Get ready—this game will require you to stretch your brain with every roll of the die! If you are looking for a game to thoroughly drill vocabulary and language skills, Wonword has gone above and beyond and packed more language practice into 30-45 minutes than you perhaps thought possible. The goal of the game is to work together as a team to guess designated vocabulary words from the main word grid. The catch is the rules for clue-giving change every turn depending on the roll of the die.
Each turn, the roll will determine which of six challenge cards to draw, which in turn provide specific rules for clue-givers. A clue consists of an example sentence with the designated vocab word you want your teammates to guess—except you will say “blank” instead of the vocab word. The different challenge cards will require you to draw on different language skills as you create clue sentences. You might have to include another vocab word in your sentence; use alliteration; use an allusion, simile, or metaphor; use specific homophones; and more. Draw a different challenge card, and you might have to find a meme that represents the word or draw a picture that explains the word. Each vocab word card offers a definition, example sentence, part of speech, and synonyms and antonyms—all of which are forbidden words and cannot be used in your clue sentence.
Because of its difficulty level and extensive rules, this game is ideal for ages 12+, though a younger student may be able to play with the right amount of guidance. Some of these challenges may be tricky even for adults! Can you find a meme to describe “accurately”? Can you describe “approximately” using the word “enchanting” in your sentence? How would you draw “subjective”? One thing is certain—your brain will stretch and grow throughout gameplay!
There is a learning curve with this game due to the number of rules, and you will want to budget some extra time the first time you play to figure it out. The rules do come with a QR code to a rules video that is extremely helpful.
The game is for 2 to 8 players, but more could easily join since it is played in teams. The instructions include rules for 3 difficulty levels, plus cooperative and competitive game options. Includes 270 vocab cards and 72 challenge cards, a double-sided dry canvas, a dry erase marker, a symbol/color die, and a numbered die.