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Bananagrams

Tabletop Game
8
Ratings2
Reviews1
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Bananagrams
Bananagrams
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8.3
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Bananagrams

2006 | Real-time | Word Game

Bananagrams is a fast and fun word game that requires no pencil, paper or board, and the tiles come in a fabric banana-shaped carrying pouch. One hand can be played in as little as five minutes. Much like Pick Two!, but without the letter values.

Using a selection of 144 plastic letter tiles in the English edition, each player works independently to create their own 'crossword' faster than one's opponents. When a player uses up all their letters, all players take a new tile from the pool. The object of the game is to be the first to complete a word grid after the "bunch" of tiles has been depleted.

There are variants included in the instructions, such as Banana Smoothie and Banana cafe for limited set skills or space-deprived places, and the game is suitable for solo play.

AWARDS & HONORS
2012 Guldbrikken Best Family Game Nominee
2010 Årets Spill Best Party Game Nominee

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No. of Players 1-8
Playing Time 15 min
Age 7+
Mechanics Tile Placement
Designer Rena Nathanson, Abe Nathanson
Artist Sandy Nathanson, Aaron Nathanson
Publisher Bananagrams, KOSMOS, Trefl, Vennerød Forlag AS
Amazon ASIN 1932188126

Background Image Courtesy: @purplephoenix.
Images And Data Courtesy Of: Bananagrams, KOSMOS, Trefl, Vennerød Forlag AS.
This content (including text, images, videos and other media) is published and used in accordance with Fair Use.

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Purple Phoenix Games

Added this item on Mar 6, 2018

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Bananagrams Reviews & Ratings (8)
9-10
37.5% (3)
7-8
62.5% (5)
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated

Jun 12, 2019  
Bananagrams
Bananagrams
2006 | Real-time, Word Game
7
8.3 (8 Ratings)
Tabletop Game Rating
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!

What if I told you that you could play an entire game of Scrabble in about 15 minutes? You wouldn’t believe me, would you? I wouldn’t have believed me either until I discovered Bananagrams. Ok, so it’s not technically Scrabble, but the gist is the same – place tiles and create words! The biggest difference is that there are no points and there is no board. You have a ‘hand’ of letter tiles that you must use to create your own personal crossword faster than your opponents! If anyone uses all of their tiles, all players must draw a new tile from the center of the table and adjust/add to their existing crossword to incorporate the new letter. Once all of the letter tiles are gone, the first player to complete their crossword is the winner!

As a solo game, you play Bananagrams the same way as you would in a group – use your tiles to create your crossword, and the game is over when all of the tiles are used. It’s still a race against the clock – you are just trying to beat your own best time instead of finishing before your opponents.

Some games really were not made to be played solo and, in my opinion, Bananagrams is one of those games. Most of the excitement of this game comes from racing your opponents to finish your crossword before they do. Playing solo just feels a little pointless to me – it’s not as exciting or nearly as fun. You are in complete control when playing solo because the game advances only when you allow it to. In a group game, the game is controlled by the fastest players, and that might not always be you. Yeah, you’re still supposed to be trying to beat your own best time when playing solo, but speed doesn’t feel as necessary because honestly, it isn’t.

The only positive reason I have for playing Bananagrams solo is that it just allows you to practice playing the game. It gives you time to test out different strategies that could then be used in a group game. You can practice creating new words to better utilize your current tiles, or find easy ways to modify your current crossword without losing time. Solo play is a good exercise for your brain. Using the skills you’ve practiced in solo play can help you better succeed in group play. And group play is where Bananagrams really shines.

Bananagrams is a fast and fun game that definitely requires more thought and strategy than its silly title would lead you to believe. However, this is a game I would recommend mainly for group play. Give it a shot solo if you want, but don’t be expecting it to be particularly exciting or fun. I do love to play Bananagrams, but only when I get to play with a group.

https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/solo-chronicles-bananagrams/
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Dillon Jacoby-Rankin (202 KP) rated

Jan 18, 2020  
Bananagrams
Bananagrams
2006 | Real-time, Word Game
8
8.3 (8 Ratings)
Tabletop Game Rating
Quick (2 more)
Fun
Plays up to 8!
Crazy Fun with 8 players!
So this is one of the few games in my group that plays up to 8 players. It's also played very quickly because with 8 players there aren't that many tiles to use per person. The rounds go super quick and you can get in some dumb laughs at what people think are real words and what aren't. I find the game very interesting and a blast every time we play.