Words with Friends facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Words with Friends |
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| Developer(s) | Zynga |
| Platform(s) | Android, iOS, Facebook, Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, Windows Phone, Windows |
| Release date(s) | July 2009 |
| Genre(s) | Word game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Words with Friends is a popular word game you can play on your computer or phone. It was created by a company called Zynga. In this game, players take turns building words, much like you would in a crossword puzzle. It's quite similar to the classic board game Scrabble, but it's a separate game.
You can play many games at the same time, up to 40! The game sends you a message when it's your turn. You can find friends to play with using their username or through Facebook. If you want a new challenge, the game can also find a random opponent for you.
Words with Friends first came out in July 2009. You can play it on many different devices, like phones and tablets that use Android, Windows Phone, or iOS (like iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch). It's also available on Facebook, Kindle Fire, and Nook Tablet. The game even has a chat feature, so you can talk to your opponent while you play! For a few years, Words with Friends was one of the most popular games in the iOS app store. You could get a free version with ads or a paid version without them. By 2017, it was the most played mobile game in the United States. A new version, Words with Friends 2, was released in September 2017.
Contents
How to Play Words with Friends
The rules of Words with Friends are very much like a two-player game of Scrabble. However, there are some small differences. For example, the special squares on the board are in different places. Also, some letters have different point values.
You start with seven random letter tiles. As you play words, new tiles are given to you until all 104 tiles are used up. Players take turns forming words on the game board. You can place words either up and down (vertically) or across (horizontally). Your main goal is to score as many points as you can!
Scoring Points in the Game
When you place a letter on a "DL" or "TL" square, it means "Double Letter" or "Triple Letter." This doubles or triples the points for that specific letter in any word you form using that square.
There are also "DW" and "TW" squares, which stand for "Double Word" and "Triple Word." If your new word covers one of these squares, the total points for that entire word (or words) are doubled or tripled!
If you use all seven of your tiles in one turn, you get a bonus of 35 points. This is a great way to boost your score! Sometimes, you can even place a word that covers both a triple letter score and a triple word score at the same time. This can lead to very high scores!
When the Game Ends
A game of Words with Friends usually ends when one player uses all their tiles. This happens when there are no more tiles left to draw from the bag. The game can also end if players make three moves in a row that don't score any points. This includes passing your turn or swapping tiles.
After the last tile is played, the other player loses points for any tiles left on their rack. These points are then added to the score of the player who played the last tile. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins!
Helpful Game Features
Words with Friends has several helpful features. You can "resign" to quit a game, or "pass" if you don't want to make a move. The "swap" feature lets you exchange one or more of your tiles for new ones from the bag. However, you lose your turn when you swap.
The "tile bag" feature lets you see which tiles are still left to be drawn. There's also a "word strength" feature. If you turn it on, it shows you how good your word is compared to other words you could have played. The game also offers "power-ups" like "swap+," "word radar," and "word clue" to help you out.
The game uses a special list of about 173,000 words. This list is based on a standard English word list, with some extra words added by the game creators.
Connecting with Others Through the Game
Since Words with Friends launched, its features for finding random opponents and chatting have led to many interesting connections. Some people have even found romantic partners through the game!
For example, in 2009, a woman from Chicago started a game with a random player from the Netherlands. They chatted while playing and eventually got married in 2011! Other couples have also met and married after playing Words with Friends together.
In another story, an American player was chatting with her Australian opponent about her opponent's husband's health. The American player told her own husband, who was a doctor, about the symptoms. The doctor suggested an immediate hospital visit. It turned out the Australian opponent's husband had a serious heart problem! The game's chat feature helped save his life. The two couples later met in person on a TV show.
Words with Friends as a Board Game
In 2012, the company Zynga teamed up with Hasbro, a famous toy company. Together, they released physical board game versions of Words with Friends! These included a regular board game, a fancy "Luxe" edition with a spinning board, and a small "To Go" travel version.
Words with Friends is not the only Zynga game that became a real-life board game. Other popular games like Draw Something and FarmVille also have physical board game versions. There was even a CityVille version of the classic game Monopoly.
Online Safety and Your Information
In October 2019, it was announced that some player information from Words with Friends accounts had been accessed without permission. This included details like players' names, email addresses, and other account information. This reminds us that it's always important to be careful with your personal information online.
