Bananagrams game Review

Bananagrams will make you laugh until you cry
I first spied the yellow zippered banana-shaped bag in a gift shop in Durango, Colorado.....the minute my sister and I realized it held letter tiles for a crossword speed game, we bought it and took it home anxious to play.  Our dad is a crossword junkie, and we are both Scrabble addicts.   Turned out to be the best $15 we ever spent!   

The first time we played this game, we were hooked
You dump all the letters upside on the table, then take 18 letters each (for 3 players).   Everyone turns over their letters at the same time, then starts making their own crossword puzzle using every letter.  Just like Scrabble, no capitalized words, no contractions, no acronyms, no foreign language. 

How it Works
As soon as the first person has used all his tiles, he shouts PEEL, at which point he and all the other players must take a tile.   This new tile is often placed quickly by the person who "peeled," meaning he will likely keep shouting "Peel!" to the chagrin of the other players, whose letters may start to pile up on them.    You can dump troublesome letters like V, C or Q, but you must take 3 letters in exchange.   The first person to use all their letters shouts out Bananas! then shows and defends their words.    Everyone's heart rate is UP and you will be laughing while you play.   Just great fun. 

Libby's Hot Tip
Establish which dictionary (for challenges after the game is over) and which rules you're going to use before you start;  diehard Scrabblers will have a big advantage if allowed to use words like QAT, SUQ, OE, XI, etc.   Best to just have a 2- and 3-letter cheat sheet on the table, perhaps. 

A near-perfect, fast game
No long pauses here - pant, pant, pant - just competitive fun, and an educaitonal tool for kids, if you choose to use it that way.   This is a terrific game !

The Bottom Line:  LIbby Loves It !