How to win (words with) friends

Below are my best tactics for winning at Words with Friends, combined with subtle - yet very effective - dating techniques.

A good offence is the best defence

Make sure you don’t allow your opponent easy access to Double Word (DW) or Triple Word (TW) scores. Laying out low scoring words near these tiles can result in devastating score returns.

Unless it’s a guaranteed 20+ score, don’t go near these tiles. It’s as dangerous telling your new partner about your ex.

The first word

If your first move incorporates a 5+ letter word that ends in a 3+ tile, you’re already on your way to victory.

In dating terms, it’s the equivalent of having a strong first line for a potential beau at the bar. Example - “trade you a funny story for a cigarette?”

I’ve used this with my good friend Ben Pockett at HooHaa bar. Well, I didn’t use it on him… he was just there.

We picked up that night.

Keep it clean

Words with Friends allows you a number of options to make it easier to play – i.e tiles swap, questionable words and tile shuffles.

Words with Friends is a gift from the gods. Once we start mucking with the mechanics of what made it so beautiful, we start meddling with powers we cannot possibly understand.

Keep it straight. Keep it clean. It’s like making love for the first time with your new partner. There’s no need to go off course.

This is ‘Words with Friends’. Not ‘Words with Fiends’.

Mind your Qs and Zs

Back in the old archaic days of WWF (scrabble, not wrestling), it used to be a chore landing the likes of a Q or Z (even an X). My advice – use these high scorers to your advantage. Land one of these on a DW or TW tile and it’s as exciting as that first kiss after three dates.

It can reward you with scores in the 40s. Even 50s.

Have fun

Friendships have been lost over games of Words with Friends. People have been killed.

Remember – it’s just a game. And sure, your opponent may chuck in a QI when there’s no space left on the board. Just remember to keep your cool.

It’s not worth getting divorced over.

QI is not a word

It’s not.

It really isn’t.