words with friends

Poll

Words With Real Friends: Is This the End of Scrabble?

What started as a dangerously addictive mobile game that was just like Scrabble, is now a physical board game that's .

What started as a dangerously addictive mobile game that was just like Scrabble, is now a physical board game that's . . . just like Scrabble.

In a lot of ways, Zynga's megahit Words With Friends had a leg up on the classic. It brought the best of word-game fun together with the best of the Internet, letting users talk trash to opponents via chat, compete with strangers, and take as long as they want on turns. So when we heard that the gaming company teamed up with Hasbro to create a Words With Friends board game, we felt a little conflicted.

On one hand, it's great that mobile-app addicts are peeling their eyes away from their phones and interacting with, well, real people, in real time. But on the other hand, what about Scrabble — the O.G. (original game), the classic, the one that started it all?

OK, so maybe the two games are slightly different: the letter "H" is worth four points in Scrabble, and only three in Words With Friends. And Words With Friends positions bonus squares in a diamond shape, while Scrabble's are placed in an X-type thing. But still, the essence is the same, and we'd like to hear from fans of the mobile app and traditionalists alike — will Scrabble be replaced by the Words With Friends board game? Or will the classic stand the test of time against its social media counterpart?

Download of the Day

Words With Friends Is Coming to Android!

This is fantastic news; delightfully addictive Words With Friends is coming soon to Android.

This is fantastic news; delightfully addictive Words With Friends is coming soon to Android. Currently, the Scrabble-like game, which already has 10 million users, is available only on iOS devices.

The free Android version of the game will include the same features as those enjoyed by iOS users: in-app chat, push notifications, and the ability to play up to 20 games at once. Android and iOS users will be able to play against each other (remember that predicted cross-platform app trend?), creating words and scoring points.

Also coming soon: a paid, ad-free version of Words With Friends.

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Download of the Day: Words With Friends (Careful, It's Addictive)

Remember when Plants vs. Zombies was taking over my life?

Remember when Plants vs. Zombies was taking over my life? It's officially been ousted as my number one time-suck, replaced by Words With Friends, a game for the iPhone very similar to another popular word game to play with your friends.

You can play up to 20 games simultaneously with different friends, or if you're really in need of a Words With Friends fix (trust me, you'll get there), the game will match you with a random opponent. There's also a pass-and-play option if you and a friend are in the same room and want to play. Allow push notifications from the app, and it'll ping you when it's your move, meaning you can play with any friend who has the app, not just someone in your vicinity you've linked iPhones with.

Fierce competition has settled in quickly, so if your friends are anything like mine, be prepared for some heated games!