4 Best Writerly Games for Fun and Enrichment

by Lori Hatcher

Do you ever take writing so seriously that you forget to have fun?

I see those hands. And one of them is attached to my arm.

Deadlines, edits, critiques, and marketing. Word count, AI, and brainstorming. Piled in heaps around my computer sit half-finished projects, idea lists, unanswered emails, and unwritten thank you notes. Sometimes the work of writing squeezes out all the fun.

This should not be!

How about, for a few minutes, we set aside our work and have some fun? Below is a list of writerly wordly games my fellow writers and I enjoy. My family likes them too. (I’m hoping at least one of them will become a writer.) I’ve included Amazon links for more information, but don’t forget to check Thrift stores for a bargain.

Fun Games for Writers

Codenames (Ages 10+)

My husband and I learned to play this game during the pandemic when we were desperate to connect with others and limited to Zoom calls and Facetime. The concept is simple yet brilliantly strategic. You must give one-word clues to connect multiple words on the board while avoiding the opposing team’s words (and the dreaded assassin). The game makes you think creatively and leverage every inside joke you have with your teammates. The creators just came out with a brand new two-person version.

The Bible Is Funny (Ages 8+)

Here’s how Amazon describes this hilarious game:

Since Bible verses are always being taken out of context, why not make a game of it? With 70 prompts and 165 Bible verses spread out across 200 cards, the game invites players with an abundance of Bible knowledge as well as those with no prior Bible experience to match out-of-context biblical verses with prompts about everyday situations to win the funniest pairing.

Here’s an example:

An excuse I would use to get out of going somewhere...

I am very old. Joshua 23:2

My breath is offensive. Job 19:17

My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. Psalm 38:7

The verse cards in the deck feature obscure, humorous, or downright outrageous Bible verses pulled completely out of their original context. The prompt cards offer fun, contemporary situations into which those Bible verses can be inserted, with topics ranging from family dynamics and dating to popular culture and the workplace. Perfect for families, friends, and small groups.

Tapple (Ages 8+)

Play centers around a wheel with alphabetical keys. Take a category card from the stack, announce the category, and tap the timer button in the center of the TAPPLE wheel. On your turn, you have 10 seconds to name an answer for the category starting with an available letter on the TAPPLE wheel. Press the first letter of your answer, tap the button to reset the timer, and pass the turn. Letters pressed can no longer be used for the round, so the pressure mounts as letters are eliminated. Continue play until a player collects three cards and wins.

Taboo (Ages 13+)

This classic game tests your thesaurus abilities. Divide into two teams, activate the one-minute timer, flip a card over, and try to make your team say the word on the card without using any of the taboo words. You might get a word like Bacon. Try to describe it without saying pork, breakfast, crispy, pig, or lettuce and tomato. If you say one of the forbidden words, the opposing team buzzes you, and you move on to the next word. The team who guesses the most words in several rounds wins.

I could go on forever sharing favorite games (Boggle, Bananagrams, Scattergories). For wordsmiths, nothing is more fun than jousting with the swords of the English language. A well-designed and well-played game will almost always leave you smarter and smiling. Leave a comment below and share your favorite wordly games.

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Lori Hatcher is a freelance editor, writing instructor, and author of six devotionals with Our Daily Bread Publishing. Her latest book, Think on These Things: 60 Thoughtful Devotions for Renewed Peace, released this month. Lori writes for Revive Our Hearts, Focus on the Family, The Upper Room, and Crosswalk.com. A frequent instructor at writers conferences around the country, Lori loves nothing better than helping other writers polish and perfect their craft. Connect with her at www.LoriHatcher.com.