Outspell: Spelling Out the Rules and Unique Features (2024)

Outspell: Spelling Out the Rules and Unique Features (1)

Created by Beth Wiggins for Wordfinder

Outspell is a Scrabble clone that you can play in any web browser. It’s a single-player experience, making it a great alternative to the multiplayer game that inspired it. It’s also entirely free to play. If you want the fun of Scrabble without needing to rely on another player, Outspell might be the perfect spelling game for you.

The Basics of Outspell

As mentioned, the Outspell game is based on classic Scrabble. The gameplay is essentially the same. If you are an avid Scrabble player, this game will come naturally to you. If you are only familiar with Scrabble, learning Outspell will take no time at all. And if you’ve never played a game of Scrabble in your life, you’ll still be able to figure things out after a couple of games. Outspell is all about being simple, quick and easy to play.

With the similarity to Scrabble also comes a similarity to Words With Friends. Both games have built-in dictionaries that tell you which words are legal. Words With Friends also has a single-player mode. The only major difference is that Outspell doesn’t have a ranking system like Words With Friends does.

Just like in Scrabble, you play the game on a board with (mostly) blank squares. Each turn, you place letter tiles on the squares to create words. Every word you create earns you points based on the letters you use. The goal is to outscore your opponent by creating the best words possible.

Arkadium: The Brains Behind Outspell

Outspell was created by the company Arkadium. Arkadium specializes in casual browser-based games. They’ve been in business since 2001 and have released some popular web games alongside Outspell. Some examples are the Microsoft Solitaire Collection and an at-home version of the Jeopardy! game show.

Spelling Out the Rules to Outspell

Outspell’s rules are worth studying if you aren’t already familiar with Scrabble or Words With Friends. The first rules you should understand are the steps for playing the game.

  • Set the difficulty: Before the game starts, you can choose from one of three difficulty settings: easy, medium or hard. Outspell can become challenging, so it’s best to start with “easy” if you are new to it.

  • Make the first move: You always play the first letter tile to start the game. Select two or more of your six letter tiles to create a word. You must create your first word with the board’s center space.

  • Pass your turn: If you don’t want to play a word or don’t see any worthwhile words to spell, you can skip your turn.

  • Exchange tiles: You can exchange any number of your tiles for random replacements from the tile bag. Keep in mind that the game will skip your turn if you choose to swap tiles.

  • Win the game: The game ends once you and the computer use all of the 100 letter tiles or if neither player can no longer spell a viable word with their available tiles. At that point, the player with the most points wins.

Points, Placement and Bonus Squares

The other important rules pertain to the placement of letters and how you earn points.

  • Tile scores: Each letter tile is assigned an individual point value, the same as Scrabble letter values. Commonly used letters are typically only worth one point each. Less common letters are worth more. The letter Z, for example, is worth 10 points.

  • Word placement: You can only spell words in straight lines, and each word must be readable from left to right or from top to bottom. Sometimes, spelling a word alongside an existing word can create other legal words. If you spell any words this way, you’ll earn points for them as well.

  • Bonus squares: The board has multiple blue squares and red squares mixed in with the regular white ones. Each of these squares has an “X3” or an “X2” on them. Placing a letter on a blue square will multiply the points for that letter by the number on the square. Spelling a word on a red square will multiply the points for the entire word by the number on the square.

Where to Play

Being a browser-based game, Outspell has the benefit of being playable on many different websites. Arkadium “leases out” the game, in a sense, to other sites so they can offer their users extra entertainment. Playing AARP Outspell is effectively the same as playing Outspell on Arkadium’s own page

Other sites to get your fill of Outspell include MSN Games and USA Today, as well as The Washington Post. Millions of people visit these sites every day.

Play Scrabble Online as Well

Outspell is a quality supplement for Scrabble. The rules are almost identical. And, being a single-player game makes it good practice if you don’t feel ready to play real people in Scrabble or Words With Friends. However, it’s not the only online option to enjoy tile-based gameplay. Explore some other options for single-player Scrabble to find a game you might enjoy just as much as Outspell.

Zac Pricener has been a content creator for the past eight years. He’s a bit of an all-around nerd, and he has a bad habit of working movie and TV show references into conversations whenever possible.

