Travel Scrabble

The object of the game is to compete for the highest score by forming interlocking words in cross-word fashion on the Scrabble board using tiles displaying letters with various score values. Higher scores can be obtained by using the tiles in locations and combinations that make most use of the letter values and premium squares (eg: triple letter score, double word score, etc.) on the board.

The manufacturers recommend that the game is suitable for people age 10 years upwards, which is more or less accurate though slightly younger children could play, especially if there is some measure of supervision.

Contents: there is a moulded plastic travel case, 23x12x5 cm, which features a built-in playing board with a non-slip surface uniquely designed to hold the special tiles which fit securely on the board. There is no need for paper and pencil to score as there is an integral scoring device on the edge of the board for each player. All the contents can be safely and tidily stored away inside the moulded case. There are four storage racks which are specially designed to hold tiles in place during the playing of the game and which keep them hidden when they are packed away if play has to be interrupted. There are 100 tiles of various values, a cloth bag to hold the tiles and a rules leaflet which is explicit and easy to follow.

This is an excellent, compact version of Scrabble which should give hours of pleasure when on the move. --Susan Naylor

The current replacement, produced by Mattel, is bigger, clumsier, less stable for traveling, and very likely to result in lost tiles. The hinged board is poorly constructed and breaks quite easily. The tiles and racks don't fit comfortably in the case when it closed, and unused racks, etc., need to be stashed elsewhere, which means they are also likely to get lost in transit. I'd love to find a replacement set for my Spear version.


Excellent Product!   January 6, 2005
48 out of 50 found this review helpful

I'll assume that you all know how to play Scrabble. Well, this travel set is AWESOME! The letter holders fit neatly under the playing surface when not in use (I notice a previous reviewer said they needed to be stored elsewhere when not in use? Not sure what they are on about there, just leave them under the board!) and because the letters are magnetic, you can just pop it all away mid-game and then come back to it!

To the reviewer who said that there is no scoring system, I draw their attention to the markers on the sides of the board (visible in the photo above) - you simply slide the counter to indicate the number of points you have - i.e. 'x' no. of 1's, 10's, 100's.

When not in use, the letters fit in a tray which slots neatly inside the board, and the handy storage bag doubles as the letters bag when play is in progress. The attention to detail on this product as A1.

We travelled the world for two years and this game was invaluable for whiling away long flights or just relaxing in the evenings...word of advice though - buy the official Scrabble words book, or fast-track yourself into a divorce situation!!!


Travel Scrabble   August 29, 2001
13 out of 16 found this review helpful

This classic word-game transfers well to travel format with innovative racks for holding the tiles and a well designed board to hole your words in place whilst on the move.

Nice and compact and so easy to carry, the only thing missing is a scoring system so you'll need the ever-useful pen and paper to keep score - I'd recommend keeping one in the box just in case.

Enjoyable by all ages at home or on holiday, I firmly recommend this product for all, and it's easier to carry araound than the full-sized board game!


The game you thought you knew   September 4, 2001
12 out of 24 found this review helpful

Almost everyone knows scrabble but not everyone can afford to play it in the deluxe version. The beautiful solid wood pieces are a real sight for sore eyes and the soft felt goes nicely with the wood of the board. the idea of the game is that you play in turns and try to score as many points as possible (the letters are variously numbered according to their likelyhood of being used- E for example is the most often used letter in the english language so scores only 1 whereas Q and Z score a massive 10. There are also two blanks which do not score but you can use them to stand for any letter. The board has also got a number of squares which score double or triple word or letter. Play starts in the centre with a double word score (it being traditional in our family to let the youngest go first!) and then you swivel the board to the right you then build up a crossword where the the next word must always overlap with one that has gone before. I say always overlap but you may add to the beginning or end of words too. Reference to the dictionary is not allowed unless to check a word that has been queried. I gave the product 5 stars for educational value because I have found it most educational - particularly when it came to finding words with a Q but no U (and there are!) I have also found it disposes of a winter evening very well, so I gave it 5 stars for fun. I however have found that I did tend to lose the pieces and that and the fact that I did not want to look as though I was 'sucking up'made me give it 4 for duability!


Perfect for on the move!   November 10, 2006
Gamesfreak (Oxford)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

This edition of scrabble if you want a travel version but are not too worried about space (it is bulkier than the magnetic travel edition, but is much more durable).

The tile holders slot into place under one side of the game board (which lifts up on both sides) and the tiles and bag are stored under the other side keeping everything together in one handy unit. The tiles slide into the holders and click nicely into place on the board.

There is no need for pen and paper as the unit has a handy scoring system with sliders on each side of the board. The sides are numbered 1-4 as are the tile holders so if you need to postopone game play you know which is score and which tiles are yours. If you do have to stop play mid-game, there is no need to worry as the tile holders fold over holding your tiles in place and store neatly away under the board and because the tiles click into place on the board, this can be folded up without the tiles falling out.

The only down-side is that the tiles can sometimes be a bit tricky to lift out of the holders and when you go to remove the tiles from the board at the end of the game, they have a habit of flicking across the room (so keep an eye on them!).

On the whole, this is a great edition - one of the best travel games I have purchased!