Scrabble Deluxe Edition, work and play with class.
Written: Dec 28 '02 (Updated Dec 19 '07)
Product Rating:
Durability:
Pros: Updated turntable. Pieces don't move around easily.
Cons: The board colours are not well done.
The Bottom Line: I like the new improved rotating board. The tile compartments on the board are great for those extended games when you want the tiles on the board to stay fixed.
popsrocks's Full Review: Hasbro: Deluxe Turntable Crossword Scrabble
Every Christmas season for at least twenty years my wife and I play Scrabble. Being an educator she is off for a week or two and I always seem to manage to get free time.
GETTING PREPARED TO PLAY
We begin the evening with a glass of Glug, Egg Nog, or some other kind of seasonal drink and snacks. I start up a fire and she puts on Christmas music. The Scrabble game is set up and we play an always challenging, yet relaxed, game while thumbing through books and other new presents we may have received for the holidays. This year has been the same. The only difference is that we now have the latest in Scrabble's Deluxe Edition.
We have had a previous Deluxe Edition for about ten years. Unfortunately the board was left near a radiator and reshaped itself. I was sure to tell Santa in hopes he would bring my wife and me a new game. And he did!
The game itself is the same whether played on deluxe, travel, Spanish edition, or any of the different ways it is sold. This Deluxe Edition adds some luxury and ease to the game.
THE REVOLVING BOARD
The biggest feature is it's revolving board. It it a plastic molded board that is set up on a Lazy Susan. No more having to carefully move the board around to the next player.
This has even been improved. The older deluxe game had a problem. If you placed your individual tile holder too close to game board they might be hit by the board as you turn it. This did happen many times. We play on a coffee table with limited space.
The new board has a base you can put it on. It is optionally used. This raises the board above the tile holders and out of the way of the turning board. No more spilled tiles. This also bring the playing surface a bit closer when on a low table.
The board rotates very easily and even has what seems like a shock system where if you hit the board it doesn't get jarred easily. It kind of shakes a bit then settle down. It's hard to describe but seems to work.
COMPARTMENTS
Another feature that becomes a great benefit is the board with it's compartments for each tile. When you place a word on the board each tile is placed in a tile area that keeps the letter from moving about. Once again this makes for a stable playing board. In playing our games my wife and I will sometimes continue the same game into the next night. This feature of raised ridges keeping the tiles in place and helps maintain the game in progress. The ridges are clear as to not break up the flow of the coloured tiles.
One more note about these ridges. As stated we previously had a deluxe edition. On that board the ridges were high. This made for having to remove each tile individually from the board at games end. The new ridges hold the tiles in well but at the same time are not too high. In fact they have beveled edges so that the tiles can still slide off the board when finishing up.
TILES
The tiles on the deluxe edition are stained a rich burgundy colour and finished with a bit of a gloss. Very classy looking. The letters are very slightly engraved into each tile and painted gold.
MORE
The game comes with a cloth bag with a draw string. Tiles may be both stored in the bag and used as the draw area for letters during the game. It is handsome looking with an embroidered Scrabble on it's side sewn in a rich gold coloured thread. This bag is larger than the one with our original deluxe edition.
The board itself is not especially attractive. I find the colours on it a bit faded looking. The newly designed outside boarder is ok looking. It too has that burgundy colour. It has four rubber bottom pieces that must be put on. These keep the board from sliding on slick surfaces.
THE BOX
The whole game comes in a well designed and graphically pleasing box. Inside there are compartments for all the playing pieces. These are kept within the base of the game. If storing the game, as is, in the middle of play, it all stores well and complete in the closed box.
NEWLY DESIGNED TILE HOLDERS
The game has newly designed tile holders. They give you decals that have letter values. This is placed on each tile holder. The tile holders have more surface area on the bottoms so as to make them much more stable. Tiles stay on these holders very well.
There is a scoring pad. They made the writing area much too small. Hey are these "older" eyes complaining?
INSTRUCTIONS
It also has a game instruction book. It gives a brief history of the game. Did you know it was first put together in the 1930s and 40s and was first named LEXIKO, then CRISS CROSS WORDS, and finally given it's name of today Scrabble? Yup! That's true.
The book is divided into five additional sections.
Getting started
Gameplay
Rules for shorter Gameplay
Do's Don'ts, and Things to remember
10 ways to Become an Instant Scrabble Expert.
I found some of the hints helpful. I suppose it depends on your level of play. It also has a list of about 100 two letter words, some of which I never heard of, in the back of the book.
THE GAME
For those who have never played the game it is simply a game of building words with the seven tiles you have in hand. Letters have different point values as do the tile areas on the game board. Each person in turn places a word on the board. Each thereafter must build other words that attach to existing words, cross word puzzle style. The person with the highest point value at the end of the game wins. The instructions are easy to follow and the helpful hints of variations of the game are also interesting.
TIMER
The game comes with a three minute egg timer. One of those mini hour glass type things. It is optional in game play and it noted in the instruction book.
I did like the idea of using it to handicap better players. Now my youngest, at thirteen, is in my league Just a year or two ago the timer would have helped even up the scores
BENEFITS
I must note that my daughter played scrabble last year in school. It was used as a teaching tool. It has helped her master words so much better. So have fun and learn too!
If you enjoy Scrabble or just want to learn how to play I suggest purchasing the Deluxe Edition. We spend hours and hours playing the game during the holiday season and throughout the year.
Scrabble Brand Crossword Game: Deluxe Edition This deluxe version of the one and only all-American crossword game has a rotating board so you can anal...More at Amazon Marketplace
Scrabble Brand Crossword Game: Deluxe Edition This deluxe version of the one and only all-American crossword game has a rotating board so you can anal...More at Amazon Marketplace
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