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Ever since Alec Baldwin got kicked off of a plane recently for playing Words with Friends, you may have been wondering what the fuss was all about. Words with Friends is a fun and addictive Scrabble-like game from Zynga, the company that owns other fun and addictive games such as Farmville and Cityville. The game is available to play for free on Facebook and on apps for Android, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
To play on Facebook, go to the Words with Friends page on Facebook. You can start a game with friends, a mobile player or a random opponent.
You begin by choosing a user name. You’re then shown a list of your Facebook friends who are playing the game. Don’t be surprised to find that quite a few of your friends are actively playing. On the app you can connect your account to Facebook and Twitter to find even more friends to play against.
Warning, this game is very popular, it’s one of the top Facebook games and iTunes apps so you may find yourself invited to play by several friends. You can play multiple games at once, increasing your fun exponentially!
The board closely resembles a Scrabble board, with a grid of squares, complete with bonus squares for double and triple letters and double and triple word scores. You place tiles on the squares to form a word. Your tiles must connect either horizontally or vertically to form a word of at least two letters. The first word played must include a tile on the center square with a star. Subsequent words must connect to an existing word on the board.
You begin with a rack of seven letters. You can make words with two or more letters, but no abbreviations, contractions, proper nouns, hyphenated words or profanity are allowed. The value of the tiles is somewhat different from Scrabble, with more common letters such as U, N and L worth two points, instead of one point, as in Scrabble.
To maximize your score, try to use the premium squares, the double and triple letter and word squares. You can build on existing words, such as adding an “e” to “quip” or adding an “s” to pluralize words.
You can also try to use letters that build words both horizontally and vertically at once. This strategy has the double advantage of increasing your score and clogging up the board for your opponent. In the sample board above, the letters “F – A – T” spell three words, “fat”, “aha” and “mot”, increasing the score.
If you use all seven letters on your rack in one turn, you’re awarded an extra 35 points.
The game continues until either:
1. Someone resigns
2. A player passes three or more times
3. A player doesn’t take a turn after a “reasonable amount of time” or
4. A player uses all of his tiles and no more tiles remain.
After the game is over, the value of the tiles remaining on your rack will be deducted from your final score.
During the game you can chat with your opponent, either with encouragement such as, “Brilliant play!” or trash talk such as, “Read it and weep!” This chat feature is not only entertaining, it recently helped to save a life:
What is particularly fun about Words with Friends is that you can have several games going at once. You may find that you have some friends who respond immediately. Others may take a day or so to get back to you, either because they are busy or because they are taking their time choosing the perfect word. As you play different opponents, you will learn which players play at a pace you enjoy.
If you enjoy word games, check out Words with Friends. Just don’t blame me if you get kicked off a plane for playing the game too long!
The Words with Friends app is available for free in the iTunes App Store and Google Play. An advertisement-free version of the game is also available for $0.99.
Have you tried Words with Friends? Are you a fan of Scrabble and other word games? Let us know in the Comments section below!
I learned about Words With Friends from my oldest son, who would ask me for word suggestions. At first I thought he was playing online Scrabble, for which I love to play the app version. Turns out it was WwF! He’s been playing WwF for a few months now, and at any given time has two-three games going. This game can be so addicting, I’m almost afraid to start playing! But I do love Scrabble … who knows, maybe I’ll get sucked in too. 🙂
Hi Carol, If you’re a Scrabble fan then you might be a bit thrown by WwF at first due to the difference in scoring an placement of bonus squares. But once you get past that, you should have a great time with the game. 🙂
I haven’t tried this game but yes I am a total word game freak. My parents got me hooked to it when they made us play word games as kids to increase our vocabulary. You see English isn’t my first language and though we went to an English school, we just had to try our best to be good at it all the time and word games can be very helpful!
I have the games from the Google Chrome store and most of them are word games. They are just so addictive! 🙂
Hi Hajra, We writers tend to enjoy word games, don’t we? I’m very surprised that English isn’t your first language, you’re so fluent. Your parents obviously taught you well!
I think you would enjoy Words with Friends, Hajra. What’s especially fun about it is that there is always someone to play with as so many people have become fans of the game. 🙂
Apart from being a cool game, Words with friends took off big time after Alec Baldwin controversy. As an app-developer, I am bound to think that its a brilliant publicity stunt 🙂 My question to Alec:
Hi iRewardChart, Maybe Alec Baldwin just needed an iRewardChart star for turning off his iPad when asked to. The iRewardChart star is the sure cure for behavioral issues. 😉
I tried to play “Words With Friends” a few weeks ago and couldn’t figure it out. Yikes. But from your tips above, I think I have a better idea as to how it works. Am gonna try it again and see if I can make a go of it.
