Bananagrams
Strange name, fun game. Bananagrams is a variation on the traditional game of Scrabble, yet there is no board required to play, and the tiles even come in a handy banana shaped bag. The title itself is a simple play on words, merging the words Banana and Anagrams, which in itself reflects the style of game.
To set up the game, all the pieces should be laid out face down, on the surface chosen for the game. These tiles are referred to as the bunch.
For a game of 2-3 players, each player must then select 21 tiles from the bunch. For 5-6 players, 15 tiles, and for 7-8 players, 11 tiles.
Once all players have the required amount of tiles, play can begin by declaring the work 'Split'. Each player will use the tiles at their disposal to make their own personal Scrabble crossword. Players do not take it in turns to play, but all play independently at the same time.
If a person uses all of their tiles, they must then say 'Peel' out loud. All players must then take 1 tile from the bunch.
If a player has a tile they wish not to use, they can say the word 'Dump', and trade it back to the bunch, for 3 tiles.
Once the remaining number of tiles in the bunch becomes lower than the number of players, a player can win by using up their remaining tiles on their crossword. Once this happens, they must shout Bananagrams, in order to win.
This game is a small game that is easy to cart with you on the go. All you need is a flat surface (and obviously the game) to play. The rules are easy to follow, so little explanation is needed before play can begin. If there are a great number of players, or simply if people don't want to play individually, then players can easily team up. This will make the game more interesting, more sociable, and much more competitive.
