Last week, a reader asked about playing Scrabble-type word games online with a friend who moved to a different city. As one who's stayed up late into the night strategizing the highest value words against friendly opponents, I can make a few recommendations.
- If you've got a Facebook account, you can sign up for the Scrabble app and play with friends through Facebook, either on your browser or on your Facebook mobile phone app. Each time someone takes a turn, the other is notified. But -- this gets confusing -- in order to use the Scrabble iPhone app without Facebook, you have to be in the same local wifi network (in the same building or vicinity).
- Lexulous plays very much like Scrabble, but with a bigger board. You can play the game on Facebook, but its own site also hosts games, and it's got an iPhone app.
- Like Scrabble, Word With Friends works on an iTunes app, but you don't need to be in the same wifi network to play with your friends.
All these apps and websites provide instant word definitions to help you along, especially in those tight two-word spots. I'm not saying I use them myself -- just that they're available should you need it. Have fun!