by Susan Quilty

Created on: January 06, 2011

Scrabble Flash is a form of Scrabble with an electronic twist. Like the original game of Scrabble, Scrabble Flash is a word game and points are awarded for creating words. However, that's where the similarities end. Instead of having a traditional game board, Scrabble Flash uses electronic cubes. Instead of making a crossword grid of words, Scrabble Flash challenges you to come up with as many words as you can in a set amount of time.

What's In the Box

Scrabble Flash comes with five Scrabble Flash cubes. Each of these electronic cubes has a screen on the front that will display a single letter. When the Scrabble Flash cubes touch, they communicate with each other and "know" when they are arranged in a way that spells a word. The cubes are packed in a small, portable case which makes it easy to take the game on the road. An instruction book and batteries are also included.

How to Play

With three different modes, Scrabble Flash cubes offer versatile game play. Scrabble Flash can be played by a single player or by a group. The game can also be modified to use only four cubes for younger players. The three game modes are: Flash, Five Letter Flash and Pass Flash.

During the basic Flash play, players are given five letters (one on each cube) and must arrange them into as many words as possible in the allotted time. (The time begins with 75 seconds, but five seconds are added for every correct five letter word found.) When they are touched together, the Scrabble Flash cubes recognize that they are spelling words and add points to the total score.

When switching to Five Letter Flash, players are given 75 seconds to unscramble five letter words. Five letters are given (one on each cube) at the beginning of the game. Once a five letter word is found, the Scrabble Flash cubes change to reveal a different set of five letters.

Pass Flash is similar to Five Letter Flash, except the Scrabble Flash cubes are passed between players after each five letter word is found. A player who cannot unscramble their given set of five letters to form a correct word is out. Play continues until only one player remains.

Game Review

While it is a word game, Scrabble Flash is designed to be more like a computer game than a traditional board game. The game modes are very similar to a variety of online word games, particularly those found on Facebook or smartphones. The Scrabble Flash Cubes themselves are an interesting novelty. However, people who own smartphones or an iPod Touch will likely find that it is more convenient to play nearly identical games on those devices.

As with other online or electronic word games, Scrabble Flash is limited by its own internal dictionary. Some of the allowable words are questionable, and the fact that Scrabble Flash cubes recognize words spelled from either direction (forward or backward) can be annoying. Some actual words appear to have been censored or otherwise left out as well.

While Scrabble Flash cubes are considered a board game, they are more easily compared to computer word games. These arrangeable cubes may win points for novelty, but they simply aren't as functional as computer word games. For example, at the end of a game, Scrabble Flash cubes tell you how many words you found and how many words you "could have" found, but it never shows you the words you missed. Most computer word games let you see the words you missed, which is more educational and more satisfying.

Overall, Scrabble Flash is an interesting attempt to bridge the gap between traditional board games and computer games. It is portable, versatile and fun for many different ages. Scrabble Flash does have its quirks and flaws, but it can be fun for word game enthusiasts.  

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