The Computer Edition of the Scrabble Brand Crossword Game -- Game #1 Analysis

Hello friend--

It's a new series for the Scotty Euclid channel; I'm playing the 1989 MS-DOS version of Scrabble, which goes by the wordy title "The Computer Edition of Scrabble Brand Crossword Game". Produced by Leisure Genius, I believe it is the first computerized version of Scrabble for MS-DOS sold in the United States.

After completing my first game (part 1 and part 2), I decided to review how I did via the Quackle tool. This free software was produced by some major players in the Scrabble community and is used by the experts to review their games. I'm not an expert, but I thought it might be fun to look for some plays that I might have missed. Was there a bingo that I could have played in this game against Wordy? Well, yes, but it wasn't an obvious play.

Let's take a look at the game. By the way, I used Quackle's Generate Choices command, but I didn't do any in-depth simulations or analysis. It's just a casual game against a 30+ year old computer game, after all.

A quick note about notation: Plays are usually listed in CAPITAL LETTERS. A letter in parentheses is a letter that is already on the board when the play is made. A lower-case letter represents a blank tile. Finally, the alpha-numeric indicator before the points earned is a notation used by Scrabble folk to show where the word went. Columns of the board run from A to O (left to right); rows of the board run from 1 to 15 (top to bottom). If the number comes first, the word was played horizontally. If the letter comes first, the word was played vertically. The indicator identifies the first letter of the played word. Got it?

Wordy (Level 1 Computer) versus Scotty Euclid (Level 1 YouTuber)

Wordy Play 1: OPT (8F, 10 points)

Quackle really doesn't like Wordy's tiles. Most of its recommendations are to exchange tiles. The best play is the obscure TOPOI for 16 points, but exchanging seems to be a reasonable play.

Scotty Play 1: XI (9F, 24 points)

This play actually made the top 10 of Quackle's recommendations--it was 7th best. Pretty good for me. The best play is VARIX for 25 points, but C(O)AX through the "O" in OPT gets you 29 points.

Wordy Play 2: BAI(T) (H5, 6 points)

Quackle still doesn't like Wordy's tiles, but words like BIO (19 points) and BOA (8 points) get you on the board. Many of the top recommendations were to exchange tiles.

Scotty Play 2: NAVY (10G, 23 points)

This isn't a bad play. In fact, playing NAVY is the second best option for Quackle...just not in the spot I played at. (Playing NAVY/(OX)Y nets 39 points.) The odd CAVY in the same spot gets 41 points. VARY (39) and CYAN (43) are good options, too.

Wordy Play 3: OBOE (5G, 6 points)

Quackle still is encouraging the exchanging of tiles, but the best play is HOOEY off the "Y" in NAVY for 19 points.

Scotty Play 3: CUT/PINT (11E, 16 points)

Not a bad play. Quackle's best play is the odd UPD(A)RT for 26 points. The more familiar CUR(E)D gets 18 points. One thing I noticed over the next few plays in Quackle--that "E" on OBOE could have led to a big point swing. Playing words that start with "H" or "W" off the "E" would guarantee at least 24 points just for the "H" or "W". Despite the computer's "H"s, it didn't go for the easy points.

Wordy Play 4: REIN (4D, 10 points)

Quackle likes the "H" off of OBOE to form EH and either HIE (27), HEINIE (32), or HI (26).

Scotty Play 4: DREW (5B, 28 points)

This is, in fact, Quackle's top recommended play! WR(A)P for 24 and PEW for 28 are good alternatives.

Wordy Play 5: (V)IEW (I10, 14 points)

WEIGH off the "E" in OBOE to form "EW" would have netted 41 points and gotten Wordy back in the game. Dodged a bullet there!

Scotty Play 5: PR(E)TTY (J3, 13 points)

It turns out that PE is a valid 2-letter word, so PRETTY/PE at J4 would have gotten 26 points. The highest scoring plays looked to be some obscure words: YETT for 47 and YEPS for 53. PERT for 39 and TYPE for 29 were also possibilities.

Wordy Play 6: (W)AGE (13I, 8 points)

There are high scoring plays, all off the "E" in OBOE, but they are some obscure three-letter words: FOH for 30, FAH for 30, HAH for 30, FOG for 25). There's a clever play of "OH" above REIN and DREW to form ORE and HEW.

Scotty Play 6: FASTED (M8, 42 points)

This was my best opportunity for a bingo, but I had to know either of the words FAD(D)IEST (80) or SAFETI(E)D (76)--which I wouldn't have known. FASTED wasn't recommended by Quackle, but FATED (46) was. Quackle doesn't seem to like that I opened up the triple word score next to the "F". I dodged a few bullets here, too.

Wordy Play 7: A(RE)A (D3, 4 points)

There were some obscure, high-scoring options, like O(F)FA for 33, HAAF for 32, and AAH for 34.