Outspell: Spelling Out the Rules and Unique Features (2024)

FAQs

How do people get such high scores in Outspell? ›

If you use all six of your tiles on one word, you'll get an automatic 50-point bonus. But that's not the only way to gain an advantage. Look carefully for open x2 and x3 tiles, which double or triple the letter (if it's a blue tile) or word (if it's a red tile).

What are the rules for outspell? ›

Play starts in the middle of the board, and words are built out from there by combining your letter tiles with those already on the board. Each letter tile has its own point value, and points are earned based on the total value of the letter tiles used during a turn.

Why can't I get outspell? ›

Troubleshooting Steps:

Use the latest browser version available (ideally chrome, firefox, safari, or edge) Ensure your browser has third-party cookies enabled (the games are from a third-party, so these cookies are required; if you have them disabled that may negatively interfere with your ability to play the game).

How do you spell aarp? ›

AARP.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/AARP.

What is the best first word in Scrabble? ›

Here are some of the highest-scoring moves ever performed in a game of Scrabble. The word muzjiks, which refers to Russian peasants, holds the record for the highest opening move ever recorded and is, according to the rules, the highest scoring opener that is possible.

What's the highest scoring word in Scrabble? ›

What is the single highest-scoring possible play in Scrabble? OXYPHENBUTAZONE, for 1780 points, spanning all three TWS squares on the left side and with the major crossings OPACIFYING, PREQUALIFIED, BRAINWASHING, AMELIORATIVE, and EJACULATIONS.

What happens if you play all your letters during the game of Scrabble? ›

Any player who plays all seven of their tiles in a single turn scores a premium of 50 points in addition to their regular score for the turn. The 50 points are added on after doubling or tripling a word score. In this case, player 1 plays TRAINER, scoring 16 points in normal play + 50 for the bonus word = 66 points.

What are the rules for the mystery word game? ›

Playing the Mystery Word Game

Nominate one group at random to start. The students from that group ask for a number. Give the whole class the clue associated with that number. Any team can buzz in or attempt to answer the clue.

What are the rules for the dictionary game? ›

Each round consists of one player selecting and announcing a word from the dictionary, and other players composing a fake definition for it. The definitions, as well as the correct definition, are collected blindly by the selector and read aloud, and players vote on which definition they believe to be correct.

Why are AARP games not working? ›

My game isn't working or loading. What can I do? Your games may not be working or loading because of technical issues such as conflicts created by too many active cookies, lack of available cache to complete a task, and/or an outdated browser.

How do you spell Washington Post? ›

Washington Post.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Washington%20Post.

What is the best free online game? ›

Best free games 2024
  1. The Sims 4. A social simulator for the ages.
  2. League of Legends. A team-based competition of defense. ...
  3. Marvel Snap. A card collecting battler for Marvel fanatics. ...
  4. Honkai: Star Rail. A space fantasy RPG for gacha fans. ...
  5. The Finals. Enter the arena. ...
  6. Fall Guys. A family-friendly slice of fun. ...
  7. Apex Legends. ...
  8. Fortnite. ...
Aug 20, 2024

What is the word game where you clear the board? ›

The objective of Word Wipe is simple; clear the board by forming as many words as possible within a time limit.

How to get more points on Scrabble? ›

Save the S and the Blank tile for high-scoring plays. The blank is the best scoring tile in the game, and should usually be saved for plays of fifty points or more if it can't be used in a bingo. The S is the next most valuable tile, as it can often be added at the front or end of a word to form two words at once.

What is a good score in Scrabble for two players? ›

A competitive tournament game of Scrabble gives only 25 minutes to each player and is only 2 players. An expert in Scrabble will also be keeping detailed records as he plays. A good score is 300, an extremely good score is 500-700. A rank beginner score is 150-200.

Is 300 a good Scrabble score? ›

According to the game's manufacturer, Hasbro, Scrabble experts average 330 to 450 points in a tournament game. Kuchta, who plays Scrabble several times a day with her husband, said their highest-scoring games are usually in the mid-300s.

How do people score so high on word wipe? ›

Your score thus is maximized if you make longer words. An exception to this formula is when a sequence of any length of the same letter is cleared, it is scored as each letter being worth only 2 points.

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