As The Meeple Guild has noted in previous reviews, word games are not a genre we typically turn to.
So, just to be clear, Almost Words is a word game, well, sort of.
While Scrabble is the classic, Upwords is a fun option, and the weirdly named Yoink! is solidly about knowing how to spell. Almost Words twists the genre’s funny bone. Yes, you are still creating words from a random selection of tiles, but the creation process takes a much broader—and sillier—approach.
“We created Almost Words during a group game night over 12 years ago,” said Canadian designer Natalie Ehrenholz via email. “It’s difficult to remember its inception exactly, but we stuck with it because we needed a game to please both gamers and non-gamers in our group. We found ourselves needing a party game that was easy to learn and quick to play, while also feeling unique and highly replayable. We have tested this game with people who hate games, who hate word games, who love games, and who love word games—and have had success across the board.”
For example, a 3 might be an ‘M,’ a ‘W,’ or even a bird in flight—and spelling counts for nothing, so ‘Great’ can just as easily be ‘Gr8.’
“The unique character tiles are one of the best parts of the game,” said Ehrenholz. “The ‘alphabet’ we created to be flipped and interchanged is one of the most interesting and funny parts of the game. People are always using the tiles in new and exciting ways.”
“The most unique mechanic is the interchangeable tiles and the optional spelling and grammar. There is no wrong way to use a tile. Any tile can represent any letter or symbol the player wants. This allows endless combinations and creativity. It also lets players with language or learning barriers still participate. People who struggle to read or spell can choose to spell creatively, or abandon words altogether and create a picture of symbols.”
If that all sounds a bit silly, well, it really is.
As a result, Almost Words firmly lands in party-game territory, where the goal is to laugh, joke, and have fun. That works perfectly—as long as everyone is in the right mood.
In Almost Words, designed by Ryan Ehrenholz, Luke Ehrenholz, Natalie Ehrenholz, and Ben Franck, one player takes on the role of judge each round. The judge reveals the top card of the Almost Cards deck, which serves as the topic for that round. Each player takes 10 random tiles and places them face down on their presentation mat.
The judge then starts a two-minute sand timer. Players flip their tiles face-up and create a response to the topic. Responses can use any number of words, and players do not need to use all 10 tiles.
Each player then takes a turn pitching and revealing their response to the table. On a player’s turn, they set up their creation with a little story or sales pitch explaining how it relates to the topic.
The judge selects their favorite entry based on whatever criteria they choose. The winning player receives the Almost Card for that round, and the judge’s role passes to the next player. After a set number of equal rounds, the player with the most Almost Cards wins.
As you might imagine, you need to be in the mood to make sales pitches, but when everyone is on board, it can be a blast.
Almost Words plays up to six players, and in this case, more is absolutely better. This is a great game to pull off the shelf during family gatherings or office parties.
“Players can expect to have more fun than they anticipate. The box honestly does not do it justice,” said Ehrenholz. “We have demonstrated this game for literal hours and continue to laugh every time. It is so much fun and so different every time that it’s hard to get sick of it.”
“The primary thing Almost Words offers that other party games don’t is replayability. So many party games—I’m looking at you, Cards Against Humanity—lose their humor after two plays. Almost Words can be played again and again and is genuinely different and surprising every time.”
Check it out at honourwoodgames.com.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
Crazy fun with wild words
So, just to be clear, Almost Words is a word game, well, sort of.
While Scrabble is the classic, Upwords is a fun option, and the weirdly named Yoink! is solidly about knowing how to spell. Almost Words twists the genre’s funny bone. Yes, you are still creating words from a random selection of tiles, but the creation process takes a much broader—and sillier—approach.
“We created Almost Words during a group game night over 12 years ago,” said Canadian designer Natalie Ehrenholz via email. “It’s difficult to remember its inception exactly, but we stuck with it because we needed a game to please both gamers and non-gamers in our group. We found ourselves needing a party game that was easy to learn and quick to play, while also feeling unique and highly replayable. We have tested this game with people who hate games, who hate word games, who love games, and who love word games—and have had success across the board.”
For example, a 3 might be an ‘M,’ a ‘W,’ or even a bird in flight—and spelling counts for nothing, so ‘Great’ can just as easily be ‘Gr8.’
“The unique character tiles are one of the best parts of the game,” said Ehrenholz. “The ‘alphabet’ we created to be flipped and interchanged is one of the most interesting and funny parts of the game. People are always using the tiles in new and exciting ways.”
“The most unique mechanic is the interchangeable tiles and the optional spelling and grammar. There is no wrong way to use a tile. Any tile can represent any letter or symbol the player wants. This allows endless combinations and creativity. It also lets players with language or learning barriers still participate. People who struggle to read or spell can choose to spell creatively, or abandon words altogether and create a picture of symbols.”
If that all sounds a bit silly, well, it really is.
As a result, Almost Words firmly lands in party-game territory, where the goal is to laugh, joke, and have fun. That works perfectly—as long as everyone is in the right mood.
In Almost Words, designed by Ryan Ehrenholz, Luke Ehrenholz, Natalie Ehrenholz, and Ben Franck, one player takes on the role of judge each round. The judge reveals the top card of the Almost Cards deck, which serves as the topic for that round. Each player takes 10 random tiles and places them face down on their presentation mat.
The judge then starts a two-minute sand timer. Players flip their tiles face-up and create a response to the topic. Responses can use any number of words, and players do not need to use all 10 tiles.
Each player then takes a turn pitching and revealing their response to the table. On a player’s turn, they set up their creation with a little story or sales pitch explaining how it relates to the topic.
The judge selects their favorite entry based on whatever criteria they choose. The winning player receives the Almost Card for that round, and the judge’s role passes to the next player. After a set number of equal rounds, the player with the most Almost Cards wins.
As you might imagine, you need to be in the mood to make sales pitches, but when everyone is on board, it can be a blast.
Almost Words plays up to six players, and in this case, more is absolutely better. This is a great game to pull off the shelf during family gatherings or office parties.
“Players can expect to have more fun than they anticipate. The box honestly does not do it justice,” said Ehrenholz. “We have demonstrated this game for literal hours and continue to laugh every time. It is so much fun and so different every time that it’s hard to get sick of it.”
“The primary thing Almost Words offers that other party games don’t is replayability. So many party games—I’m looking at you, Cards Against Humanity—lose their humor after two plays. Almost Words can be played again and again and is genuinely different and surprising every time.”
Check it out at honourwoodgames.com.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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