Scotty Play 7: LIVES (14E, 21 points)

This was my other bingo chance--(D)IVULSES for 66 points. I'm not familiar with this word either. Quackle doesn't identify any other bingos for the rest of the game. VIES (34) and VEIL (26) were good options.

Wordy Play 8: FOO(D) (B2, 16 points)

This play would turn out to be very interesting for the second half of the game. For 37 points, Quackle comes up with the clever HOOF/OLIVES play off of LIVES. Remember that "F" and the triple word score I opened up two turns ago? FEZ gets 45 points. Eeee...

Part 2!!

Scotty Play 8: (F)UN (8M, 18 points)

I'm glad I didn't work too hard to find a bingo with those tiles. Quackle doesn't identify any bingos, either. CURL could have been played off of AREA to form AREAL, But it turns out that (F)UN is the second best option on the board, according to Quackle! Hooray, me! Quackle likes (F)LU a bit better, but it's the same number of points, so I'll take it.

Wordy Play 9: H(E)EL (12L, 26 points)

HEEL is a good play. The "H" on the double word score (and in both words) gives Wordy 16 points for that letter alone. In fact, it's Quackle's 5th best play. HEH for 37 was the best option.

Scotty Play 9: Q(U)a (N7, 12 points)

For the only time in the game, Quackle thinks that I should exchange tiles. Q(I) for 11 points is its best play that doesn't involve an exchange, but QI wasn't a valid word in 1989. A tough spot, but it worked out.

Wordy Play 10: HE(L)M (D10, 9 points)

Some strange words for top plays: (P)UIALI for 34 points and (T)HUJA for 31 points. JAM (39), HEM (31), and HAZE (34) are words that I'm familiar with.

Scotty Play 10: (P)ING (3J, 14 points)

For the first time, the upper-left corner of the board comes into play. I missed RING running down from the triple word score (forming IF, NO, and DO and scoring 33 points). This corner is waiting to be claimed!

Wordy Play 11: (I)O(T)A (7H, 5 points)

Quackle wants Wordy to do something with the "J" or the "Z". JU(N)TO, JU(N)TA, ZO(A), and JOT can net you some points.

Scotty Play 11: (HELM)ED (O10, 36 points)

Quackle considers this the 3rd best play! Hooray, me! LEND or REND can go in the upper-left corner for 33 points and are considered the best plays.

Wordy Play 12: JEST (7B, 17 points)

A clever play. Quackle likes S(E)Z (47), ZEST (52), JETS (46) as top plays.

Scotty Play 12: (G)IN (K13, 4 points)

Not many good plays here, according to Quackle. LI(N) gets 14 points, and NIL gets 16.

Wordy Play 13: MOAN (15C, 11 points)

Again, the "Z" is the priority for Quackle. ZO(N)A (46), ZO(A) (35), and MAZ(E) (36) are all contenders.

Scotty Play 13: DIS (A1, 19 points)

I finally block off that corner of the board, but I could have done better. SILD for 33, LIDS for 29.

Wordy Play 14: (G)RUB (M3, 7 points)

Obscure "Z" words like R(E)Z (24) and L(E)Z (24) take priority, but the more common RU(M) for 10 points is in the top plays.

Scotty Play 14: (N)UKe(D) (15K, 10 points)

Quackle thinks I should have played off the "J" in JEST. Think (J)oCK or (J)aCK for 26 points. I would not have guessed that, given the close proximity to the triple word score.

Wordy Play 15: (J)AIL (B7, 13 points)

Looks like Wordy took the opportunity from me! ZO(N)E, playing off the "N" in PING would have netted 50 points.

Scotty Play 15: C(A)R (8A, 17 points)

I couldn't go out with the four remaining tiles, but it turns out C(A)R is the best play according to Quackle. Blocking the triple word score was important to the analyzer.

Wordy Play 16: O(R) (B7, 13 points)

It's now or never for that "Z" in his rack. ZO(N)E from before was still available for 50 points. Playing OR ruined that option. ZOA and ZEN are options, too.

Scotty Play 16: (E)L (12I, 4 points)

I could have gone out here! G + EL is GEL...a word I know! GEL earns 8 points and an additional point from Wordy. Quackle also spots the tricky NOG/GUL option, also for 8 points. These are the only two ways to run out the rack.

Wordy Play 17: (OR)E (4L, 3 points)

(L)EZ and Z(IN) are the only ways to dump the "Z" and are Quackle's top two plays.

Scotty Play 17: G(IN) (F13, 4 points)

GEL was still available for 6 points. GIN (4) and GI (3) appear to be the only other plays.

And that's the game!

Each side played 17 words. According to Quackle, I played preferred plays on turns 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 16, and 17. Seven out of seventeen plays seems pretty good to me. (Wordy only had one optimal play in turn 9.)

Highest scoring plays: FASTED (42 points), HELMED (36 points), DREW (28 points), HEEL (26 points)

Best play: Probably HELMED on play 11, since it was the 3rd best play and the 2nd highest scoring play of the match.