TOS Review: Scruble Cube

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Being a part of the TOS Homeschool Crew can be a lot of fun.  Recently my family and I have been enjoying playing with the Scruble Cube. It’s a toy and it’s a game. But it’s not just entertainment.  From the Scruble Cube Universe Tab of the website:

SCRUBLE Cube can promote the development and exercise of key brain functions- logical deduction, analytical processing and word development skills in a unique and challenging way. And although you can challenge yourself on a variety of levels- if you can simply spell ‘CAT you can play SCRUBLE Cube. (emphasis in original)

So what exactly is a Scruble Cube?  The website offers this explanation:

In SCRUBLE Cube™ there are 96 individually rotating letter and premium scoring pegs inserted onto a 4 x 4 x4 cube. The letters rotate to aid in pattern recognition when players are creating words. The cube offers a stimulating single or multi-player environment for spelling words of at least three letters on a single plane or over several faces: 3-Dimensionally. All of the letters have point values and scoring occurs at the end of each player’s turn. Bonuses are awarded for words that have a letter on at least three faces. And that’s the fun and challenge of SCRUBLE Cube: thinking in 3-dimensions!

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Some things to know about Scruble Cube:

  • It is quite difficult to move at first.  The pieces seem to stick.  The instruction sheet included in the box did say that this should improve with use and that was our experience but it did make the first couple games very frustrating.  I recommend playing with the cube and just working the tiles for a bit before beginning any rounds.
  • It’s addictive.  Well maybe it’s just me but I find myself picking up the cube to just play with turning it to see if I can get the letters to line up the way I want.  We’ve had the Cube sitting on a table or ledge and multiple family members pick it up as they pass just to practice turning it.  I find it relaxing.
  • Scorecard Template Available.  One thing I dislike about games is running out of the included scorepads.  Well with Scruble Cube when you use up the included score pads you can print more from the website here.
  • Scruble Cube has lesson plans available! Scruble Cube isn’t just a game or toy.  It doesn’t just improve your thinking skills either.  You can use it teach academic skills. You can read about the academic and life skills you can teach with Scruble Cube on the Scruble Cube Education tab. You can download lesson plans from the website here.

What My Family Thinks of Scruble Cube:

Turlegirl”s Thoughts (age 14):  I like it.  It is fun. It’s kind of fun to try to make one word and to discover that word won’t work but you then find that you accidently created a word that will work just as well.  I think this a good game to play with friends and family. It’s a good mind bender.

Tailorbear’s Thoughts (age 12): The only problem is that when you are looking for a certain you can lose your starting point.  That’s the only bad thing.  It’s fun except when you  can’t find a word.  I wish it was easier to turn the inside sections.

Honeybear’s Thoughts (the Dad): Overall it’s a fun a game.  You have to pay attention to where you are trying to create a word.  It’s not just a matter of creating a word but it’s the strategy of turning the cube to get the letters to line up. This is different from Scrabble because you don’t have the tiles in front of you.  With Scrabble you can rearrange the letter tiles.  It’s different with the cube you have to strategize a way to create a word.

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My opinion: I like the Scruble Cube because it isn’t just entertainment.  I like that while having fun, we are challenging our brains.  I like that lesson plans are available. If you like challenging puzzles and you like word games,  I recommend Scruble Cube .  My oldest daughter enjoys mind bending challenges, however, she was overwhelmed and intimidated by the word aspect.  She does not enjoy word games the way her sisters do.  This was not a game she enjoyed and she tended to sit out when we played.  If you dislike word games it is possible that would not enjoy this game. 

The Details:

  • retails for $24.95 and can be purchased directly from RSV Productions here
  • for ages 8 and up
  • for 1 to 4 players
  • Includes scorepad, Scruble Cube, and timer
  • you can purchase a full set of replacement letters for $4.95

.To see what my fellow crewmates have to say about Scruble Cube click on the banner below:PhotobucketAll information is correct and accurate as of the date of this review.

Disclaimer: As a TOS Crew member, I received this product free of charge to review. This review is my honest opinion with, hopefully, enough detail as to why I liked or did not like a product so that my readers can make an informed decision. I received no compensation.

Comments

  1. Love the strategy aspect here too. :)

    You described this so much better than I did.

    ReplyDelete

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