Word game later in life. Popular word-based game shows have been a part of television and radio throughout broadcast history, including Spelling Bee (the first televised game show) and Wheel of Fortune (the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States). In a letter arrangement game, the goal is to form words out of given letters. These games generally test vocabulary skills as well as lateral thinking skills. Some examples of letter arrangement games include Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, "Countdown", and Paperback. In a paper and pencil game, players write their own words, often under specific constraints. For example, a crossword requires players
Edward R. McDonald letter tiles, featuring the entire alphabet. Each set of tiles are of different colours. At the beginning of the game, the tiles are positioned in the two rows nearest each player, similar to chess pieces. Consonants have various point values as indicated on the tiles, while vowels have no point values. The players form words by moving tiles. Consonants are removed when a word has been formed and the score recorded. Vowels remain in place for the duration of the game. Players score double the point value for the use of an opponent letter in forming a new word. The