Y'all, You'll Want To Play Bananagrams For Hours, But It Only Takes Three Minutes To Learn

It's perfect for (almost) all ages, and is incredible fun for up to eight players!

Hi hello, are you already fighting that summer ennui? Done with Stranger Things and looking for something else that will actually keep everyone from mindlessly scrolling their phones for at least a few hours? Or just looking for an occasion to get all your friends together, but don't want to haul a big board game box everywhere you go?

NBC

Then look no further than Bananagrams, a simple game where you race against one another to make as many words as possible in your own personal word grid. (Oh, and it comes in an adorable banana-shaped carrying pouch that's easy to slip into your bag on your way out somewhere, or even just keep on your coffee table!)

@bananagramsinc / instagram.com

If you're worried that it's too much like Scrabble, it's not! The only similarities are 1) it's a word game played with tiles and 2) all of the words you make have to connect to the grid somehow. One set's enough for 1–8 players, but reviewers say they play larger groups by simply picking up a second set! It's recommended for ages 7+.

Basically, you turn all the tiles over in a pile (~the bunch~) in the center of the table (or picnic blanket!!), everybody picks out the same number of tiles (depending on how many players you have), flips their tiles over at the exact same time, and the RACE IS ON!

Bananagrams / youtube.com

You can rearrange your letters at any time you need! If you have just a few letters left and can't make any words with them, you yell "peel!" (or whatever your group decides, lol), and everyone has to take a tile from the bunch. You can also discard letters back to the bunch, but every time you do that you have to draw three more letters.

When there are fewer tiles in the bunch than players, the first person to use ALL their letters in their grid yells "Bananas!" and — if their grid has no spelling mistakes or proper nouns — wins!

TNT / SAG Awards / giphy.com

If they do have an error or a proper noun, then their tiles all get flipped over added back into the bunch, they're out, and play continues until most of those letters are used + someone else uses all their letters.

And if that doesn't sound fun enough yet, wait until you read a few of the literally over TWO THOUSAND FIVE-STAR REVIEWS on Amazon!!

Amazon

People love it with their friends. People love it with their families of pretty much ALL ages. And it makes an incredibly fun two-player game, too!

@bananagramsinc / instagram.com

Promising reviews: "My family absolutely adores this game! We love that you can play this with all ages. From my parents in their 80's to my youngest daughter and her friends at 10 — it's so much fun. We took it on Spring Break with our friends and played for hours. It makes you use your head and some strategy. When we have a large group of people we play with two packs of the Bananagrams. I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone! A fave for sure!" —Sue S

"WARNING: HIGHLY ADDICTIVE AND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE! This game has definitely got in the way of mine and my partner's relationship. I bought it because I played it with friends, but little did I know that bringing it home from Amazon would mean declaring war! All jokes aside, this is a fun take on Scrabble. It is fast-paced, intellectual and fun — all at the same time. I would recommend Bananagrams to any household, be it just a couple of you, or a whole family!" —Dr. Gonzo

It's great for taking wherever you need to be and playing with pretty much anyone you're spending time with...

Promising reviews: "I got this game to play while I was in the hospital and I had all the nurses in love with it. It’s pretty competitive and everyone gets super into it. I love how easy it is to travel with it and it’s great for playing with younger kids because they can make their own words and they don’t slow down the game. Highly highly highly recommend this game love it so much." —Ashley

"My kids and I love this game! I bought this for a recent vacation as I thought it seemed like a fun, portable game. We all learned the rules quickly and played game after game after game. I love the cute little banana carrying case, and love that it helps my 6- and 8-year old get creative with forming words and practice their spelling. Very fun!" —Queen City Mama

...or even playing solitaire-style to keep your brain sharp!

@bananagramsinc / instagram.com

Promising reviews: "I bought my first set for my young school age grandchildren. They really like it. As I was playing this game during a visit with them I discovered that it also was terrific as a "Solitaire" game. Therefore I ordered three more sets, one for myself and the others to give away. This solitaire keeps my brain active and busy during the cold winter months. I am a widow and usually play one game a day and enjoy it tremendously." —Grammy

"My daughter, grandson and I had lots of fun playing several rounds. I had already played a few times solitaire and loved the challenge. We modified the rules a bit and allowed the youngest player to use some words which were not officially permitted by the rules that came with the game, but the idea was to offer the child an even playing field. We all had a good time together. I can vouch for that!" —M. Kienzle

Ready to have add some serious fun to the even the laziest summer afternoons, wherever you go? Get Bananagrams on Amazon for $13.99.

Amazon

Everybody you know after playing a few rounds of your new Bananagrams:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.

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