Grabbler a New Word Game :

Grabbler a New Word Game :

Word games are the most interesting and engaging form of board games. Its also serves a very useful and progressive educational purpose as it helps one and all to improve their spelling and language skills. Solving crossword
puzzles, which requires familiarity with larger vocabulary, is a pastime that mature adults have long credited for keeping their minds sharp.

Most word games require skills like alertness, a well-developed vocabulary, and excellent general language skills, including comprehension, spelling and patience. People who play these games witness a lot of improvement
in their daily work.

You can find many different word games or word puzzles; the main goal is to form words out of given letters. Some good word games are easily available in the market and on the net like grabbler, jumble,
lettercube, scrabble etc.

According to me the most interesting word game amongst all is “Grabbler”. Grabbler is a multi-player board game that rivals scrabble, its almost the antithesis of scrabble. There are various word games out on the internet where for a single player not multi-players and that’s what I find most advantageous in grabbler.

Grabbler challenges users to build their vocabulary. The game play requires the players to create interlocking words using alphabets placed on cubes while the strategy involves grabbing as many cubes of your opponents as possible.

Grabbler is a game, where players are given a 12×12 grid of letters with four cubes arranged in the center of the game board and the player must create a word that forms from one of them. Players can also select the cube and rotate to change the letter displayed. The game continues untill each players passes one after the other till they cannot form any new words from the grid. Like with the initial four cubes, and like Scrabble, players can try interconnect and use their opponent’s letters for more points. As you can probably guess, the one with the most points at the end of the game wins.

If you are not aware and have not played yet, do try out this  interesting game at least once with your friends and please do mail me your views.

Board Games for all age groups :

Planning to spend some quality time with your family, but confused as
to how you can involve the entire family, the parents as well as
children. Well, one option that can be considered is Board Games.
Nowadays, different kinds of Board Games are available that can be
enjoyed by all age groups.

A board game  is a game which includes counters or playing pieces that
are placed on, removed from, or moved across a game board in
accordance with the play of the game.

There are many different types of board games for all age levels
ranging from simple Checkers game to a more complicated game like
Cluedo.  Board games created especially for small children are Clue
Junior or Monopoly Junior., Sponge Bob Monopoly, Candy Land, Trouble
and Sorry.

Few Games that suit both the adults and children are :

Scrabble : All age group people can enjoy this game.  Scrabble
involves word choices and spelling and a good memory skill. It is
almost like a crossword puzzle game.  Elderly people can benefit a lot
playing this mentally-stimulating game.

Monopoly: Monopoly is a timeless classic game.  This game can be
enjoyed by 7 year young children as well as 90 year elderly people
mainly because it is a game about strategy, chance, luck and
ultimately about greed.  The only drawback about Monopoly is that a
single game can take hours to complete.

Especially for toddlers –

Don’t Break the Ice : This is a game for ages 3-6.  It involves two or
more players.  The object of this game is to slowly break out pieces
of “ice” without causing the polar bear to fall through the ice.

Candyland :  Though the game is for 3-6 age group children, adults too
enjoy this game.  It involves 2 to 4 players with the main object of
being the first person to get their colorful gingerbread man around
the board and reach the Candy Castle first.

Chutes and Ladders : This board game is for three to ten years old and
require two to four players. The object of this board game is to be
the first person to the top of the board without getting slide back
down to the bottom by a chute. Here, you go up the ladders and slide
back down the chutes!

I am in the process of finding more board games that suit teenagers whims
and fancies.. Do mail me some options..

8-Ball Billiards Game

Billiards Game :

Nowadays, its seen that kids and adults are extremly addicted to online games. I, myself love to pass each free moment I have playing 8 Ball Billiards Game.

I must have read all possible strategies, tips and tricks that are available online to master this game. The variations of this game are many.. to name a few – 9- ball, cutthroat, Euro 8 ball, 3 balls, trick shots etc.