Thanks for the instructions. Cheers!
Hi Missy, I’m so glad you found this article helpful. I can relate, since you’re playing with friends, you want to know what’s going on before you venture into a game. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it. Let me know if you have any questions once you get started. 🙂
Hi Carolyn:
I play words with friends all the time. But, then – out of nowhere I began forgetting that I had multiple games running and BOOM SWITCH – I lost all interest. I might get started, playing again, because I feel like a complete moron if I don’t do anything to increase the stimuli in my brain.
Hi Jonathan, I’m like you, I want to keep my brain stimulated, so I like challenging games like Words with Friends.
I first started playing the game right when it came out but none of my friends were playing yet. I played with strangers who quit so I kept forgetting to check back.
I started playing it again and was really surprised when I linked my account to Facebook how many of my friends were playing. I had five invitations to play within a day.
I set up notifications so I am alerted when it’s my turn to play. That really helps. 🙂
Carolyn, aloha. So glad you told me what Words with Friends is because I have indeed been wondering since it does pop up on the news. In fact, the story above, along with Alec’s, are two of the incidents where I recognized the popularity of this game.
Though I am neither a game player or card player, because I like “words” I must admit I do enjoy Scrabble.
Reading your review, I can definitely see how a person can get “hooked” and end up spending far more time than they want playing Words with Friends. Zynga knows how to deliver the games people want.
Best wishes for a Wonderful Wednesday. Until next time, aloha. Janet
Hi Janet, You’re right, Zynga knows how to get people hooked on games. They add the social element to the games to make them more fun. Most of their games, such as Farmville, are part competitive and part cooperative.
You may want to try Words with Friends as it combines the fun of a word game with the fun of social. Just be careful not to get too addicted! 🙂
Sounds very interesting, just downloaded it, am sure i will love this since I love playing scrabble with friends.
Thanks for sharing as always.
Hi Praveen, that’s great. I think you’ll really enjoy it. If you like Scrabble, you will be a fan of Words with Friends. It takes a few games to get the Scrabble rules out of your head, but after that you should be fine.
You don’t have any upcoming plane flights do you, Praveen? 😉
Well…i should say that I am really planning to visit India shortly, but let me see if Words keeps me hooked onto it until another couple of months…
Just don’t get kicked off of the plane, Praveen! 😉
HI Carol
My friend, Janet Callaway, recommended that I check out your blog – I love it! I’m not a techie so am always searching for folks who can explain the “next new thing” to me. Count me in as a new follower!
LaRae Quy recently posted 3 Ways to Prepare for Adversity
Hi LaRae, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m very grateful to Janet for sending you over here. I’m so glad you are enjoying what you see here. No need to be a techie here, the articles are written for every day people, no tech terms allowed. You can find out about great tech right here, LaRae! 🙂
WwF sure seems more constructive than FarmVille… B-)
I just love word-games!
Hi Eleni, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Words with Friends is a very constructive word game that helps you build your vocabulary. You learn words like “re” the only two letter word beginning with “r”. 🙂
It looks like fun, but it’s almost exactly like Scrabble. Even down to the rules. I wonder if Hasbro has had anything to say about the similarity. o_O
Hi Bell, You’re right, the similarities with Scrabble are many. I have no idea why the powers that be at Hasbro haven’t gone after Words with Friends as they did with Scrabulous (see, How Words With Friends Beat Scrabble At Its Own Game). I believe the reason why Words with Friends has become more popular as an online game than Scrabble is because of the social element. It’s easy to connect with your friends and start a game. The chat feature adds an extra dimension of fun as well.
If you enjoy Scrabble, you should give Words with Friends a try. You might find it even more fun. 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
This looks a lot like a game a lot of Norwegians are playing called WordFeud. I haven’t been playing it myself, but it seems that most of my friends and co-workers are playing it.
I understand why it’s so addictive. And I really like the fact that you can compete against your friends.
