Game Review: ‘Yahtzee Words’ from Winning Moves

Yahtzee Words from Winning Moves Games elevates a classic game-night challenge to a new thinking level.

While dice-rolling games have been around for centuries, the formalized Yahtzee game took tables by storm in the 1950s. It continues to be a favorite for players who want plenty of opportunities to compete with others in evaluating their options and choosing the best possibilities across a broad range. Yahtzee Word’s new take makes the game not just about math and probability but also spelling, as players seek to combine letters into words or random collections.

How to Play Yahtzee Words

In a game of Yahtzee Words, players take turns rolling the seven dice to come up with a random assortment of letters. They may keep what dice they like and roll the rest twice, leading to a final set from which they need to score in one of the boxes on the score sheet.

Half of the options are the “upper section” simply spelling out words in two to six letters. The “lower section” goes different directions with multiple words per roll, all consonants or vowels, or random letters.

The best of all, of course, is the YAHTZEE seven-letter word scoring all dice together. Players add their points and collect bonuses to see who can achieve the highest grand total.

Adding Letters

Typical Yahtzee dice are just pips, but the Yahtzee Words custom dice arrange six letters onto each of the seven dice. Each letter has a numerical value, with more commonly used letters like “e” and “a” being worth only one point and rarer letters like “x” and “q” as much as eight points.

The points do not serve simply as stand-ins for pips, however, since players are seeking to spell out actual dictionary words. Having a large vocabulary to work with will be a good advantage for a player, but, with many of the score boxes being for short words, the game does not always go to the most passionate lexicomane.

Instead, players will want to choose carefully to maximize points on short words whenever high-value letters come up, like “zip” (16 points) instead of “and” (six points).

Not Just About Words

While other spelling games are routinely about getting the longest possible word, Yahtzee Words is all about diversification. Players need to pay attention to the letters within words rather than length alone. Clever players will get a feeling for their rolls, knowing when to score a short word and when to cash in with lots of points on a seemingly “bad” roll full of “x,” “z,” and “q” letters that will maximize points in the Chance spot that does not need to be a word.

Roll Again and Again

Yahtzee Words is a dice-and-spelling game for two or more players aged eight and up. Individual games are fairly quick, taking 10 to 20 minutes depending on the number of players since everyone needs turns with the dice. Yahtzee customarily has players continuing through several rounds to create a grand total for the evening, and Yahtzee Words fans will follow suit. Once players get into the mindset of arranging letters, they will find all kinds of options and be eager to roll again.