Following are the FOULS I came accross while exploring online.

*The shooter fails to strike one of his/her own object balls (or the 8 ball, if all of said object balls are already pocketed) with the cue ball, before other balls (if any) are contacted by the cue ball. This includes “split” shots, where the cue ball strikes one of the shooter’s and one of the opponent’s object ball simultaneously.
* No ball comes into contact with a cushion or is pocketed, after legal cue ball contact with the (first) object ball (or 8 ball, if shooting for the 8).
* The cue ball is pocketed (“scratched”)
* The shooter does not have at least one foot on the floor (this requirement may be waived if the shooter is disabled in a relevant way, or the venue has not provided a mechanical bridge)
* The cue ball is shot before all balls have come to a complete stop from the previous shot
* The cue ball is struck more than once during a shot
* The cue ball is jumped entirely or partially over an obstructing ball with an illegal jump shot that scoops under the cue ball
* The cue ball is clearly pushed (shoved slowly, rather than struck), with the cue tip remaining in contact with it more than momentarily
* The shooter touches the cue ball with something other than the tip of the cue
* The shooter touches any ball (with body, clothing or equipment), other than as necessary to move the cue ball when the player has ball-in-hand
* The shooter knocks a ball off the table
* The shooter has shot out-of-turn
* On the break shot, no balls are pocketed and fewer than four balls reach the cushions (in which case the incoming player can demand a re-rack and take the break or force the original breaker to re-break, or may take ball-in-hand behind the head string and shoot the balls as they lie)

Sudoku A Logic Based Puzzle Game

Sudoku – A Logic Based Puzzle Game

If you are fond of addictive puzzle games that require skill and logic, then Sudoku is the game best suited for you.

Sudoku is a logic based puzzle game involving number placement in combinations. It is a game wherein you have to fill a 9×9 grid in such a way that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 boxes/blocks contain the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each. The grid already has a few numbers filled in, the rest of the grid has to be completed by the puzzle solver.

The modern puzzle was invented in 1979 by Howard Garns; an American architect and a freelance puzzle constructor from Indiana. It was first published by Dell Magazines under the name “Numbers in Place and was popularized in 1986 by the Japanese puzzle company Nikoli, under the name Sudoku, meaning single number. His creation became an international hit in 2005.

There are many variants to this game. You can also find puzzles offering 4×4 grids with 2×2 regions or blocks; a 6×6 grid with 2×3 regions has been featured in World Puzzle Championship. Larger grids offering a 12×12-grid with 12 regions of 4×3 squares are also available.

According to Wikipedia the Sudoku Competitions featured till date are:

• The first World Sudoku Championship was held in Lucca, Italy, from March 10-12, 2006. The winner was Jana Tylová of the Czech Republic. The competition included numerous variants.

• The second World Sudoku Championship was held in Prague from March 28 to April 1, 2007. The individual champion was Thomas Snyder of the USA. The team champion was Japan.

• Hosted by renowned puzzle master Will Shortz, The Philadelphia Inquirer Sudoku National Championship was the first U.S. Sudoku Championship. Thomas Snyder was the winner of the expert division, receiving $10,000 and a spot on the U.S. National Sudoku Team at the 2008 World Sudoku Championship in India.

• The third World Sudoku Championship was held in Goa, India, from April 14-16, 2008. Thomas Snyder repeated as the individual overall champion, and also won the first ever Classic Trophy (a subset of the competition counting only classic Sudoku). The Czech Republic won the team competition.

• United Kingdom newspapers have run several national Sudoku competitions, the most prominent is run by The Times. Nina Pell won the first contest, in 2005, followed by Rachel Rothm, in 2006, and Tom Collyer, in 2007. Nina regained her title on September 13, 2008, at the Institute of Education, part of the University of London. In finishing order, the eight grand finalists were: Nina Pell, Howard Granville, Maxwell Rock, George Danker, David Collison, Pippa Wassall, Jason Shannon and Ross Pope.

