cromulent Word: Especially in championship-level games, some of the words played can get pretty obscure but are nonetheless valid.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_bdbfd01c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_bdbfd01c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_bdbfd01c
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d4c98786
type
Writing Around Trademarks
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d4c98786
comment
Writing Around Trademarks: In areas where Hasbro doesn't hold rights to Scrabble, some of the spin-offs are released under other names — e.g. Scrabble Flash became Boggle Flash.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d4c98786
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d4c98786
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d4c98786
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d5609744
type
Literal Wild Card
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d5609744
comment
Literal Wild Card: In addition to tiles featuring letters, there are two blank tiles per game. These tiles have no point value, but may be substituted for any letter.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d5609744
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d5609744
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d5609744
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d6f284a3
type
Anti-Frustration Features
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d6f284a3
comment
Anti-Frustration Features: Digital versions of the game typically include a "shuffle" button which randomizes the order of the tiles on your rack, which can help if you're having trouble thinking of words.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d6f284a3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d6f284a3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d6f284a3
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d9ee7048
type
Spin-Off
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d9ee7048
comment
Spin-Off: Scrabble Jr. is a well-known children's adaptation. There's Super Scrabble, which uses a bigger board and more tiles and offers bonuses that run up to Quadruple Letter/Word. The 80s game show had its own Home Game release, with gameplay more like that of the show. And quite a few Hasbro-invented variants which don't use the traditional gameboard are floating around, such as Scrabble Flash, where you use five tile-shaped devices to make words (Yahtzee and Simon also have Flash variants). Even fellow Hasbro word game Boggle has recently been put under the Scrabble range.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d9ee7048
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d9ee7048
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_d9ee7048
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_f1d3f0c9
type
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_f1d3f0c9
comment
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Longer words, especially those containing rare letters, will be worth more points, though they may or may not be helpful depending on the situation.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_f1d3f0c9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_f1d3f0c9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_f1d3f0c9
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_fe47946a
type
Strategy Game
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_fe47946a
comment
Strategy Game: Many players love this aspect — you have to strategize with just what's on the board and what's in your tray. For most casual Scrabble players the game is "let's make the best words we can", but the step to serious Scrabble is made when a player starts incorporating strategy: using a lower scoring word to block other players from accessing the Score Multiplier squares, etc.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_fe47946a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_fe47946a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_fe47946a
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_febb58e2
type
Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_febb58e2
comment
Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: It is, technically, perfectly legal to play words that lexically don't exist — you just have to pay the penalty (taking back your word and earning no points) if you're challenged. If you can bluff your opponents into thinking it's a real word and not challenging, you're good to go. In fact, if a word is challenged but turns out to be good after all, the challenger has to pay a penalty, traditionally, losing their turn, i.e. after challenging a Perfectly Cromulent Word they cannot play a word themselves. (This last rule holds in America but is not universal — in some places there is no penalty for an incorrect challenge, or there is a five-point penalty, which is still more lenient than losing your turn, especially if you can make a good word). This even works in tournaments. While in electronic Scrabble games, the computer typically won't let you play unapproved words, the judges at tournaments understand that this is a part of the game and will not point out that a word is invalid unless the word is challenged.note The British Hard Rock and Blues Rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s, Foghat, got their name from this. Guitarist Dave Peverett made up the word in a game with his brother.
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_febb58e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_febb58e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_febb58e2
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_name
type
ItemName
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_name
comment
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_name
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game) / int_name
itemName
Scrabble (Tabletop Game)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Down to the Last Play / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Extra Turn / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Failed a Spot Check / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Grid Puzzle / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Interface Screw / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Junior Variant / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Kansas City Shuffle / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Literal Wild Card / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Mistaken for Cheating / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Non-Indicative Difficulty / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Recursive Adaptation / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Score Multiplier / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Serious Business / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
The Great Depression / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Themed Stock Board Game / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Title Scream / int_d85882fd
 Scrabble (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Video Game Perversity Potential / int_d85882fd