Mega-Scrabble

Where teens get together without already knowing each other well, "icebreaker games" are in demand. Take Mega Scrabble, for example! It is an extension of the board game Scrabble.

Groups try to write words on the Scrabble board (Figure 1) at game headquarters to score points.

Start of the game Each team is given lots of letters in their group color and a clue as to where the other items are (photo sheet, map, or indication of search area).

How to play

At the posts, the groups grab more letters of their color. The order of the posts determine the teams themselves. Important: A maximum of eight letters per team may be carried

Words are written on the Scrabble board (game center) with these letters

Letters lying next to each other must form meaningful words in their entire sequence (horizontally and vertically). new words may only be formed in the following ways:

• by lengthening an already existing word beginning/ending/both sides. Example: LAUB - GLAUBE - UNGLAUBE
• By placing letters at right angles to an already placed word:

• By laying a complete word parallel to one or more already laid words. At least two letters of both words must be directly adjacent, see below

• Once a letter has been set, it may not be replaced or used elsewhere.
• The wildcard (blank) counts as any letter.
• With the exception of proper names of any kind, abbreviations, and all words with hyphens or omission lines, anything found in the German dictionary is allowed. Modified words (e.g. plural, conjunctive and declension forms .-..) apply as well, of course.
  Tip: Have a dictionary with you in case of doubt. However, the participants are not allowed to use this as an aid.
• At any time, the team may exchange any number of letters for the same amount of letters from the game center. For this purpose, the team gives the slips of paper intended for exchange to the game master and "blindly" draws the same number of letters from the central office pool. Only either swapping or laying is allowed per central visit (i.e. between visits to the posts).
• The game is timed and points are deducted for every minute you show up late.

Scoring

• Each letter has the value indicated on it; jokers do not count as points.
• If a letter is placed on a space with a note, its statement must be taken into account in scoring. In the case of multiplication, the letter values are added up first, followed by the word values. Any letter premiums must be added before doubling or tripling the word value. If a word covers two word premium fields, the value doubles and/or triples twice (four, six or nine times the value!)
• If a letter of the newly formed word (attached to another) is on such a square, the value of the whole word multiplies.
• The letter and word bonuses only benefit the team that reaches the respective field first; they do not count as bonus fields afterwards. Only the letter values count.
• If additional words result from attaching a word, each one is scored. In such a case, newly occupied premium fields count for all new words associated with them. In the example, if someone puts the word REIST and the marked S field doubles the word value, it does so at the same time for the newly created, perpendicular word STERNS.

• At the end, each group's score is reduced by the value of those letters it did not set.

Teams

• About five to ten people per team
• You can have x-amount of teams, just have as many different colored letter series. (This simplifies the scoring.)
• The team must stay together in the game.

Posts

• As many as possible (about 20 to 30)
• Not all posts need to be filled by leaders.
• Tasks can be set at the manned posts, e.g. 20 push-ups per group, performing a song, cutting fruit for the Zvieri, etc.

Preparations

- Crafting the game board

- Making the post sheets and distributing

• Letters per group (coloured paper):
  A/6 (letter/number, Ä/1, B/2 etc.
  The letters are distributed at the posts in irregular numbers. So the teams have the risk of running into a post that is poorly allocated for them.

Source credits:

Content and cover image: Copyright BESJ, www.besj.ch

Authors: Marco and Carmen Patrignani, TC Leader FMG Wetzikon