• The 4th World Sudoku Championship was held in Žilina, Slovakia, from April 24-27, 2009. After past champion Thomas Snyder of USA won the general qualification, Jan Mrozowski of Poland emerged from a 36-competitor playoff to become the new World Sudoku Champion. Host nation Slovakia emerged as the top team in a separate competition of three-membered squads.

Shuffling of cards :

Most often, players face a lot of problem in randomizing the cards, and this can create a huge problem when they are playing at a table with out a professional dealer. This mostly happen when they play home games or as a self dealt game where-in each player gets a turn to shuffle and deal. Players who cant shuffle face problems as shuffling is one of the key criteria for any kind of card game.

The main objective of shuffling is to change the order of cards in the deck.

As time passes, people have started shuffling in various ways such as The Overhand Shuffle, Table Riffle Shuffle, In-air Riffle Shuffle, Faro Shuffle, Hindu Shuffle, Weave Shuffle etc. The way one shuffles differs, it is interestingly, country dependent. Overhand shuffle is most widely used in European countries and riffle shuffle in USA. In Europe, people find it difficult to Riffle shuffle, they feel its too fancy and prefer to carry on with Overhand shuffling.

Everyone can’t shuffle properly without practice or experience. You can learn it only by observing and then practicing until your hands get used to the motion.

You can view some online videos to master this art.

Get the Dice Rolling

At a reasonable price, what you experience is good quality, game attraction and lots of fun. Nothing great designed with 3D effects but certainly something that can value your time. Along with Nice dice games that are attracting and addictive you also have the option to download and even purchase these PC games for a good price.

From a developed version of the classic game Yahtzee is the origin of Nice Dice game. It allows you tally the results in a single-column Yahtzee game or four-column Yamb game. What you enjoy here is the audio of the game, you can’t miss the graphics though a few and a pleasing compact interface sets you right to play the game. Besides Nice Dice another PC game offered at this site is Deep Blocks. A recreation of the all-time classic game of Tetris. You don’t have anything much to learn from this game but you do get a chance to experiment with geometric shapes which makes the game very addictive. Your quest is to handle the pressure through all 21 levels and doing this task will fully immerse you in the game experience.

Both these PC games need system requirements such as Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP, 60 Mhz CPU and 16 MB of RAM because they are available for download and also online purchase. The goal of this site is to cater to people of all ages, incite their minds by relieving stress and providing good quick fun. The best way to try out your hands here is by hopping in and playing some games. So if you want to experience ultimate fun at a low investment it all begins at nicedicegames.com.

At a reasonable price, what you experience is good quality, game attraction and lots of fun. Nothing great designed with 3D effects but certainly something that can value your time. Along with Nice dice games that are attracting and addictive you also have the option to download and even purchase these PC games for a good price.

From a developed version of the classic game Yahtzee is the origin of Nice Dice game. It allows you tally the results in a single-column Yahtzee game or four-column Yamb game. What you enjoy here is the audio of the game, you can’t miss the graphics though a few and a pleasing compact interface sets you right to play the game. Besides Nice Dice another PC game offered at this site is <a href=”http://www.nicedicegames.com/” target=”_blank”>Deep Blocks</a>. A recreation of the all-time classic game of Tetris. You don’t have anything much to learn from this game but you do get a chance to experiment with geometric shapes which makes the game very addictive. Your quest is to handle the pressure through all 21 levels and doing this task will fully immerse you in the game experience.

Both these PC games need system requirements such as Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP, 60 Mhz CPU and 16 MB of RAM because they are available for download and also online purchase. The goal of this site is to cater to people of all ages, incite their minds by relieving stress and providing good quick fun. The best way to try out your hands here is by hopping in and playing some games. So if you want to experience ultimate fun at a low investment it all begins at <a href=”http://www.nicedicegames.com/” target=”_blank”>nicedicegames.com</a>.

