Android Scrabble Rip-Off Land

Scrabble, it’s been a boardgame phenomenon for decades. It can be found in closets and PCs around the world. With the most recent wave of smart phones, mobile gaming has skyrocketed in popularity. The mixture of smartphones and Scrabble is a match made in heaven.  Numerous apps have been popping up on smartphones to fill this need & the basic external protection can only be given by a phone case. Try out new Photo Phone Cases which makes you feel your identity of your phone.

Words with Friends has long dominated the iPhone scrabble-rip-off world, but with the long absence of it on the Android Market, a healthy competition is going on for word game dominance. Here’s a run down of three great apps and how these seemingly identical Scrabble rip-offs are distinctly different.

Words With Friends

Words With Friends was finally released to Android users early this year. It’s a carbon copy of what has been available on iOS. The gameplay is identical to Scrabble with the only major difference being the premium square locations on the board (I.E. double word, triple letter, etc.). It maxes out at 2 players, with each player taking their turns at their leisure. It is a casual experience that can be enjoyed at your own pace. Words With Friends has set the standard for mobile Scrabble ripoffs. The benefit of the well established Words With Friends app hitting Android is the built-in install base of players. Cross platform play with iPhone users is available since the games are managed through a Words With Friends username. Chances are, that if your friend has a smartphone they can word battle it up using this app (assuming they don’t have a blackberry or Windows Phone). Day one, there was literally millions of people already available to play.  Also, WWF is clearly the most visually polished option of the Apps listed here.

The downside to Words With Friends is that as of this writing numerous bugs are still being worked out of the system. Depending on the Andriod device that you have, your experience can differ greatly. For some people the app crashes, for others games don’t progress properly. Zynga has has made it clear that they are diligently working to correct the issues and in there defence I have personally seen vast improvements in the months since the game launched.

With that said, you’re probably thinking “If Words With Friends will be 100% functional in the coming months why should I bother checking any of the other apps out?” Well, let’s find out.

Wordfeud

I can only assume that Wordfeud exists on Android because Words With Friends was absent from the Android Marketplace for so long. It is another completely competent Scrabble clone. The differences that it brings are two-fold (a big two). Wordfeud has multiple languages available. In addition to American English there’s Danish, Dutch, English International, Norwegian and Swedish. Apparently Wordfeud is big in Scandinavia. The other two featured apps allow for alternate language play. Sure Spanish isn’t available, but if you’re Nordic, you’re in luck.

The other big feature in Wordfeud is RANDOM PLAYBOARDS. “Why Sergio, what do you mean by random playboards?” Scrabble and Words With Friends have standard boards where the Premium Squares are always in the same spots. The random board option in Wordfeud puts the Premium squares in random spots. This leads to triple words, being located directly next to triple letters and sometimes double words and double letters. A properly placed word on a random board can net you 300+ points. Random boards add a strange level of strategy and cause players to play weird words that they would otherwise never play. The random boards are completely optional but they make Wordfeud standout significantly. It is also not nearly as buggy as the current state of Words With Friends.

Wordsmith

The third app in Scrabble-rip-off land is Wordsmith. Again, at first glance it looks like a another Scrabble clone, which it is, but it also brings unique features to the table. Its biggest and most important differentiating feature is that it supports up to 4 players. Words With Friends and Wordfeud cap out at 2 players per game. Wordsmith seems more geared to the serious Scrabble ripoff fans. Along with the 4 player option, it also has pretty robust stats and options screens. It has a running tally of wins and loses tracked in the game selection hub and during each game the best plays and best words per player are tracked meticulously.

Of the three, Wordsmith feels the most unfinished, almost like its still in a beta phase. There’s some UI issues and creating/confirming games can be a bit confusing, but its clear what Wordsmith is trying to do. Best of all, it works. I’m sure it doesn’t have as many users to balance as Words With Friends, but bugs are minimal. Unlike the afformentioned two apps that allow you to make an infinite number of attempts when forming a word, Wordsmith only allows you to attempt 3 words before automatically skipping your turn. If the three words you attempt are invalid, your turn is forfeited. As I said, Wordsmith is for serious Scrabble feinds.

That’s alot of Scrabble!

There you have it, Scrabble on the Android is alive and well, but ironically its not from Hasbro and clearly doesn’t carry the Scrabble name. Currently there is no Scrabble branded app on the Android Marketplace and from what I understand the iPhone Scrabble app is janky enough to push people to play Words With Friends. Apparantly a Scrabble app for android exists, but it has to be purchased, that’s right purchased, through the Electronic Arts website. That’s already 2 strikes against it. Don’t bother with brand name, play and enjoy the rip-offs..

No matter which game you decide to adopt, there’s no way you can lose, since they are all free of charge and ad based.  Sure, there are paid versions available, but the ads aren’t intrusive enough to ruin the experience. Personally, I play all three, as they each offer different experiences. Hit me up for a game. My username across all three is liugeaux.