Scruble Cube - review

"What in the world is a Scruble Cube?" was my first thought when I was offered the opportunity to review this educational toy/game as a member of the Homeschool Crew.

Well, remember the Rubik's Cube? No? I guess I'm showing my age then. C'mon! Admit it. At least you know what a Rubik's Cube is, right? Okay. Think Rubik's-Cube-meets-Scrabble. That's what the Scruble Cube makes me think of.

Each side of the cube has 16 letter or bonus tiles that can be arranged in a multitude of ways. The surface of the tiles can rotate, too (unlike a Rubik's Cube) so when you're trying to make a word you can turn the letters to all face the same direction.

I thought it would be a good way to reinforce spelling, and it sort of is, but more than that it's a exercise in thinking of words that use the letters that can be manipulated into place. Each letter has a specific number of points (like Scrabble) and the bonus tiles can be manipulated into place to give you extra points for the words you form.

It is recommended for ages 8 and up, but I think a typical 8-year-old would find it very challenging, and maybe even frustrating. However, I think it's great for teens and adults who enjoy challenging word games.

It's the type of game you could play sitting around the campfire or in the car on a road-trip. It's pretty portable being mainly just the cube. It came in a box with an instruction sheet, a timer and a printed score pad, which is cool, except the box was pretty flimsy and designed more for display in the store rather than ongoing store-all-the-game-components together practicality. I was disappointed about that.

Scruble Cube is available online and at various retailers for $24.95.