Game Schooling - Quiddler

I cannot believe I've made it this long without playing Quiddler! The game came out in 1998, and TDmonthly lists it as one of the top ten most wanted cards games STILL in 2014. The Card Game Reviews blog says:

Quiddler has won more than a dozen gaming awards, including a MENSA Select Award, a spot on Newsweek‘s Perfect Presents list, and the 1998 Tiger Award for Best American Game.

The game comes with a fat stack of letter cards, which players make into words. Play is simple, following a draw and discard format. Round 1 starts with 3 cards (meaning players will be making 3-letter words). Round 2 begins with 4 cards, Round 3 with 5, etc... up to 10 cards. Players must use their entire hand (minus 1 card to discard) to make 1 or more words with the highest point value. House rules could make this game easier or harder for kids of different ages. Those just learning to read could make shorter words than experienced readers. The deck could be stacked to include (or not include) letter blends. Players could decide to play up to a certain point value, rather than a certain number of rounds or to play all rounds with the same number of letters.

As a card game, Quiddler is delightfully small and pack-able, and Mane commented on how much she likes the design of the letters! I love a game that is beautiful, educational AND portable. This one definitely has some camping/road trips in its future!