Kalooki Basic strategy

Rummy is one of the most popular card games in the world. It has many variations,  one of them is Kalooki. It’s a pretty exciting card game played by 2 to 4 players. It’s very popular and mostly played in UK. If you want to learn to play Kalooki, you should be aware of some basic strategies. Your Chances of winning can be doubled by following these simple rules and strategies.

Kalooki is played with a 2 deck of playing cards with 2 jokers in it i.e 106 cards in total. Each player is dealt 13 of these cards and take it in turns to get rid of them. The winner is the first one to do so.

The ability to draw right cards from the stock is the most important while playing this game. While discarding the cards, one should notice that your opponent shouldn’t get any benefit or it should not be utilizable.

Most important, you should always keep your eyes open and focus when your opponent discards and picks the cards, this can tell you a lot about the hand of your opponent.

If you meld a joker, make use of it. Make sure your opponents won’t replace it with another significant card.

Normally a player won’t be able to Go Kalooki if his/her opponents have already laid down their melds.

I am busy mastering Gin Rummy Read this space for the latest tips and strategies..

Online Car Racing Games

Online Car Racing

Online Car Racing Games:

For many who dream to participate in a car race or want to become a car racer but cannot do it in real can fulfill their dreams by playing online. Car racing games played online are very realistic giving the experience of winning a real car race. Car racing games can be customized with different body parts.

Playing video games offers good entertainment and are a good form of relaxation. Nowadays, with the improvement in technology these games can be played with best visuals and sound details. New games with new challenges are continuously developed by the game creators.

FuelTank and Need for Speed are the common car racing games that are played by all age groups. Time runs out quickly in a Fuel Game. You have to be very fast. You need to keep the radiator spring working using the collected gas. Need for speed is a dangerous form of racing and hence most thrilling and exciting. It requires lot of practice to take down the enemy.

Car racing or car driving games are not easy to play. These games require lot of concentration and practice but the excitement one experiences is as realistic as participating in a real car race.

So if you always wanted to participate in a car race but didnt have the time, money, energy or will.. you can always get going by playing online to experience the thrill…

Kavita Shah a Bejeweled 2 World Champion :

One of my favorite online game is Bejeweled, I keep my self updated to all that is happening in that game.I have a penchant for reading about all the gurus of this game. There have been many experts in this gaming field and one of the great champ is “Kavita Shah”.

Playing online games is not a hard task as Kavita has proved this by winning the latest tournament which was held on 15th may 2009. She has been a source of inspiration to many women, encouraging them to gain expertise in playing online games.

Kavita Shah, thinks that lady luck is always on her side when she plays online Bejeweled. She won not through her ability to oversee thousands of troops and equipment in a real-time strategy game, or for her skills with rocket-launchers and railguns in first-person shooter games. Rather, Kavitha topped thousands of other players in the games Solitaire and PopCap Games’ Zuma and Bejeweled 2 “casual games.”

Kavita says, “because it was the only game that I knew I would do better in than anyone else at the tournament. Having one of the three competition games ‘in the bag’ was a huge confidence booster.” She is the person who invented the popular casual games on the web. In the beginning, she used to play Bejeweled 2 game just for the fun but later on it became a part of her relaxation, beyond that it provided many other benefits. Even after winning the $1 million prize, she still play for 2 to 3 hours per day. she plays it wherever she can, at her home, at the airport while waiting for her flight, in the bus….

Kavitha plays for sizable cash purses almost daily, and estimates she’s won more than $150,000 in 2008 alone.

Kavitha now studies law at the University of Michigan.She has paid her fees from her winnings. Her winnings have helped her to pay for school, a house, and recently a trip to Greece.

When she was not buried under law school textbooks, she used to enjoys movies, philosophical debates, college football, kayaking, photography, racquetball, traveling and spending time with her husband.

Interesting personality.. isn’t she???