Hi Jens, Is WordFeud in Norwegian? Yes, I like that Words with Friends connects you with your Facebook and Twitter friends and allows you to chat within the game. Zynga does a great job of making games very social! 🙂
WordFeud is actually created by a Norwegian guy 🙂
http://theforeigner.no/pages/news-in-brief/norwegian-global-game-has-ambitions/
Very cool, but it will be interesting to see how he can compete with Zynga! 🙂
That’s probably going to be really hard, but he’s been earning millions already, and “everybody” in Norway are playing WordFeud, and he’s all alone (or at least he was when I read the article)… so he’s probably not that worried 🙂
Very cool, Jens. I wish him much continued success. Competition is a good thing. 🙂
I’m not much of a gamer; especially if I have to think about it……….:). My wife did talk me into learning Bridge, but they quit playing ‘couples’ Bridge because the husbands were drinking too much and not paying attention….true story…….
Thanks for sharing though.
Hi Bill, Yeah, you really need to pay attention to play Bridge so I can see where that situation wouldn’t work. Words with Friends doesn’t require nearly as much attention as Bridge, Bill. 🙂
Ok, I’m unclicking the CommentLuv box and see what happens…….
You’re still Santa. Sorry! 🙂
This is how much of a gamer I’m not Carolyn. Not only have I not ever heard of this game nor Alex’s incident because I don’t watch the news, I’ve never even played Scrabble. And yes, I’ve heard of it but I’ve just never played.
As you know, when I do play a game I just enjoy solitaire. I play it while I watch TV so I don’t enjoy things I have to really think about. Kind of defeats the purpose of me doing it while watching TV because I just don’t have a lot of extra time on my hands. If I did, I’ve much rather read a book.
I’ve played card games in the past, there use to be one we really had a great time playing called Book Book. Man, that’s been eight years now.
Anyway, I can tell from your post just how popular it is and I’m thankful for those ladies playing and her husband offering his advice. Had he not, sounds like Georgette would be widowed right now. It was meant to be. 🙂
Hi Adrienne, I like playing games on my iPhone or iPad if I’m watching a TV show that doesn’t require a lot of concentration. 🙂 I also like playing them before I go to sleep at night because it helps me to clear my mind.
If you’re not a fan of word games, you might not like Words with Friends, but the social aspect is a lot of fun!
This is really the one game that I actually play regularly. And I’m really, really good…if I do say so myself :-). I should have known that I was destined to be a professional wordsmith since my Dad taught me how to play Scrabble as soon as I was old enough to recognize letters. Words With Friends is a great game – I love that i can take a turn, and then come back to it at my leisure. No pressure.
Hi Ruth, I thought of you when I wrote this article. I imagine you’re quite good at this game as I know you love word games. How many games do you generally have going at once?
Did you ever have a chance to try Quordy? That’s still my favorite word game. 🙂
I never really took to Quordy, which is just as well, since I don’t have very much spare time in my day. :-). I usually have 3 or 4 games going at once – there are only 3 or 4 people with whom I play, and we just keep it going, one game after the next.
I recently had to do delete the app, i’m such a fiend for this game, it make me put my thinking cap on when i’m playing all my facebook friends and buddies in iraq from the marines, great game when your winning.
Hi Terrell, Yes, games can be addicting, especially Zynga games! I like that this game makes you think and helps you connect with your friends. If it’s too addictive though, it’s best to delete the app. Well done. 🙂
i’ve been seeing Words with Friends more and more… But things have been so busy that I haven’t had the chance to take a look. Thanks for the overview, I may just have to download it.
Hi Steven, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! If you’re really busy, you may want to wait to download it. The game can be quite addictive, as Alec Baldwin demonstrated. But it doesn’t take much time to play so perhaps if you don’t play too many games at once it can be a welcome distraction from your busy life! 🙂
So i took your advice and held off… For a little while anyway! And you were right, I’m glad I did. Because now that I have it, my chores seem to not get done on time! hahahahah.
Hi Steven, Lol, yes, it’s best to have work come before pleasure. And Words with Friends can be very distracting. 🙂
I haven’t tried this game yet.. but it looks kinda the same as “scrablle”.. I will definitely like this because I love board games.
Hi LED, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re right, if you’re a Scrabble fan you will love Words with Friends. You never have to worry about finding someone to play with when you’re playing WWF! 🙂
I am big time fan of this Game and that’s true this game is very attractive. Its good for your children as well and helps them to increase their Vocab and word power.
Hi Austin, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m a big fan of this game too. You’re right, in addition to being fun, this game allows you and your kids to improve their vocabulary. Games that are fun and educational really help kids learn!