Social Board Games: Scrabble

Name: Scrabble

Year of original Release: 1948

Rules:
This is a word based game where points are given to players who create words on the board. There are special areas where if a word crosses it in some way the player will gain points bonuses. Points are given based on the point values of each letter used in a word. The more common a letter is, the fewer points that letter gains. For example, E gains very few points whereas Q gains a lot more. words can also only be placed if it uses at least one letter from another word already on the board (except the first word).

What makes it social:
What isn't social about a game about words? Often arguments or discussions will arise as to whether a word is real or not and the player who made it should get points for using a load of rare letters. Scrabble also helps improve the vocabulary of the people playing as it encourage usage of less common words with less common characters. Talking between players help improve this aspect. People who play for the first time tend to not gain as many points.