Four iPhones and an iPad will let you play Scrabble

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Games - Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Here’s something interesting for your iPad: a Scrabble app by Electronic Arts that you can play with three other friends… as long as everyone in the group owns an iPhone or iPod touch. Perfect for the Apple party (that may or may not be officially called an “iParty”) you’ve been planning for weeks now.

So here’s how it works (the app, not the Scrabble game. You should know how to play that by now): This app loads on an iPad, and shows a virtual game board. Everyone sits around holding their iPhones (or iPod touch) close to their faces, because that’s where your virtual seven-letter tile rack is loaded. From there, you virtually flick tiles from the mobile to the iPad “gameboard.” The game keeps track of the scores as you play, so you don’t lose any time trying to multiply the score for the “QUIZ” that was plopped down on a triple word tile (it’s 66 by the way).

The app also allows you to play remotely with people across the net, with play modes that’ll let you play through Facebook, the local network, or with just one iPad using a Pass n’ Play mode aside from the Party Play mode. A single player game is also available that’ll pit you against the CPU.

Four iPhones and an iPad will let you play Scrabble Classic scrabble

The "classic" version of the game features a better resolution and unlimited battery life, but it's over when the dog eats a tile.

All you need is to download this $9.99 game from iTunes to your iPad, and then load the free Scrabble Tile Rack App to an iPhone or iPod touch. The game features “stunning HD graphics, portrait and landscape modes, and the party-play mode for playing with friends,” and is described as “the best Scrabble ever.” Unless you count an actual Scrabble board game—yeah, the age-old “classic version” that comes in a box with a game board and actual tiles. These things feature an even better resolution (in 3D no less!), portrait and landscape modes, and a multiplayer mode for playing with up to three other friends.

There’s no clear-cut winner though; while the actual Scrabble board game enjoys an unlimited battery life compared to the iPad version, you’ll never have to worry about lost tiles on the iPad version. Also, the virtual game eliminates cheating, which may or may not be a bad thing depending on how you play.

Tags: EA, Electronic Arts, Games, iPad, iPhone, Ipod Touch, Scrabble, Software