The Oxford A to Z of Word Games

How can you learn to think like a crossword puzzle author? What is the correct way to score in Fictionary? What are the strategic keys for winning at Scrabble? The rules for playing Grandmother's Trunk or Shouting Proverbs? Delve into the pages of this entertaining compendium and find the answers to these questions and more as you learn how to play 250 of the world's most popular word games. From Consequences, Call My Bluff, Hangman, and Countdown to Aesop's Mission, Beheadments, Superghosts, and more, Tony Augarde offers a grand tour of the word game universe, providing full details of how to play each game, including examples of play, useful diagrams, and fun cartoons. A particularly useful feature is the thematic index to types of games, allowing you to find games that match your interests and skills. Are you particularly keen at challenges that involve puns? Then try Tom Swifties or My Word — but be warned, punning atrociously can be addictive. Think quickly on your feet? Check out Punchlines, where two competing players are trying to end the same story with different assigned punchlines — but they have to take turns in the telling. Is poetry your forte? Then turn to Equivoque, where a witty sense of humor will help you as you try to write a poem with two different meanings, or try Rhyming Consequences, where you'll build up a ridiculous series of verse. Sly readers will choose games to exploit friends' (and competitors') weaknesses: a good game of Minister's Cat demands a sharp memory, while Sausages will test the best poker face. Whether you're looking for a quiet game for two or an evening's entertainment for a house full of guests, Augarde has outlined the rules, requirements, and equipment needed for games that suit all situations, abilities, and age levels. Word-lovers and gameplayers of every stripe will welcome this exhaustive how-to guide and will want to make it a permanent addition to their entertainment libraries.