How it plays
The 144 letter tiles lie face down in the middle of the table; depending on the number of players, each person takes 11 to 21. On a signal, everyone builds their own crossword grid at the same time and may rearrange it whenever they like. Whoever has used up all their tiles announces it aloud, and everyone draws another tile. An awkward letter can be exchanged for three new ones. When there are no longer enough tiles left for everyone, the first player to finish wins, provided their grid contains no mistakes, proper nouns or abbreviations.
What it can help develop
At its core, the game is about word retrieval from letters: as with an anagram, players try out sequences of letters in their heads until words emerge. Spelling counts, because every word has to be correct both across and down, including where words cross. Cognitive flexibility comes in too: some new letters only fit if a player breaks up a finished word and rebuilds it instead of clinging to the first solution. The others set the pace; before the final call, careful checking for mistakes is needed.
Especially suitable for
- Children from age 7 who can already write confidently
- Families who find Scrabble too slow
- On the go: everything fits inside the banana
Less suitable for
- Beginner readers competing against experienced adults
- Groups looking for interaction and strategy
Our verdict
Bananagrams is a worthwhile choice for families who find Scrabble too leisurely and for children from age 7 who spell confidently. Everyone builds their own word grid at the same time, there is no waiting, and everything fits in the banana pouch. In 2009, the US toy industry association named it “Game of the Year”. Its limitations are hardly any interaction, the luck of the letters and a tough time for children against experienced adults.
Getting started
- Explain the exchange early on: an awkward letter may be traded in for three new ones.
- Stress right at the start that the grid may be rearranged at any time, because sometimes a new letter only fits after some rebuilding.
- Before the final call, check all the words across and down.
In detail
Variants and player count
According to the German rules, the number of tiles each person takes at the start depends on the number of players: with two to four players it is 21, with five or six 15 and with seven or eight 11. The rules give the age range as 7 to 107. The cooperative way of playing from our tip for parents is not a house rule: the English rules, as reproduced by Asmodee, describe it as a variant with face-up tiles and one shared grid that players build in turn. Bananagrams has been published in German, French and Italian, among other languages. Editions have been published by Kosmos, Game Factory and dV Giochi, for example.
What reviewers say
Reich der Spiele reviews the 2009 Kosmos edition and calls Bananagrams an ideal game to take on trips or bring along as a small gift. As a weakness, the review cites the low level of interaction. Cliquenabend highlights the simple, short rules and the banana-shaped packaging that is easy to take along. Cliquenabend is critical of the lack of strategy and interaction and of the luck involved in the letters. The review on What’s Good To Do describes how faster players leave the others behind with many tiles. What’s Good To Do also notes that children struggle against adults.
How it compares
Scrabble also calls for word retrieval, along with planning ahead and mental math. Scrabble is for 2 to 4 people from age 8 and takes about 50 to 90 minutes. Scrabble suits calm puzzlers, and is less suited to impatient players who dislike waiting. Just One (from age 8, 3 to 7 people, about 20 minutes) can help develop language and flexibility, like Bananagrams, as well as cooperation: everyone plays in one team, which suits children who dislike losing. Just One is less suited to players who still find reading and writing difficult. Bananagrams is the more likely choice for those who find Scrabble too slow, for groups of up to eight people and on the go.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What age is Bananagrams suitable for?
Bananagrams is recommended from age 7. A child is ready when they can already write confidently, because the words have to be correct in both directions, including where they cross. Beginner readers struggle when competing against experienced adults.
How long does a game take and how many people can play?
A game takes about 15 minutes. The game is for 1 to 8 people, who all build at the same time, so there is no waiting. When there are no longer enough tiles for everyone, the first person to have used up all their tiles wins.
What skills can Bananagrams help develop?
The skills profile lists language, flexibility as well as perception and speed. Forming words from letters calls for vocabulary and spelling, and if a new tile only fits after some rebuilding, a finished word has to be broken up again.
What is allowed in the word grid?
Spelling mistakes, proper nouns and abbreviations are not allowed; anyone who has them in their grid cannot win. So before the final call, it is worth checking everything carefully.
